Seward daily gateway., 1925-12-29

favorable spots for drilling or pros. pecting may be localized and much useless expenditure of money avoid- ed.
 A portable field apparatus has also been developed by the Federal Bu :. reau of Minse. It may be used by prospctors of geologists as an addi- tional aid in discovering new oil or gas fields. If water of underground origin traverses a gas or oil sand, it will absorb definite quantity of hydrocarbon vapors, and will car ry these vapors to the surface when tapped by a we'll The apparatus makes it possible to determine wheth- CT the vapors are mainly of natural gas composition or are composed mostly of heavier petroleum vapors.
 The use of a forked twig, or so- called divining-rod, in finding miner als and hidden treasure or detecting criminals still has a strong hold on the popular fancy, even in the Unit ed States, as shown by the thous- ands of inquiries received by the Government departments.
 T want some informa ton about a needle or something that will locate gold, as I have some traces of a gold mine and also some hidden treas ure," contractor in West Virginia recently wrote the Bureau of Mines. T have the county located which it is in but ann unable to loate the exact spot If you can give me any information along this line or can tell me where I can get a needle or machine or instrument which gold will attract, I certainly will appre ciate it and will keep you posted as to my success"
 Many of the correspondents seek to swear the Government to secrecy in their proposed search for precious metals, and in return for "a mach inc with gold needle, a silver nee dle, a copper needle and a metal needle" offer to split their find with Uncle Sam. One correspondent wrote that he knew where there was 2,3OO pounds of gold in the Blanchard Riv- CT. Would the Government get it for him? He would pay handsome ly.
 The Bureau of Mines informs such correspondents that "the extravagant claims put forth by people who sel contrlVances such as divining rods, mineral rods and the like have nev- CT been substantiated.. Special in struments, such as the dip needle, the magnetometer and the dial com- pass, have been successfully used in prospecting for magnetic iron ores 1n thsi and other countries, but such instruments are not useful in prospecting for precious metals or ores that have no magnetic effect. The questio of locating buried trea- sure is one on which it is impossi- ble to give helpful advice of any kind"
 The origin of the divining rod is lost in antiquity. Students of the subject have discovered in ancient literature many more or less vague references to it. The "rod" is men toned many times in the Bible in connection with miraculous perform ances. In the seventeenth century, use of divining rods had spread thru the countries of Europe and aroused controversy. It's champions, among whom were some of the most learned men of the time, explained it's oper- ation on the principle of sympathy or attraction and repulsion." It's adversaries condemned it's use as a supersutiOus and vain practice. An other view suggested a demoniac in- fluence. In Cornwall, England, the belief is still common among the miners that the rod is guided to the ore deposits by the pixies,' the fairy custOdians of the mineral treasures of the earth.
 Scientific controversies over the divining rod have continued to the present day..