ARIZONA WATER FINDERS

ARIZONA WATER FINDERS BY GASTON BURRIDGE

Water, that marvelous stuff! More of it flows through the deep dungeons of the earth than you think but how to find where it flows is the question. There is countless proof that some among us can find where it flows. We should know more about them. Water is the most abundant fluid on the planet. It is the great dissolvent, and because it is, it fouls itself quickly. In its fresh state it is the elixir of life. Probably, it is Arizona's most sought substance. It is more valuable than all the state's minerals combined. Without it the commonwealth would be nearly worthless. With more of it come power, wealth and comfort.

As I write these words I can look over at a picture. It is of a stone carving that came from another land of sunshine-Egypt. This carving was perhaps part of a stone frieze in an ancient Pharaoh's tomb. Those who know about such things say this stone was carved before 1200 В. С. It clearly shows a "Water Witch," forked stick in hand, locating water. The photographs on these pages were taken in Arizona only a few weeks ago. They are of a modern "Water Witch" locating water in the mountains north of Prescott.

There are more than 3200 years between these two men doing the same thing, probably in the same way. Those 3200 years have brought little understanding to the rest of mankind why some of us can locate underground waterwhy most of us can not. Science has chosen, in this country at least, to look askance at "Water Witching," so the majority of us are about where ancient men were 3200 years ago.

Whether the process of locating underground water is a science or an art can be a moot question. The phenomenon goes by several names-"Water Witching," "Well Witching," "Water Divining," "Dowsing," "Doodle-Bugging" and a new one called "Radiesthesia." Whatever the name, the processes are so similar only an expert can call the difference.

I have been interested in the dowsing phenomenon for nearly 40 years, not as a participant, for I have none ofthe dowser's powers, but as an observer. I think I have seen every kind of locating device there is, from a common willow fork, up through and including a $10,000 "electronic" machine! I believe I've listened to as many methods, heard as many theories, as many explanations, as many experiments as any man in the Southwest. I have witnessed "map dowsings," "long-distance dowsings," have been on actual locating jaunts for water, oil, minerals and buried treasure. I've heard of all sorts of "mistakes" dowsers have made. I have taken the trouble to do some investigating and now I can match those tales with "mistakes" both well drillers and geologists have made!

Most dowsers I have met believe the dowsing instinct, ability, power, "atunement" or whatever it is, comes to a person with birth. But they also believe this innate ability can be developed, its use expanded, by study and practice. Many people have the ability but don't know it, never having had reason or opportunity to try it. Some students of the matter believe about one person in every 1000 has some dowsing ability, that one person in about 10,000 has enough of the ability to become a good dowser. And I would like to point out right here, there is a vast difference between a dowser and a good dowser! I feel most of the so-called "mistakes" attributed to dowsing have been made by dowsers with insufficient dowsing ability, or skill in the use of what ability they have, to carry them over the hard spots. Personally, I feel the figure of one person in 10,000 having enough ability to become a good dowser is too generous. I think it is closer to one person in 20,000.

I do not wish to infer dowsers, even good dowsers, do not make mistakes. They do. To err is human and dowsers are human-even though many of their antagonists would like to deny them that also! Any man who does anything very long will make mistakes. If he does not he will have missed one of the greatest opportunities life has to offer. What interests me much more is why the mistake dowsers make are remembered so long and so well while those well drillers and geologists make are forgotten so quickly.

How does a dowser go about locating water? Perhaps a little story of how it was done recently will show. Now,