The Rural Voice, 1992-02, Page 27(FARMATIC)
covered the information that Charlie
Hay accompanied another water
diviner from the same location an
hour later that Saturday. Although
the routes were different, both men
chose the identical site, at the conver-
gence of two underground streams.)
This well was officially put into
service in July, 1971, with a ribbon -
cutting ceremony attended by Bob
McKinley, MP at the time. PUC
manager Lorne Archer describes the
well as Hensall's best, capable of
supplying 300 gallons a minute.
"I didn't believe in water -witching
before. I pretty well have to, now,"
Lorne concedes.
Among Merv's more recent
achievements is a water supply for
Harry and Marion Dougall on High-
way 4 north of Exeter.
"We had three wells, but no water
at the house. Dow started walking
from the artesian well on our son's
farm next door, picked the spot, and
said we'd find water at 32 to 35 feet,"
Harry relates. "The well drillers got a
real gusher at 40 feet."
Mery has given some thought to
why a dowsing rod works for him.
"I feel it has something
to do with the electricity
in a person's body,"
he speculates.
"That's the only
logical explanation."
Mery knows divining for water
affects him physically. He feels tired
and nauseated afterward.
Retired Usborne township farmer
Bill Lamport began his water -witch-
ing in the same way as Mery Dow:
by watching someone else do it, and
discovering that he could do it, too.
Bill can use a Y-shaped branch
from any tree, but leans toward the
preference of folklore for rods cut
from trees bearing fruits with stones.
Bill's name is in the Usborne
township's history book as the person
who, in the '70s, divined the well for
the family living in the former Lum-
ley school.
In 1985, Jack Gaiser called on Bill
when he needed a water supply for
the 11,000 broilers housed on his
farm north of Dashwood. A neigh-
bour, who also happened to be an
amateur water-witcher, had told Jack
where he thought the well should be.
Bill was directed to the general area,
and selected the same place.
The neighbour began digging with
a backhoe. He had to stop at 15 feet
because of the surge of water. Today,
that well still keeps filled to the top.
Professional well -drillers have no
faith in the efficacy of water -witch-
ing.
"It's all for the birds. If I knew
anyone good at it, I'd have them on
my payroll," says Charlie Hayden of
Granton.
He has been digging large -dia-
meter bored wells all his life, as did
his father before him. Charlie's
method is simple: "Pick out the most
appropriate spot on high ground and
do 'er." He usually hits water at 34 to
40 feet.
The Hopper family in Seaforth
have been drilling deep artesian wells
since 1915. Neil Hopper quotes a
study by the American Water Well
Association which concluded no real
proof exists that water -witching
works.
"I don't object if someone wants
to consult a witcher, I'll put a well in
a hayfield if that's what they want. I
try to go along, and like to check it
out," says Neil. "To put the contro-
versy to rest, I will drill a test hole."
Sometimes he finds water where a
dowser has said it would be, and
other times he hits a dry hole.
In deciding where to drill, the
Hoppers rely on their vast knowledge
of water tables, rock formation and
other contributing factors, accumu-
lated through experience over the
years. "We get water 99 per cent of
the time," Neil claims.
If you want to conduct your own.
experiment, cut a Y-shaped branch, or
even make a rod from a coat hanger.
Grasp the two long ends firmly,
pointing the base out horizontally.
Start walking. If the rod either begins
to spin around or whips up and down
in a vertical motion, you have the
power. What you do with it is up to
you.
Well?!0
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AYTON ONT. NOG 1C0
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Feb. 18-20, 1992, Stratford
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FEBRUARY 1992 23