Year: 1877

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find water by means of the divining rod,
and so he asked him to come out to try
his power on the camp ground. Mr..
Cushings went out upon the grounds
with Gen. Berry, produced his rod, and I,
as he walked over the grounds, it would
every now and then dip, indicating
points at which water would be found
Not only did he locate the spot, but he
also gave the depths at which the water
would be found, his statements being
afterward verified by the excavations
M In this manner every one of the
pu IS now in use on Emory Grove
camp ground was located. Gen. Berry,
on making trial of the rod, found that
it moved in his hands also, and expert
ments showed that he was endowed with
the faculty.


In order to show that the theory of
unconscious direction of the rod by the
person holding it will not fit the case,
the following narrative of the manner in
which the most abundant water supply
on the ground was struck will be of in
terest. In using the rod the practice is
to walk around in large circle, so that
if the diviner chance to pass over sub
terranean stream two points upon it will
be located, thus showing its direction.
In doing so, one day, Gen. Berry was
surprised to find that the rod dipped at
three points of the circle, almost equi-
distant. He was puzzled to account for
it, and kept making narrower circuits
with the same result until he reached a
spot at which the downward force of the
rod was unusually great. He had well
dug there, and the fact was discovered
that two subterranean streams made a
junction at that point, thus showing that
in his circuits the rod had pointed out
the stream and both tributaries.


was once on the grounds during the
progress of a camp-meeting, and Gen.
Berry consented to show me the process.
We walked together in the woods, and
the end of the rod dipped dowRward
several times, but l had no means Of as
certaining whether there was, indeed,
subterranean waters at the spots indica-
ted. Finally we approached a bridge
across a stream, and | had an oppotu-
nifty of closely examining the motions
of the rod. AS Gen. Berry approached
the spring the projecting angle gradual
ly reared up until, directly over he
stream, it dipped rapidly downward,
finally pointing directly downward to
the water. In order to show that the
action of the rod was not due to any
movement impaired by his hands, Gen.
Berry proposed that should hold ole
of the free ends in my hand, while ne
would allow the other to rest on Js
open palm. We did so. l took firm
hold of the end of the piece Of rain
which formed one side OF the angle, and,
holding it stiff1y and rigidly upright, lid
my best to prevent the brass-cappsd
point of the angle from bending down
ward. Butnevertheless it did SO, point
ing directly down to the water, the chs
tic material of the rod being bent into
sharp curve. l could distinctly fel
the traction of force like weight at
the angle Of the rod, and meantime Ge.
Berry's hand was open and supine.


Now, if the motion of the rod vas
communicated to it from our hands, hey
was it that force operated in direction
directly opposite to that in which l p-
piled my manual strength?


Besides Gen, Berry and Mr.. JoseDh
Cushings, Mr. c. S. Norris, proni
nent hardware merchant of this city,
deceased, possessed the power. Mr..
Cushings had experimental with the
rod, and has rule, which he acknowl
edges to be entirely empirical, by which
he calculates the depth ofthe water from
the motions of the rod He is more
sensitive diviner than Gen. Berry, and
can follow the course of water-pipes il
the flooring of house or water-mahS
in street. The use ofthe rod produces
in him great acceleration of the pulls,
and, if prolonged, feelings Of nervGs
exhaustion Gen. Berry, who is yeV
tall, robust man, is in no wise affected.