A "dowser" usually practices his/her trade (magic?) with a "dowsing fork," a "divining rod," or a "water rod." Also in these mountains, I have seen a number of other pendulum devices, usually made of copper, leads and other metals, believed to have the same powers. The trade ("art and mystery," or so it was said) has been practiced for centuries down to and including now and was very well known to every one of your ancestors.

Paul & All: I did not believe in "dowser devices" until I was working in the Newport News Shipyard and they needed something to find some water pipes under a concrete floor.. They bent two 1/4 in. dia. brazing rods about six inches back from the end to 90 degrees.. The rods were about thirty inches long and when held by the 6 in. "handles", the long rod pointing straight ahead, no matter how tightley they were gripped, they would cross when passed over water.. I tried it over a toilet bowl and now I'm a believer! Those things really Worked! I wonder if they would work to find old graves, probably not enough water tho'. G. Lee Hearl Authentic Appalachian Storyteller Abingdon, Va.

Lee!!!!!!!!!!!! :) C'mon; it ain't calculus to figure out that there is water in MY commode. :) :) Seriously, in these mountains many believe in our "dowsers." I have seen them fail more often than succeed, so no comment. ----- Original Message ----- From: "G. Lee Hearl" <glh@naxs.com> To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2001 11:09 PM Subject: Re: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] dowsers' tool > Paul & All: > I did not believe in "dowser devices" until I was working in the Newport > News Shipyard and they needed something to find some water pipes under a > concrete floor.. They bent two 1/4 in. dia. brazing rods about six inches > back from the end to 90 degrees.. The rods were about thirty inches long and > when held by the 6 in. "handles", the long rod pointing straight ahead, no > matter how tightley they were gripped, they would cross when passed over > water.. I tried it over a toilet bowl and now I'm a believer! Those things > really Worked! I wonder if they would work to find old graves, probably not > enough water tho'. > G. Lee Hearl > Authentic Appalachian Storyteller > Abingdon, Va. > > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > USGenWeb Archives Census Project > http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/census/ > > > ============================== > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & Celebrate > your heritage! > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog >

>>Lee!!!!!!!!!!!! :) C'mon; it ain't calculus to figure out that there is water in MY commode. :) :) Seriously, in these mountains many believe in our "dowsers." I have seen them fail more often than succeed, so no comment.<< Paul, You didn't understand my reason for trying the rods over a commode! I wanted to see the rods Cross Over The Water and they Did! They also Uncrossed as I backed away from the water! It Worked! Try it some time! G. Lee Hearl Authentic Appalachian Storyteller Abingdon, Va.

I always thought dowsing was a bunch of malarky too. But several years ago, a friend's father went dowsing in a pasture so he could drill a well to water his horses. He said he always used a forked fruit tree branch, but some people used other woods or even coat hangers. Some materials worked better for some people while other materials worked better for others - body chemistry, I guess. I thought the whole idea was rediculous, but I went along with it just for the entertainment. I watched that branch twist downward in his hands pulling his skin with it. I thought he was somehow faking it, but I couldn't see any sign of him causing the branch to point down - plus the effect on his skin. He gave me the branch and had me walk across the same area. The same thing happened to me in the same place! It was like a ghost had reached up out of the ground to pull on the end of that branch! I walked around that pasture several times. It did it again and again - always in the same place! I have no idea why or if it really indicates that there's water in that place. But I do know he drilled there and struck water. And I do know SOMETHING caused that branch to point downward - and it was a force much stronger than simple gravity. By the way, I hold a Master's Degree and my favorite two question are "Why?" and "Can you prove that?" I can't explain this, but I do know it's real. I've also heard it called a "witchy wand" in NC. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Drake" <martee@citlink.net> To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2001 9:49 PM Subject: Re: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] dowsers' tool > Lee!!!!!!!!!!!! :) C'mon; it ain't calculus to figure out that > there is water in MY commode. :) :) Seriously, in these > mountains many believe in our "dowsers." I have seen them fail more > often than succeed, so no comment. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "G. Lee Hearl" <glh@naxs.com> > To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2001 11:09 PM > Subject: Re: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] dowsers' tool > > > > Paul & All: > > I did not believe in "dowser devices" until I was working in the > Newport > > News Shipyard and they needed something to find some water pipes > under a > > concrete floor.. They bent two 1/4 in. dia. brazing rods about six > inches > > back from the end to 90 degrees.. The rods were about thirty > inches long and > > when held by the 6 in. "handles", the long rod pointing straight > ahead, no > > matter how tightley they were gripped, they would cross when > passed over > > water.. I tried it over a toilet bowl and now I'm a believer! > Those things > > really Worked! I wonder if they would work to find old graves, > probably not > > enough water tho'. > > G. Lee Hearl > > Authentic Appalachian Storyteller > > Abingdon, Va. > > > > > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > > USGenWeb Archives Census Project > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/census/ > > > > > > ============================== > > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & > Celebrate > > your heritage! > > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog > > > > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > Hosted by Rootsweb http://www.rootsweb.com > > > ============================== > Search over 1 Billion names at Ancestry.com! > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp > >

"G. Lee Hearl" wrote: > Paul & All: > I did not believe in "dowser devices" until I was working in the Newport > News Shipyard and they needed something to find some water pipes under a > concrete floor.. They bent two 1/4 in. dia. brazing rods about six inches > back from the end to 90 degrees.. The rods were about thirty inches long and > when held by the 6 in. "handles", the long rod pointing straight ahead, no > matter how tightley they were gripped, they would cross when passed over > water.. I tried it over a toilet bowl and now I'm a believer! Those things > really Worked! I wonder if they would work to find old graves, probably not > enough water tho'. > G. Lee Hearl > Authentic Appalachian Storyteller > Abingdon, Va. When I was a boy growing up, I was told that not all of the men in our family could do it (a la 7th son, etc. etc.). My father and I could...my other 4 brothers could not. I have never tried anything but pipes, although once over a septic tank, they swiveled from side to side. Maybe it is all in the believing.... Ed Hamblin Chesapeake, VA

Just got back and read my 171 messages, and had to put my 2 cents in on dowser' tool. My husband's aunt found the well that we are now using on our land. He said she once let him try it with her (when he was young), and it worked, but when he tried it alone it never did work. My mother also was good at finding water with a dowsers' stick, and a lot of her relatives back in Oklahoma also could work a dowsers' stick. It really saves a lot of money getting a well if the dowser does a good job. Kathy Awbrey ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Drake" <martee@citlink.net> To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2001 4:56 PM Subject: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] dowsers' tool > A "dowser" usually practices his/her trade (magic?) with a "dowsing > fork," a "divining rod," or a "water rod." Also in these mountains, > I have seen a number of other pendulum devices, usually made of > copper, leads and other metals, believed to have the same powers. > The trade ("art and mystery," or so it was said) has been practiced > for centuries down to and including now and was very well known to > every one of your ancestors. > > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > USGenWeb Archives Digital Maps Project > http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/maps/ > > > ============================== > Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp > Search over 2500 databases with one easy query! >