A WATER FINDER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 432, 3 September 1908, Page 2

A WATER FINDER.

A correspondent in our last issue directed attention to the visit of the Rev. Mr Mason, of Otahuhu, to Revin in order to locate the exact position on the State Farm, where artesian water may be found. Our correspondent suggested that Mr Mason should be asked to visit Foxton for a similar purpose. Our Revin contemporary describes Mr Mason’s methods as follows: Mr Mason arrived at the State Farm on Friday night and on Saturday morning set out on a tour of the paddocks in the hope of locating water. The first paddock to be visited was one where it was specially hoped water would be found. Mr Mason extended his arms till the tips of the fingers were about a distance of two feet from the body and started to walk across the paddock. After a short time the fingers began to twitch and Mr Mason asked for a peg to be put in. He then worked round in such a manner that in a short time a complete circle was described marked out with pegs. Mr Mason then walked across the circle, and the nearer he got to the centre the more his hands and arms twiched and trembled. At one point the invisible attraction was so strong that Mr Mason was nearly pulled to the ground. At this point Mr Mason stated that if a bore was made there, water would certainly be found. The place was marked and a move to a new place made. The same operations were carried out in each case, and in all seven wells were located. Mr Mason then visited the scenes of the former boring operations, and in each case stated that however far down the bore had been carried no water would have been found. Strange to say, Mr Mason located water in each case within io yards. That is, the bore would have been a success instead of a failure had the pipe been sunk at the point Mr Mason located. He stated that he could in no way account for his unique gift; he only discovered he was possessed of it by accident, and in this manner: —A doctor was staying with him and described the action of a twig of hazel which, if held between the fingers of some people, bent tow.T Is the ground if water were present. Mr Mason only laughed, but one day very shortly alLnvards he was visiting a farmer who told him he was about to bore for water. Mr Mason laughingly said I will show you where to bore, and went and cut a twig and to his astonishment the twig bent down to a certain point in the paddock. The farmer bored in this place and sure enough water was found. Mr Mason then determined to develop his powers and in a short time found that he could work better by relying on his hands alone. It is a strange fact that surface water has no effect on Mr Mason, but only when the supply is deep down is the mysteiious attraction felt. Mr Mason says he located hundreds of wells last summer in the Auckland district and in every case was water found where he stated it would be. Mr Mason receives no fee for his work. In the present case the Government are paying his expenses, but where he locates a well for a private person he will accept nothing except a donation to his Church Building Fund, should he be offered it, but in most cases he receives nothing at all.