M A R C H 1 9 4 0 ^ ^ ^ V O L U M E 30 No. 3 - Mines Magazine

122 The Mines Magazine
for March, 1940 123
"Your letter brought to my mind a
game which, as children, we used to
play. It went something as follows:
One child would leave the room, then
the others would agree among themselves
upon a particular object. The
one who had left the room would return
and if he kept his mind in a sort
of vacant state while the others were
intently concentrating upon the
designated object, he would be impelled
toward that object and would
eventually be able, almost invariably,
to successfully designate it. This
matter of transference of thought may
he the crux of Mr. X's device. From
what you tell me of the tests to which
you have subjected this instrument,
there was no situation in which the instrument
was actually called upon to
perform in the absence of individuals
who did not know more about the
geology and conditions of the spots
studied than Mr. X. For example,
from what I personally know of the
oil fields at Signal Hill and elsewhere
in the Los Angeles basin, these conditions
are obvious almost at once even
to a man who is blindfolded. In that
region oil fields almost invariably are
found on topographically high places
which would lead to the obvious, and
in this instance, generally accurate
conclusion, that wherever there was a
high place there was a likelihood of
oil. The success of willow wands for
the location of the proper places in
which to drill water wells lies in the
fact that there are very, very few
places in which, if a well is drilled
deep enough, water will not be encountered.
I have read of a test conducted
in France to check the reliability
of 'water witches'. It was found
that they passed over known subsurface
water, and their instruments
indicated the presence of water where
it was known that none existed.
"I trust that these additional ideas
on this problem may be of assistance
to you. Our offer still holds good to
put this instrument to a test without
prejudice.
Yours very truly,
P. S. It might be added that 'willow
wands' are 'old stuff' as is shown by
the enclosed picture taken frora the
ancient book, 'De Re Metallica', published
in 1550."
It is of note that even to this day
Mr. X. has not submitted his instrument,
with its tender 24-inch twig, to
be tested by the geophysics department.
The end of our exchange of
correspondence came with a final letter
from my friend in Nevada. We
felt that by this time we were friends
or at least pen pals. In this parting
note he said:
"November 24, 1933
Dear Mr. Wantland:
"Many thanks for j^our letter of today
of the clipping taken from Engineering
& Mining Journal concerning
the doodlebug story^. It surely
provoked a laugh from myself and
other men in the office at the time I
opened the letter.
"1 have never invested any money
in my client's enterprise, nor ever
made a statement to anybody else concerning
the usefulness of his instrument.
Before doing such things, I
corresponded with you and the U. S.
Bureau of Mines at Washington and
studied the material sent to me. After
three or four months have passed, I
have come to the same attitude of
mind as yourself.
"However, in ail this, I have
learned one thing and realize it more
fully now; that is, when a matter is
placed before rhe concerning which
there are professional men working
and studying, I will not hesitate to
take it up with them before going very
far. Naturally so, because I am expecting
the same thing from those
who become ray clients in legal matters.
"You have certainly been a wonderful
help to me in setting me right concerning
doodlebugs, etc., and I hope
the day will come when I can return
the favor. To date, I presume my
correct classification is this—a small
town, struggling lawyer, so I am not
able to reward you financially. So
thanking you for past favors and wishing
you the hest of success in your
chosen field, I am,
Very truly yours,
John W. Blank"
Conclusion
We do not know whether a moral
can be pointed or a tale adorned from
what has heen presented above. We
are, however, coming to the conclusion
that the raised eyebrow and the
implication of heresay applied to all
doodlebugs and to all doodlehuggers is
not a sufficient answer. The owners
of such devices are sometimes very
sincere men; one of them from Kansas
indicates by his letters that he is a
clergyman. It is probable that Mr.
X also believed in himself and his instrument.
It would appear that the
cloak of orthodoxy is no bomb-proof
shelter for the geophysicist for the
doodlebugger and his doodlebug, like
the spot on the hand of Lady McBeth,
"will not out." Geophysicists it seems
will have to struggle along, as hest
they may, with their scientific devices.
' 'riiis doodlebug story wiil appear in Part II of
tills article.
These, imperfect tools that they are,
perhaps are handicapped by the very
fact that they operate on known and
sound physical principles and are unfortunately
quite unable to contact a
dog fully half a mile away. There is
yet hope for science, however, as geophysical
instruments are improving
year by j^ear and they may some day
be able to catch up with the doodlebugs,
• In Memoriam
Samuel J. Clausen, Jr.
S. J. Clausen, Jr, died at the home
of his sister in Clear Lake, Iowa, on
December 26, 1939. He had not been
well for over a year following an automobile
accident and went to Iowa in
an endeavor to regain his health.
Mr. Clausen was a native of Clear
Lake and spent the early years of his
life there. Upon finishing High
School, he entered the Colorado
School of Mines frora where he was
graduated in 1911.
His first two years out of school
were spent in Montana and Utah and
from there he went to Durango,
Mexico, as engineer for the Mexican
Candelaria company, remaining with
them five years and working up to the
position of general superintendent.
Due to revolutionary conditions he
severed his connections and returned
to the States. After two j'ears spent
in Montana as general superintendent
of a small property he returned to
Mexico in 1921 as assistant superintendent
of the Alvarado Mining &
Milling coftipany at Parral, Chihuahua,
When the property was forced
to close down he went to California
and entered the employ of the Engineering
departraent of the city of Los
Angeles.
In 1926 he joined the staff of the
Howe Sound Company as superintendent
of their Calera property in
the state of Chihuahua, Mexico,
afterwards being transferred as general
superintendent in Zacatecas. He
was then put in charge of their Exploration
department in the States
and made his headquarters in Los
Angeles. He resigned this position in
1936 to take over consulting work in
Arizona at which he continued until
his death.
Mr. Clausen was married in 1913
to Miss Helen Peight of Denver who,
with a son and daughter, survive. He
is also survived by two sisters. Misses
Dora and Louise Clausen and a
brother, Bertie Clausen, of Clear
Lake, Iowa.
Masonic burial was held in Clear
Lake.
With the MANUFACTURER
Jackfurnace
Ingersoli-Rand Co., 11 Broadway, N.
Y,, announces the new "Jackfurnace" for
the rapid heating of their detachable rock
drill bits known as "Jackbits". Designed
especially for the servicing of Jackbits,
it can be used with either Jackmills (hotmills)
or Grinders. It can also be used
for heating shanks and rod ends for hardening.
# The Ingersoll-Rand "Jackfurnace"
equipped with automatic temperature
control.
Low pressure air from an induction
blower passes through a pre-heating
chamber before entering the burner,
thereby aiding combustion and increasing
efficieocy. Convenient controls enable the
operator to attain the proper mixture of
oil and air. The furnace can be equipped
with an automatic temperature control
device.
When heating Jackbits for rehardening,
the Jackfurnace will handle approximately
180 Jackbits per hour.
It is well insulated to insure low room
temperature for the operator. The manufacturer
furnishes, as standard equipment,
a loading spoon and an unloading device
to facilitate the handling of Jackbits to
and from the furnace, For Bulletin see
Index 833, page 126.
National Unit Pumpers
The National Supply Company has recentiy
added two new Unit Pumpers to its
Hue. These Units, known as the TU304-
HD30TB and the TUS304-HD3OTB, are
designed for medium single well pumping
service. The Type TU304-riD30TB
is made for installations on concrete foundations
and has the reduction gear mounted
directly on the frame. The Type
TUS304-HD30TB has the same features
and specifications as the Type TU304-
HD30TB Pumper except that a subbase
between the frame and reduction gear
provides the necessary height for the
counterweights to clear the bottom of the
frame, so that installation may be made
on derrick floors or on flat concrete patls.
Both Unils have a maximum polished
rod stroke of 48 inches and the safe load
NEW EQUIPMENT
nf walking beam is 12750 pounds APT.
The API peak torque rating is 76500 inch
pounds at 20 spm and the overall gear
ratio is 29.6. A fully equalized pitman
assembly and roller bearing wrist pin
housings are regidar equipment. Natioria!
Type B Eccentric Cranks and Counterweights
give infinitely and continuously
variable adjustability, both in Counterweight
effect and degree of lag and lead.
The Counterweights are of the one piece
type and are clamped in the desired position
nn the circular rim of the crank.
Adjustment is by power with no lifting
required. A complete description of these
two Units rnay be found in National
Descriptive Bulletin No. 260.
Protect Drawings
A new product for edging blueprints
and drawings has recently been announced
by the Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing
Company, Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Called Scotch Cellulose Edging Tape,
this product is an opaque, white, acetate
fibre tape of unusual strength. It has the
exact amount of adhesive to make a
permanent and lasting edge which will
not curl or peel off. Heat from the blueprint
machine does not aifect the tape and
edged sheets may be filed without danger
of sticking together.
Sheets which have been edged may be
run through a Continuous Blueprint Machine
as often as desired without danger
of tape sticking to the glass.
This product is for use in the new
Scotch Edger which does an excellent job
of edging and yet is of simple construction
with few working parts, selling at a
very low price.
McChesney Galvanized Steel
Wire Hose Bands
McChesney Galvanized Steel Wire Hose
Bands are recognized as one of the most
economical and practical means of permanently
securing hose lines to couplings,
for reclaiming short lengths of hose, and
for splicing new lines.
These bands are made from selected
steel having a high tensile strength yet
sufficiently pliable to conform readily to
the curvature of the hose, thus insuring
perfect and complete contact. They are
electrically welded.
Their ease of application—all necessary
equipment being a Hose Tool and a pair
of pliers—permits quick installation anywhere
in the field. They are recommended
for pressures up to 110 pounds, on air,
steam, water or suction hose lines. There
is no protruding ear or bolt to snag on
other objects when the hose is being used.
One size Hose Band fits two sizes of
hose, i.e., l" bands may be used on either
or 1" (inside diameter) hose, and
they are made for hose from Vz" to 6 .
The Universal Hose Too! is for bands
up to 2", while the Giant Hose Tool is
for hose up to 6" inside diameter.
Further particulars will be furnished by
Hose Bands Company, 720 North Bowman
Avenue, Danville, Illinois.
Hardinge "Electric Ear"
A Device for Operating
Grinding Mills by Sound
Hardinge Company, Incorporated, York,
Pennsylvania, announces the "Electric
Ear", a device that seems destined to
revolutionize methods of operating grinding
mills. In fact, so unique is it in conception
and so accurate in its performance