Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-13

Writer Tells Of Witnessing Power
of Water Witch"

To the Editor OF The star,
The power and effects Of the thing
we term electricity are we'll known,
though the nature of this force has not
been ascertained even by its closest in
Vcstigators. But whatever the nature
of electricity may be. it seems to be
clearly established that it Is not spir-
itual but physical force. that there
is nothing uncanny or occult about it.
and that 1t has no relation with any
unseen world OF unseen powers.
There Is another power In the world
which does not seem TO be who'll?
physical In its nature, though as IL
appears to manifest itself for a bcnef-
icent purpose it cannot be termed ma
lignant weird or uncanny. even
though its manifestations are occult
and mysterious in the extreme.
refer to that strange pOrtent ex-
h!bitcd by the operations of the divin-
ing rod. The divning rod as well in
formed persons know. is small. fOrked
branch by some slip. the dictionary
says "tWig'D. of witch hazel. yew or
other wood, by means Of which certain
persons who have the gift are able 10
find underground water. Even diction-
aries an encyclopedias are skcptical
concerning the existence Of this power.
for the Standard Dictionary defines a
OWNING rod rs "a rod of witch hazel
used IN the pretended discovery Of min
eral deposits, springs of water oil wells
etc 1t IS fOrked tWig held by the
tips and the large end Is supposed to
bend toward the earth when the spring
or deposit is reached" And the New
International Encyclopedia says. under
the heading witch Hazel: The Eng
lish name is derived from the supposed
virtues of forkcd twig as divin.ng
rod.
Dictionary and book knowledge is not
always so sound as the knowledge We
derive from actual experience III this
particular OF the divining rod. I am
abe To correct the pcdaniS. because !
have ly witnessed at cl0Sc hand
a doW5sr. or water witch" IN acton
So marvellous. so mysterious, was the
sight that 1t was calcula led to link on
with the madieva! world Of spirits. and
% bring to mind Shake peare's words
There are more things in heaven end
earth. HoratIo. than are dreamt OF in
your philosophy"
Some years ago I spent a week on a
small wheat ranch in a rather retired
part OF the State OF Oregon. The
rancher was middle-ag2d. married
man. with two or three small sonc. and
seemed perfectly normal with the ex-
ception that there appeared 10 DE a
certain spiritual or psychical quality
about him. This quality was by no
means obvious. end perhaps only
imagine 1t III the light % later develop
mSnts.
One day he and myself were walking
up one OF t.loze narrow Western can
yons. whose sombeE silence and pacul-
~ leo sg~ rast NksF
weird and awCSome feelings Sudden
~ he said to me Did you ever scr
a water wi'ch7" At first / thought ha
meant a bird as / believe there is a
bird named a water witch
He cut a small forked branch from
tree--he said this wood might serve.
though he could not find the wood n
wanted-grasped a FORK in each hand.
the pole OF the forked branch pointing
outward and began 10 walk forward.
saw the end of the forEed branch be-
gin TO bend and curve, II curved more
and more. until Il actually cracked in
the mans hands. aad seemed TO be ex-
erting SD powerful force upon hin.
that he had 10 give over. There =
water here" he said. l took the FORK
ed branch In my own hands. and walk
ed ever the same ground he had walked
over. bI, without effect. did not have
the gift. or power, or whatever j. was
/ vas not water witcl
WHAT was this mysterious power
DID it reside in the man. o. IN the
foyked branch. or in the water. or III
all of them, or did Il er3anate from
some greater power outside 0: all o!
them-Some bcnefeent power that gives
to certain individuals the gift of find
ing what Is essential 10 life? Let sci
cntiStS lower their proud creStS' There
are more things in heaven and earth
than are dreamed o! IN their philos-
ophy. CHARLES HOOPER.