Papa could find water, which was the reason for the wells, after all. That was a valuable gift of his. He found water for many people and farms, for he could tell somehow where it was running beneath the ground. This was not something everybody could do. Imagine, digging a deep hole and you got nothing but dirt for all that work! Farmers wanted to know where there was going to be water before they dug such deep holes! So they hired Papa, who was almost certain to find water for them!
Now why was a rooster put down in the hole when it was dug out? The reason is simple. Gas out of the newly dug earth could seep into the hole and it was strong enough to make you very sick or even kill you. Miners found this to be the case, and the gas could even catch fire and explode if it came next to the fire of a lantern or match. You can imagine how important it was to check for gas in the job of well digging. You never knew, unless you checked, where there might be gas in the ground. So, with the possibility of the hole caving in, and the dangerous gas, well digging was not something Papa took lightly. He knew just how to handle it, however, and never had an accident.
As for the poor old rooster, I felt sorry for it having to go down into that deep, dark well, but I was so glad when, the next day, it was brought out safe and sound!