Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-03-14
WATER
BY WEIGHING IS
TREATED IN REPLY
ARTHUR J. ELLIS OF THE u. s.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GIVES
IT'S HISTORY

ing minerals, finding hidden treasure,
or detecting criminals is a curious SUI
perstition that has been a subject of
discussion since the middle of the six
teenth century and still has a strong
hold on the popular mind, even in this
country. This is evident from the
large number of inquiries received
each year by the United States Geo.
logical Survey, Department of the In
terror as to the efficacy of such a twig,
especially for locating underground
water. To furnish reply to these
inquiries the geological survey has
published brief paper, by Arthur J.
Ellis, on the history of water witch
ing, with photography that includes
a truly astonishing number of books
and pamphlets on this uncanny sub
ject.
In summary the paper states: 1t is
doubtful whether so much investiga-
ton and discussion have been bestow-
ed on any other subject with such alb
solute lack of positive results. 1t is
difficult to see how for practical pur-
poses the entire matter could be more
thoroughly discredited. 1t is by no
means true that all persons using a
forked twig or some other device for
locating water or other minerals are
intentional deceivers. Some of them
are doubtless men Of good character
and benevolent intentions. However,
as anything that can be deeply yelled
in mystery affords a good opportunity
for swindlers, there can be no reason
able doubt that many of the large
group of professional finders of wa
ter, oil, or other minerals who take
pay for their services" or for the
sale of their instruments" are DELHI
erately defrauding the people and
that the total amount of money they
obtain is large. To all inquirers the
United States Geological Survey
therefore gives the advice not to ex-
pend any money for the services of
any "water witch" or for the sue or
purchase of any machine or instru-
ment devised for locating underground
water or other minerals.
In tracing the history of the sub
ject it is found that divining rods have
been used % to locate ore deposits,
(2) to discover buried or hidden trea-
sure, (3) to find lost landmarks and
reestablish property boundaries, (4)
to detect criminals (5) to analyze
personal character, (6) to cure dis
eases, CD to trace lost or strayed
domestic animals, 81 to insure i'm
munitv against i'll fortune by use as
fetish, (9) to locate we'll sites, (10)
to trace the courses of underground
streams, 1D to determine the
amount Of water available by drilling
at given spot, (12) to determine the
direction of cardinal points, (14) to
determine the heights of trees, and
(15) to analyze ores and water.
The origin of the superstition is
lost'in antiquity. What is believed to
be the first published description Of
the divining rod is contained in Geor-
gius Agricola's "De re metallica,"
which was published in 1856. The
device became common first in Ger
many as a means for locating mines
and also for discovering buried trea-
sures, matter of rather common in
terest in those days, when the prac-
tice of burying money and plate for
safe keeping was very general. 1t
was introduced into England by Ger
man miners during the reign of Eli
zabeth 1558-1603), and before the
end of the seventeenth century it had
spread through the countries Of Eu-
rope. Everywhere it aroused contro-
versy. The rules prescribed for the
cutting of the twig partook largely of
heather sorcery and astrology. There
were indeed, TO some extent, uncon-
scious "Reminiscences of the old
Scandinavian and even of the Aryan
mythology. But this heather infu-
ence was offset when the rod was duly
Christianized by baptism, being laid
for this purpose in the bed with a new
ly> baptized child, by whose Christian
name it was afterward addressed. IL
is readily conceivable that the motive
for surrounding this practice with a
religious atmosphere might not have
been altogether a belief in its divine
character, for at that time anyone
found engaged in mysterious works
was in danger of being charged with
sorcery and burned to death.
The divining rod continued to be a
favorite subject with alchemistic
writer's until about 1860, when a new
turn of affairs was brought about by
a Jesuit father, who denounced it as
an instrument controlled by the devil
The subject was taken up by the
church, and for more than 100 years
! it was holly debated by churchmen
Some approved of il and authorized
its use on church property; others
condemned it and threatened those
who used it with ekcommunication In
1892, the year of the Salem witch.
craft, its notoriety was greatly in.
creased by the arrest and execution OF
criminal through the agency Of q
peasant who used divining rod. In.
terest in this case was intense anC
widespread and called forth large
amount of literature. AS late a:
/ 1903 this peasant was employed X
i point out with his divining rod Pro
/ testants for massacre, under the ples
of punishment for crimes they hat
committed. The divining rod was IL
some respects closely related to witch
craft, as is suggested by the use OF
lamentations in connection with div
lining, and to this relationship may b,
kascribed in some measure tn,
STRENGTHENING of belief in it. Witch
craft at that time had become a fren
wv, and anything which by any stretch
of the IMAGINATION could be suspectet