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Show Dick Frisbey water loeater 9 4 Spare the rod and miss the well? by David L.. Beck. Assistant Sunday Editor DICK FRISBEY twitched in his chair, looked over his left shoulder a little and nodded at a spot on the floor about five feet east of my desk on the second floor of The Tribune building. You could dig for water there, he said, and got out his instruments to prove it. The dowsing rod agreed with his estimate, bobbing there and nowhere else around my desk. Another instrument, the bobbler, told hint the water was 140 feet down. Mr. Frisbey is a water locater. (He told an interviewer years ago he doesnt like the term waterwitch), heir to an ancient tradition, call it art or belief or magic, as you will. Scientists call it bunk, but Mr. Frisbey says it works and offers testimonials to prove it. WATER OIL MINERAL EXPLORATake TION, reads a Frisbey handbill. the Guesswork Out of Well Drilling ! Hes been finding water since about 1916, when I was about 11 years old, says I got wind of this thing Mr. Frisbey. I through a Swedish geologist, looking for a lost gold mine up City Creek Canyon where, he says, his father was caretaker. He had one of these instruments that I now use. The Swede got lost . . . come back before he discovered anything. I picked i this instrument up hed laid it on this bench and he said, Try it. And it worked for me. My mother had one made for me, and I e still use it along with others. ; I , two-thre- I R.G.W. Dick" Frisbey and the tools of his trade : a dowsing rod, a bobbler and a thing like the hub of a bicycle wheel that tells you the ' direction of the flow. Ci The traditional waterwitch uses a forked wooden stick, the type of wood varying with the location and the believer. When he locates water, the witch will exclaim, the stick will twist so violently the bark comes off in his hands. Mr. Frisbey is of the modem school, however. They all use willows, he says. I dont believe in em. You get more accuracy with this. It takes the guesswork out of the whole thing. THIS is a metal instrument with two prongs to be held in the traditional palms-u- p position, thumbs tightly over the end pieces, and in the middle, a hollow metal tip. Mr. Frisbey fills the tip with the substance t usually water, but sometimes oil or even gold. Ted Amow, head of the water resources section of the United States Geological Surveys Salt Lake City office, says that in his experience mostly in the eastern United States waterwitches frequently study geologic data thoroughly and are, in fact, hydrologists. Mr. Frisbey says he finds the geological maps more confusing than helpful. I can sort of study the contour of the country, he says. Thats what I go by . Mountains, for example: In a mountainous country like this, it comes from the mountains. Theyre a dynamic water storage plant. Then, having decided where to look, he sets about seeking precisely the right spot to drill a well, using his dowser or divining rod. lot of people call em doodlebugs. ) When he reaches the proper spot, the rod will point downward, as in fact it did here at The Tribune five feet east of my desk. HE HAS two other instruments. One is a bobbler, which is simply a long piece of wire twisted at the end for weight; held over the spot the dowser has chosen, it bobs up and down, each bob, says Mr. Frisbey, representing one foot of depth. Q c being-sough- al (A the proper depth it starts moving sideways. When it has recorded The third instrument, he says, looks like a bicycle hub with an arm on it. Held parallel with the surface and allowed to rotate freely, the arm will turn until it points in the direction of the flow of the water. Taken together, Mr. Frisbeys instruments will locate veins of water the number of veins, the depth down to each vein, the direction of flow and the production of water in terms of gallons, depending on what size pipe youre using Does it work? Mr. Frisbey says unequivocally yes. The United States Geological Survey says just as unequivocally no. And there is a third position, not uncommon, which is that it cant hurt to try. In Mr. Frisbeys portfolio are a number of letters of recommendation, including one from the firm of Caldwell, Richards & Sorensen, Inc., Consulting Civil Engineers. We are pleased to have the opportunity of recommending you and your special service to any prospective 'IVilMiue staff photon ly John Reynolds client who may be in need of locating a water well, particularly in a location where it is difficult for the geologist to come up with a firm scientific recommendation, begins the letter, which goes on to list a few of the projects on which we have appreciated your service. THE LETTER is signed by A.Z. Richards Jr., son of one of the founders of the firm and himself a professional civil I dont know, says Mr engineer. These guys have kind of a Richards. special talent. And they know how to do it . Lots of people sometimes have a special talent, or are a little odd in other ways. He said the late A H. Sorensen, a partner in the firm and for a time a Salt Lake City engineer, frequently employed Mr. Fns-bey- s services. The times when we have done it is for supplementary information, but its always been pretty good. As a secondary check it wouldnt be a bad idea, because when you put down a thousand well, youre going to spend dollars, and if the exact location hasnt been determined . . . Mr. Fnsbey is very, very economical. Lets put it this way: Its very interesting the results that he gets. If I were going to dig a well, says Mr. (See page 4) . The Sail Lake . pril 10-1- 5 17, 177 JJ |