New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-19

at eighty four feet down. An American dowser'
Cyrus Fuller Of Plymouth Wayne county
Mich. who died in 1888 at the age Of eighy-fivc'
enjoyed the highest reputation for integrity anu
truthfulncss He is credited with having found
two hundred wells. and. unlike most other eX-
pcrts Of his class, is said never to have expert
cnccd a failure.
In two instances mentioned by Professor Bar
rett hidden coins were found, apparently through
the guidance Of the forked twg. But in later
volume he will go into the matter Of discover
ing minerals and oil In this manner more tully
than WAS deemed advisable in this essay.
The typical OWNING rod is shaped ne"hat
like n vishbonc and Is about "A foot long. Inc
tin OF one prong is held in each hand. and the
hands are kept eight or ten inches apart. The
elbows ar, usually in contact with ones sides.
and tho forcarms extend straight forward. hort
L,ntally The twg itself stands almost veru-
cally In front ~ the dowscrs chest. In the ma
i,rity Of cases reported the upper part OF the rod
sway,d toward the operators body but IN
few instances il moved In the other direction
namely. downward toward the EARN Inc Vo-
loncc ~ tho movement seems To vary greatly II
the tWlg was 50 held that II could move TeeIy
IL would Perhaps rcvolNe on an imaginary axis
extending from one hand 10 the other IL IS
related that ON some occasions. "h"n Inc t"lS
.o,,J not rcyolyc. it would bc badly twisted
and bent and would even Dee broken. Much va
ri.ty T. disccrnbc in the accounts. both as to
the way II grasping the rod and the lattcrs
behavior
Twigs from other trees than the witch hazel
worked equally well IN some hands. And
curious lot 81 sui. .tutes have been employed
Among these are az aluminium bow. a fiat steel
wIrc bent hk- 4 horses shoe. Il pair Of tons5 ana
a long German sausage, Leicester Gatakcr, OF
Hath ENGLAND. practisol the art without auy OF
this apparatus. merely holding his open hands
out in front of him. palms downward. much as
one would warm his hands over a low stove
IT,. sensations which different dows"rs report
ar. rather diverse. Some operators say that
they feel slight tiugling in their hands or bodies
when they IND water with dEinlng rod. ON
rrs pretend 10 experience a sever" shock. Dis
comfort. approaching nausea, affects IN" stom-
ach sometimes Several professional operators
say that the work is cXhausting, especially to
a person advanced in years. and they have been
seen 10 reel and tottcr while conducting search.
Although Professor Barrett doesn't attempt
fuzzy t. explain these phenomena. he has clear
convictions on one point. He Is confident that
it is the operator not the rod that discovers the
water The movement ~ not due in genuine
cases. he believes. 10 any attraction or rcpui-
sion cXcrtcd upon the twiE tor IN" substitute
therefor by the hidden stream. but 10 muscular
action. cXrrt"d unconsciously in response to
some inward inspiration. Some psychologists
hay, been accustomed Of late years TO assign
many human scns.Lilitc5 and activities to a
part of the spiritual nature that lies below the
level 81 consciousness. and which they call the
"slh- conscious self" sub liminal" Is another
common name for il. Professor Barrett Is in
clincd TO think it possible that the faculty which
some people seem to possess OF finding water
and metals In the manner described resides down
i'm the "sub-liminal" but further investigation