162

THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

 

ROSTOREAL DABLETALE.

MINERAL OR DIVINING RODS,
IGHT is
‘ wanted
by one
of our
friends,
writing over the
signature of “ In-
quirer,” respecting
the mineral rods,
by means of which,
in the section of
the country where he lives, it is pretended
that gold or silver mines can be discover-
ed. He desires Theodore Thinker to
state what there is worth knowing about
these rods—how they ever came into
use—whether there is any such virtue in
them as is claimed for them, and if so,
wherein that virtue consists.

   
 

In accordance with the wish of my
correspondent, as well as for the benefit
of others who may take an interest in the
matter—and I suppose that there are a
good many of that class among my
readers, now that the gold mines in Cali-
fornia are attracting so much attention—
I will cheerfully give such information on
the subject as I have at command.

I do not know precisely what kind of
rods are used for the purpose of dis-
covering valuable metals, in that part
of the country where my correspondent
lives. I presume that there are differ-
ent ones in different places. But what-
ever they are, I give it as my opinion,
that so far as their supposed virtue is
concerned, they are not worth a rye
straw. Thousands of people, however,
in different ages of the world, from a very

early period to the present day, have be-
lieved, and do believe, that gold and sil-
ver, and, indeed, other valuable treasures,
can be discovered by such means. ‘To
go no further back, an Italian, by
the name of Campetti, who was born in
the latter part of the last century, made
a good deal of noise in the world, by
pretending that he had the power,
through the medium of pendulums, made
after a peculiar fashion, of ascertaining
where metals and water existed un-
der the ground. The pendulums he
used were made of sulphurous pyr-
ites, I believe. Some of his experi-
ments were exceedingly curious, accord-
ing to the statements of scientific men
who witnessed them. Indeed, his pre-
tensions were so generally respected,
that the King of Bavaria sent for him, and
he went to Munich, and had an interview
with his majesty. I have read a lengthy
account of Campetti’s experiments; but
I hardly think they would pay the read-
er for his time and trouble in wading
through with the details, if I were to
publish them.

The divining-rod most common in this
country—or, at least, the one of which I
have heard most said—is a rod, either
single and curved, or with two branches,
like a fork, made sometimes of wood,
and sometimes of brass, or other metals.
This rod is held in a particular way ; and
if it bends toward one side, those who
use it believe it to be an indication that
there is a treasure of some kind at or
near the spot. When I was a little boy,
I used often to hear of persons searching
for precious minerals with one of these
rods, made from a forest shrub called the