421 A. In the case next to be quoted, in which a young man sees in a dream the place where his friend's watch has fallen in a field, it might be suggested that the loser's subliminal self had seen the watch fall, and afterwards communicated that knowledge telepathically to his sleeping friend. The analogy of other cases, however, would seem rather to point to an excursion or extension of the dreamer's perception, so as to include the field where the watch was found. The account was originally sent to Professor W. James, and I quote it from the Proceedings S.P.R., vol. xi. P- 397.

Prof. James, - Dear Sir, - I am informed that you are at the head of the Boston Branch of the English Society of Psychical Research, and beg to call your attention to a singular incident which took place near here some time ago, and which has never been chronicled. It is, in brief, as follows: -

A young man of this place, J. L. Squires by name, was at work on the farm of T. L. Johnson, with another young man, Wesley Davis, who was one day far from the buildings mending fence around a large pasture. Squires was not with him, nor had he ever been far into the pasture. At some time during the day Davis lost his watch and chain from the vest pocket, and although he searched diligently, could not find it, as he had no idea as to the probable locality of the watch. Although only a silver watch, Davis worked for a living and could hardly afford its loss.

In his sympathy for his friend, Squires could not keep his mind off the watch, and after two or three days' thinking of it, went to bed one night still thinking of it. During the night he had a dream, or vision, as we may call it, and saw the watch lying on the ground with the chain coiled in a peculiar position; rocks, trees, and all the surroundings were perfectly plain to him. Telling his story at the breakfast table, he was, of course, well laughed at, but being so convinced that he could go straight to the watch, he saddled a horse and found it exactly as he expected to.

All the parties concerned are wholly honest and reliable. I will have a detailed statement sworn to if you would like it.

John E. Gale, Guilford, Vermont.

Mr. Squires writes: -

In the month of March 1887, I, Jesse L. Squires, of Guilford, in the county of Windham, and State of Vermont, being then in the twenty-third year of my age, began working for T. L. Johnson, a farmer living in the town aforesaid.

In the month of September following - the exact day of the month I do not remember - I was about one mile from the farm buildings with a young man named Wesley Davis, with whom I had for several years been acquainted, and who had been working with me at said Johnson's for several months, looking after some cattle that had strayed from a pasture. The cattle, eighteen or twenty head, were found in a large mow lot, and seeing us, started to run away in a direction opposite to that in which we wished to drive them. In order to head off the cattle and turn them back, Davis ran one way and I the other, and while running Davis lost his watch and chain from his vest pocket, but did not discover his loss until eight or nine o'clock that night, when it was, of course, too late to search for it. Believing that he must have lost the watch while engaged in getting the cattle back into the pasture, Davis and myself returned to the place the next morning and looked for the watch all the forenoon. Not having any idea of the probable locality in which the watch was lost, and not being at all certain that it was lost while after the cattle, we did not succeed in finding it, although we searched for it until twelve o'clock. The watch was one that Davis had had for some time, and he was much attached to it, and felt very badly about his loss.

He worked hard for his living, and could not afford to lose the watch, for which he had paid twenty-five dollars. I felt sorry for him, and thought about the watch continually all the afternoon after we returned from looking for it, and was still thinking of it when I went to sleep that night.

During my sleep, at what hour I could not tell, I saw the watch as it lay upon the ground in the mow lot, over a mile away. It was in the tall grass, at least ten inches high. The face of the watch was turned up, and the small steel chain which was attached to it, lay in a curve like a half circle. About three feet from the watch was a large spot where the grass had been crushed and matted by a creature lying down; about ten rods to the north was a brush fence; about ten or twelve feet to the eastward of the watch was a granite cobble stone one or two feet in diameter, which lay about half out of the ground. When I awoke the next morning, which was Sunday, I felt as certain that I could go straight to the watch as if I had really seen it, and told Davis so, and tried to have him go out and get it. He had no faith in my "vision," "dream," or whatever it may be called, and would not go. In spite of the jests and laughter of the entire family, I saddled a horse and went directly to the watch, which I found with all its surroundings exactly as I had seen it.

I was not nearer than forty rods to Davis when the watch was lost, as I ascertained after it was found.

The watch had run down and stopped, the hands pointing to 9.40 o'clock, which I also noted in my dream. J. L. Squires.

Mr. Gale adds: -

Guilford, Vermont, March 4th, 1892. I hereby certify that I have known the above J. L. Squires for over twenty years, and that I know him to be stricdy temperate, honest, and truthful. He has always been in the best of health. He tells me that he has recently had an experience similar to the above, which I will send you if you wish....

John E. Gale, Justice of the Peace.