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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 12, 1914)
TUB BEE: OMAIIA, FRIDAY. JU"E 12, 1914. wir-Z tPt Z 55 JF Twentieth Century Magic By.JarrilLp Se-r!iss The Perfection of Motion Teaching Children How to Develop Gracefully Strange Proceedings and Alleged Discoveries with Divinning Rods in Europe U X'X H ) The Manner of Holding tho Divin ing Rod In Searching for Water, Ore, Burled Treasure and Under ground Caverns. By GARRETT P. SERV1SS. One of the most persistent of popular superstitions in all ages has been that concerning tho wonderful powers of tho "divining rod," with whoso aid hidden treasures.: underground springs, subter ranean w&ter courses and veins of ore could bn discovered. Recently in Germany and in franco men whose veracity seems unquestionable have conducted experiments with the. divining rod which lmvo found their way into scientific Journals and have led soma who have Investigated them to aver that the old belief is not a suporstltion at all, but the recognition of a fact, ot nature. Somo of thC60 experiments arc suffi ciently curious to be described and illus trated here. To begin with, it should be recalled that the traditional divining rod Is u twig of witch huzol In the form of a wide branching fork, which la held In tho hands of tho "wliard" In the manner fhown In one of tho pictures. The twig, however, may be of any other wood, or even of metal, provided It has tho conven tional form. The man advances slowly over the ground where tho hidden water or other thing sought Is supposed to be and wnen he arrives over the object of his search the butt end of the twig, which is held uppermost, begins to turn forcibly down ward Qio It Is affirmed), pointing out the ipot where a little digging will complete the discovery. Tho. entire proceeding smacks so much Of charlatanry that it Is not surprising that men of science, in general, have refused to consider it seriously. Yet SoaDMusiv And Cuticura Ointment occasionally. They succeed when others fail. Samples Free by Mail CuUcur Sop ud CMntmat atd throughout tt world. Liberal sample of etch milled rr. with 32-p. took. xiAttm "CuUoun." Dept. J 111, Dcxuaa. YoMMlave 01 The Nowly Discovered l'art of the Subterranean River nt Dadlrnc, France. there have always been a few who have kept their minds open to conviction pro oided that verifiable evidence of the existence of tho strange effect claimed could be produced. It Is alleged that now auch evidence exists, L.ct us briefly, cxamino it. Wo will confine our attention to the alleged discoveries made In 1913 In tho Department of Lot In France. The per sons concerned In the experiments were Monsieur Armand Vlre, a" scientific writer of considerable standing In France, together with Messrs. Probst and Pelaprat and tho Abbe Jlormet, all throe of whom are known as practltion- What Is the Scientific Age of the Earth? By EDGAR LUGIEN kARKIN. Q.-(l) "What is the scientific age if tho earth? (2) "How account for the discrepancy between the scientific and Biblical ideas of the age of the earth?" A, (1) Tho age of the earth Is not known, but it cannot be less than 100,000,009 years. But tupposo I bhould say W.000.000 or 200,000,000, then the num.. bera would be of Blight Importance, for what docs 100,005,000 years of time umount to In the universe? j A. (2) The Biblical account of the age j of the earth Is on the same .plane as Korcsh" or hollow earth doctrine; and was written by men totally Ignorant of a single law of Nature. They had no mathematics, telescopes, microscopes, chemists' retorts, measuring Instruments, accurate scales, and no spectroscope, the mighty scientific power of modern times. They did not know that tho earth Is a sphere, had no trace of an Idea of the s(ze of the sun, nor the distance. They were so ignorant that they bslleyed In a solid tlruiant and that- the stars are all . at. the same distance and fixed to this solid enclosure. They thought that the entire sidereal universe, now known to contain at least 100,000,000 giant suns, besides which the earth Is almott, but not exactly, nothing, re volved around the curth once eaeh day. Borne of these suns are d'stanl quadril lions of miles, and a number ure 50,000.00) times larger than the earth. To set ers ot tho att of divining with the baguette," as the mystical twig Ik called. A considerable number ot ac credited wltncsica attended tho experi ments. The principal object was to discover underground water courses, the Depart ment ot Lot being famous for Its con cealed springs and Its subterranean rivers. The result, according to tho wit nesses, was astonishing. Not only hid den streams of water were traced through all their windings, though lying li some cases two or thrco hundred feet deep, but waterless cavities, or caverns. Hi the rocks were also located with equal facility, and their outlines were Indi cated with substantial correctness, as (subsequent explorations proved. , In tho case of great caverns already partially known, branches and extensions hitherto unexplored were Indicated, and marked out on the surface of the ground with surprising accuracy. Depths, width, etc , were correotly Indicated. One of our pictured Is a photosrnph. showing the be ginning of a subterranean river course In tha cave of I'ndlrac. whose Unexplored windings were correctly Indicated by the experimenters putslng over tho surface of tho ground high above. In addition to these dlacoverles the ex perimenters,' it is alleged, not only found such things a skeletons In ancient uravoa and burled metallic objects, hut announced before any confirmatory digging had been dono the nature of tho things which they had located. So far as appeartt there is no ground for suspecting conscious deception on tho part of M. Vlre and his collaborators, al though further experiments will bo re quired to convince scientific wen that tho phenomena arc all that is claimed for them, Tho explanation which believers in this kind of divination offer for tho effects produced is, In brief, that certain persons are abnormally sensitive to vibratory In fluences, which may be ot an electric na ture (the word clectilclly always covers a niultituc" of suppoltlons), and that only such persons aro ablo to use a dl- vlnlng rod. An to tho rod itself, it Is claimed that Its peculiar shape, and the constrained position In which It U held, cause It to describe the pointing move ments through the nervous agitation of tho operator when certain vibratory In fluences affect him. All th s may bo taken for what It seems worth, but, anyhow, tho recent proceed ings of the diviners havo caused a great deal of talk In Europe. around tho earth dally, the remote aun.i would have to travel at least 1,000,(00 miles per second. But the mott rapid motion known to science, that of energy. Is 189,550 miles por second, Any sun jnovlng l.OOO.OOO, or even 1.0M miles per second would dash out of that part of the universe within range of our huge modern telescopes never to return. r Commencement Ify CONSTANCE CLARKE. June, and a white road stretching away Into an unknown land; Called by tho hours that we may not stay, We at tho crossroads staud. Hours like rose petals blown astray, Back on the road of yesterday, What is our future who can say? Lost In an unknown land. Wind In tho trees goes Here at the border line; Here 'neath tho glow of a summer sky ' Plant wo our Ivy vine Linking the hours that swiftly fly Into a chain as life goes by. Dimming tho past while the flame burns high Over tho border line. The perfect way of going upstairs. Do you shako hands prqperly? Do you know the correct way to go upstairs? These and othor Important facts that will help girls to gracofulness and uoalth aro bolng taught In schools of sevoral hi cities, and It Is considered cortaln that before long thU Instruction will bo universally taken up as rogular studies. There Is a right way In By DOROTHY DIX. It's one thing to be courageous. It Is another thing to take foolhardy risks. It la cne thing to bear with fortitude and patience the vicissitudes of life that may befall us. It la an other thing to de liberately butt Into trouble. These platitudes are never 1.0 vivid ly Illustrated an they are in matri mony, where men and women appar ently court misery by making mar riages that aro bound by their un suitability to bring disaster upon them, yet who beat upon their breasts, and ask us to sympa thize with .them when they are called upon to suffer the misfortunes they Invoke on their own heads. It is absolutely true that W per cent .if the domestlo miseries In the world could bo avoided If people would remem ber that results follow causes Just aa re lentlessly In matrimony as they do every where else in nature. An honest man does not go Into business with a notorious thief. Hp does not buy a house without having a lawyer look Into its title. He does not purchase a horse without examining its pedigree. Ho does not undertake to buy a store without having enough capital to flnanco the enterprise. But he will marry a woman who la a silly little fool, and expect her to be a wise and Intelligent helpmate. He will marry a woman without knowing what sort of a family she comes from, and have his heart broken when his children co'no Into the world neurotic, diseased little creatures, with a tainted heredity. A woman will marry a drunkard and expect everybody to mingle thrlr tears with hers because she has a sot for i husband. She will marry a man wii a lurid punt, and bemoan herself because ho Is not faithful to her. fiho will marry a moody. Ill-tempered, grouohy man, who Is hard to get along with and keep pla cated even In the days of courtship, and phs spends tho balance of her llfo com v whispering by, ... Planning plaining that she a got a aorc-headed bear t for a husband Of course there are certain accidents that may occur on the matrimonial Jour ney, and against which no prudence can linuro one. Qn-i is bound to tukc some risk. A man man may lose his health or his monoy. Occasionally there Is a man who wults until he Is to years old to sow his wild qa. crop Very rarely there Is a woman Who develops a yellow streak In her after marriage- 8ome times a By BEATRICE FAIRFAX. There are nil sorts of acid tests spoken of whereby a girl may Judgo If a man will make a good husband, but It Is sad proof of the anxiety of girls to get mar rlcd thnt none aro applied. A ,man comes wooing, or, more often, he shows himself In a mood to be won, and tho girl In the case aska neither for promises nor credentials. He Is a recop the candidate for matrimony, und less account, Is taken of his qualifications than If he were a candidate for coroner at a country crossing. This Is particularly deplorable for the reason that know ledge of the man In volves ncltlur an outlay of expenso nor of time. The girls need only encourage him to speak of his home and Judge him by what hla talk reveals. He ho a mother. If she lives In a dis tant town and he never writes to her ho Isn't fit for a sir), as far as the next ci opsins. A man who forgets to be con siderate of his mother will treat a wifs worse. If he lives ut home, and never takes hi mother out for a ride, or to a place of nmusement, or Is never her escort In her walks abroad, he la ashamed ot her. and the man who Is ashamed of his mother Isn't good enough to be permitted to call at any decent girl's home. There need be no other test. No Brad street or Dun devoted to discovering blemishes in tho character of a man could find stronger proof of his unworthlnrss than neglect of the woman who boro him. There is no excuse for such neglect No man Is too busy to write to hi mother, though every hour of his day be devoted to the hardest of labor. She Is not a stern critic. She doesn I demand n long letter, written painstaxingiy uu perfect In writing and expression: she doesn't frown at blot and look Irritated nt a rnlspelled word or a misplaced comma. The crunesi leuer ever written In in her eyes more beautiful than the most beautiful Illuminated text A letter relieves the anxiety every mother feels for the child who has left home; It is rroof of his love; glorifies the hart' est task her hands may find to; do, and shortens the longest of dreary days. If a young man lives at home, and never spends a little ot hs income on giving a "treat" to the woman who haa denied hcrstlf for his sake ever since the hour he was born, he hasn't any more iespict or lovo for her than he lias for the scullery maid. Tho plea that he is avlng his money Is no excuse. He will forget he had any ambition to save when tome good fellow among his uomradea or some good looking xlil comes along. Tho best husbands you know were gond How Often Do You Write Home? Shaking hands should convey much meaning. and a wrong way of performing these apparently simple actions, but It seems that most pcoplo Involuntarily choose the wrong. A little Instruction In those Improvements, brings about an amazing change In tho carrlago and walk of the pupil, It is Bald, and In effect soon proves tho short road to gracefulness, as well as helping to bring about on erect body. Matrimony healthy girl becomes a nervous, shrewish . . t a ...if- virago of a. wife. Theso catastrophes of matrimony do not happen often- As a general thing, tin; man and woman, after marrying, go on being exactly the same kind of people they were before marriage, only a little more so, for there Is something In roar? rlago that brings out what la best, or worst, whichever la the stronger in tho individual. This makes it possible for peoplo to to their mothers: Those who treat their wlvca wltli every variety of humiliation a woman may know were Uitgrutcful funz. Them Is no better way tn Judge a man than by the w ay he 'treats his mother. ' Advice to the Lovelorn By BEATRICE FAIRFAX. The Ars (Inratlun, Dear .Miss Fairfax: I am a young Girl of 20 and madly in love with n. map of 3;. My parents object to our marriage on account of the great dlffercneo In the ages. Do you tlilnlt a difference of twelve years makes so much difference thnt separation be necessary? Of course, you know that 1 do not Intend giving him up, for I love with all my heart. IN LOVB. A man of 32 Is not too old for a girl ot 20 Try to persuade your parents that you are woman enough to be a good wlfo for the man you love. Perhaps thoy think you Immature and Incaple of deciding the question of your life's happiness. No. Dear Miss Fairfax: I am girl of jer nt age and devPly In love with a young man two years my senior. He Is very fond of me, but hv only arns 510 a wtek. Do you think It advisable t'or us to marry on this small ualury BB88HC. You ore young enough to wait for mar riage until the boy ynu lovt Is earning enough to undertake the responsibilities of supporting u home and family. Just figure out for yourself what your neces sary expensos will be. and ynu will reallte that 110 Is pot enough un which to marry. Trj' to He Sensible. Dear Mlsa Fairfax: I am deeply and sorely hearted in love with one of my high schol tsachers, but I am only a freshman and 13 years old. What should t do about It? He la a young man Just fresh from college, bul this makes no dif ference, for I love hint still. Will you answer this? SUE. Study your lesson and don't think of love for four or five years to come. By that time the man who attracts you now will probably huv no charm for you. If man knew of your childish Infatua- tlon he would surely feel thut you were a very silly child and lose any he may now feel for you. liking Ilia necultrrtlon. A marine was testifying about the ex. plosion of a gun on a war veeeel an ox- plosion which had ent him to tne nosT pltal for some months. "Please give your version of the expio elon," he was asked. "Well." he said, "I was standing besMe the gun, there was an awful racket, and the doctor said: 'Sit up and take this,' " -Ladles' Home Journal. J Judge of what they are going to (at tn their life partners, also to slse up with reasonable clearness the conditions under which they are going to live. Likewise it shows that most of the miseries of matri mony could have been avoided by those who complain so bitterly of them If men and women would only look before thoy Imp into the holy estate, which la a land of tribulation for so many. Take, for Instance, this example of the way In which peoplo walk open-eyed Into certain misery. Among my acquaintances la a clever yqung business woman, draw ing a good salary that enables her to have all ot the comforts and many of the luxuries ot life. Bhe la accustomed to dressing well, to going to placet q? amusement, to tasteful, surroundings, but sho haa fallen love with a widower with four children, who are such obstreperous little savages tha they are the terror of the neighborhood In which they live. In addition to theso four .drawbacks to do mestic peace and quiet, the man Is poor, and he has to support hla mother, who has a wide and fearful reputation for har tongue and temper. If this girl marrlca this man she will have to live huddled up In a 'small flat with his children and mother; she will have to work like a slave at menial labor, coijkins and washing and scrubbing and sewing for them, und lio will have to do without all tho good times to which the Is used. Does It take any prophet to foretell the outcome of such a marriage? I thM anything before the girl but misery and regret? Doch It not really seem that any one is a fit candidate for a padded cell who would make auch a marriage, ex pecting to be happy In It? Vet this girl la no sillier than the thousands ot othor girls, and thousands of othir men. who marry for one thing and expect another, and who deliberately ko into conditions of living that they know are bound to bring misery, yet who con sider themselves the victims of matri mony because the shirt ot Xessus isn't lined with velvet. The only way to be happy though mar ried, Is to look before you loap, Instead of crying when It's too late, over the bump you got. To Help Nature Shed a Bad Complexion Beauty devotees are enthusiastic over the beautifying qualities of mtrcollted wux. Nothing discovered within recent jears accomplishes so mueh. so quickly, without harm, at auch small expense. 'Jtie principal reason tor this wonderful merit Is that It works In harmony with physiological laws. instead of hiding complexion defects. It removes them. It actually take off the aged., faded, sal low, freckled or blotchy cuticle, gently, gradually, causing no inconvenience. It Is Nature's way of renewing complex Ions. When the natural process Is re tarded because of deficient circulation or nerve tone, mercollxed wax. comes to the rescue and hastens the skin shedding. The new complexion which appears 1 a natural one, youthful, healthy, exqui sitely beautiful. If you've never tried mercollxed wax, get an ounce-of It t the arug store, use at night like, cold cream, washing It off in the morning. Another natural beautifying treatment -for wrlnklod skln-ls bathe the face In a lotion made by dissolving an ounce of saxolite In a half-pint witch haxel. This Is remarkably and Instantaneously effec tive Advertisement. Tllli) OMAHA BEE THE HOME PAPER ,