It also began to be used in the 1600's to track down criminals. In the 19th and 20th centuries people began using it to find water as various droughts occurred. Its use was fairly widespread during the dustbowl in the 1930's as charlatans would go from farm to farm and town to town, selling their services. The reason most could get away with it is that it took so long to dig back then that the individual would be well on his way before the victims realized they'd been had.