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Show Sunday, August 28, 2005 DAILY a HERALD Sal Lake Gunto pay $430to preter Ancient practice in demandfor Gacetoassaan water, othergeophysical formations | to eBnein over the right of THEASSOCIATED PRESS as to SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County has agreed to pay ee away animal Tights protest Steven Oberbeck SALT LAKE TRIBUNE fre: Alrovanes isd tact year The county will pay the Utah pare sirtply 16th to move. Ashe rigzagged among the bushes,Jessop finally received a signal. The thin wire held like handlebars slowly tipped and pointed towardthe ground. “Thereit is,” he said, turning to the two men — one the landownerandthe other a well driller — who had followed him upthe slope.Jessop sliced the * air with his open hand and gestured towarda small mountain pondin the distance. + “Your underground stream runs right through here. And ee plenty of water,” he Said, Utah'slong drought may be over,but the state’s booming economy is now making it easier for landowners to afford the thousands ofdollars necessary to drill water wells on their properties. And that means Utah dowsers,such as Jessop, are getting called to survey properties up to a dozen times a month. While some may question the wisdomofrelying on the twitching of a willow branch or the swingof a piano-wire divining rod tolocatea drill site, those who practice the ancient art of “water witching” are as muchin demandas ever. Jessopdislikes the term “witching” becauseit connotes something magical or paranormal, andyet helacksa scientific explanation for what happens whenhe walks over a body of underground water with his divining rod. “I do know, though,that I'm not the one makingit move,” hesaid. Divining also can be used to locate crudeoil and natural gas deposits, Jessop said. “Lrecently surveyed some property for a couple of gentlemenand told them there was oil present. Andthey told me that myinformation was consistent with the geophysical surveysof the area,”he said. Thepractice of trying to locate water or other minerals through theuseofa divining device, which can be a forked Animal Rights Coalition an 48-hundred dollars. century in southern Europe. Jessop was introduced to the ancient practice more than 30 years ago when he accompanied a dowser into Rose Canyon in the Oquirrh Mountains on the western edgeof the Salt Lake ‘The agreement puts an end earlier pad the the —, and their attorney more than eleven-thousand dollars. In December, two U-A-R-C members were handing out leaflets to concertgoers leaving Abravanel Hall. That's when a security officer told them they oak joining within one block of the build"in ing. ni The UARClater fileda ~’ lawsuit and the county agreett” to pay them the more than 7, eleven-thousand county also admitted that *?-! protesters had a right to free, > speech near the hall: oa Valley. “Heused a live willow branch with a vesselof water tied to agreen willow stick and tried it myself. It took awhile to learn, but eventually fi it out and discovered I had the ability.” Skeptics of dowsing abound, but in Utah acceptance of the practice is more widespread. “There are those who believe it is worthwhile and those who don't,” she said. “And there is really nothing you can do to convince someone one way or the other, unless they're open to the idea and willing to find out for themselves.” There are those, however, who demandscientific proof before they are willing to embrace the notion. And those skeptics’ say the evidence in support of dowsing is nonexistent. The James Randi Educational Foundationin Florida offers $1 million to anyone who can demonstratescientifically they have paranormal abilities. Dowsers can try for the prize, said James “the Amazing” Randi, a former magician turned debunkerofall things unscientific. “Of the hundreds of those we'vetested overthe past few years probably 85 percent were depth, Ciiff Treyens, spokesman for the National Ground Water Association in Westerville, Ohio. “That is why you can drill and find waterin the middle of a Once a yearBullfrog Spasoffers slightly blemished spasto the public at drastically lower prices... This year we had so many blemished spas that we're having another sale and bringing =. our trucks down fo Utah County. desert.” In Utah, most water-well drillers prefer to remain neutral on the issue of dowsing, Jessop said. “Drillers usually won't call a dowser in themselves,but if a customer mentions they would like their property dowsed, they're more than happy to oblige.If a well comes up dry, it takes the responsibly off their shoulders and putsit onto the dowser,” he said. 1-15 Exit 273 |in Lindon Parking lot south of Home Depot behind the Exxon gas station Driller Robert Armstrong saidit is rare to sink a well and not come up with a least some usable water.“But is not always as muchas you wantor need,” he said. So he called in Jessop to survey the property above Weber Canyon andselect the site best suited to drilling. “The ownerherehas lot of property, about 120 acres,” said Armstrong as he walked down thehill after Jessop. “You can say what you want about dowsers but onething I’ve noticed >>ALL SPAS MUST BE SOLD! Utah County’ s largest-ever scratch-n-dent hot tub sale! Free Delivery Free Spa Cover Free Spa Steps Free Chemicalkit Includes JetPaks Save Thousands! All Spas are Repaired & Under Warranty working with Shem is that he dowsers,” Randi said, indicating does have a talent for finding Sale Ends Monday Aug 29th (Closed sunday) that none could demonstrate results better than what could be produced through normal chance occurrences. Whatthe foundation's test found wasthat no two dowsers will ever pick the same spot and no dowserwill pick the same spot twiceif the terrain is altered anddisguised. “I don't doubt thesincerity of dowsers,but even after we've demonstrated that they can’t produce results that are any better than chance they'll still go away believingin their abilities,” Randisaid.“It is like the mother whosesonis caught shoplifting on tape. She wonders why someone would want to frame herchild by producing those spots wherethereis not only water, but plenty ofit.” Don't miss these incredible savings- hurry in before we sell out! Onthe Net: » www.dowsers.org » www.randi. org Brigham Young University Athletics invites you to an evening ofcelebration for the naming of Thelatest in BYU Aoi * Werhrelis C,ee Sports online wwww.heraldextra.com in the George Albert Smith Fieldhouse at BYL : Friday, September 2, 2005 3” Annual Springville Area Chamberof Commerce OLF TOURNAMEN Naming Ceremonybegins at 6:45 p.m. Prior to BYU’s volleyball match versus Kansas September 16 ¢ 8 a.m. obble Creek Golf Course © 9400 Per Team | INCLUDES: Green Fees/Cart Steak Lunch Continental Breakfast Drinksfrom Pepsi 299%) Tee Prizes Prizes for Longest Drive, Closest to the Hole Closet tothe Line, FREE CARfora Hole-In-One on Hole #6 & Many Others! CALL 491-7810 toregister WELLS FARGO SOA 8 09 9999998 8 or for more information’ The Daily Rerald Presents Local Businesses * Phone Numbers OP eeserly www.heraldextra.com/yellowpages Visit the ” obituaries 1 4 online to sign ? a Guest Book or send flowers. 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