234 THE 1RRIGA TlOiV A GE. 



around and there was no watershed that any one could be justified in 

 connecting with it except the small one on the porphory hills of less 

 than a hundred acres. On this a noted expert with the divining rod 

 had located in one small gulch eighty inches of water, in another 

 some two hundred and in another something near a thousand. 

 I tried the rod over and over on the same places and 



FOUND EXACTLY THE SAME INDICATIONS HE DID. 



But I told the attorneys not to ask me a single question about 

 the water supply of that ranch and advised them to keep that expert 

 off the stand. After much consideration and debating they followed 

 my advice. 



With all my failings no one has ever accused me of being lazy 

 when I try to study up any subject. I have tried my best to make 

 practical use of the divining rod as a valuable part of the business of 

 water development and hydraulic engineering. After a vast amount 

 of experimenting and comparison of notes with others the only con- 

 clusions I can reach are these: 



It does indicate flowing water underground but not above ground. 



But it also indicates something else or else water so deep or in 

 such small quantity as to be of no use. 



It takes a large amount of practice to keep from being deceived 

 by it in any case. 



It is always liable to mislead one greatly as to the amount, 

 velocity, breadth or depth of the underground stream. From these 



THE ONLY PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS THAT I CAN DRAW ARE THESE: 



If on other sufficient grounds it has been decided to bore a well 

 or drive a tunnel for water on a certain piece of ground then in 

 locating the exact place to make such well or tunnel I should follow 

 the instructions of the water witch in practiced hands rather than 

 locate it by guess. 



But if the question is whether to bore that well or make that 

 tunnel there at all or not then I want to know considerable more. 

 I want all other questions answered as satisfactorily as if there were 

 no such thing as the water witch. 



These are the principles I should follow in spending my own 

 money. You had better consider them well for this will be a great 

 water witch year and many a dollar will be staked on its indications 

 which the land owner can ill afford to lose. 



