86 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
A Talk about Sundry Humbugs. 
Our suggestion last month has been so largely re- 
sponded to, that alieaily (Feb. 12th) -vve have a large 
basketful of letters, deUUing the operations of swindling 
concerns. Most of these are from new subscribers, tliose 
who have not read our frequent warnings. There is 
iibunilant evidence that had tlie Agriculturist been read 
in every family in tire country, for a single year, the ag- 
gregate saving in money paid to swindlers, would have 
far exceeded our entire subscription receipts for five 
years past. From the attention we have recently given 
to the subject, we think the daily receipts of tliese swind- 
lers range fi orn J!ve to ten thousand dollars a day '. We 
have the names of over thirty different concerns, though 
several of tliem are run by the same individuals, under 
ditferent names. Their circulars are scattered through- 
out the whole country, from Nova Scotia to California. 
By various means, they have gathered the Post-Office 
addresses of perhaps two millions of persons ; and to 
these they are continually forwarding their ingenious 
schemes to trap the unwary. It costs but four cents to 
prepare these documents and send tlicm very conlrden- 
tially as n post-paid letter ; and if the bait takes with one 
in a hundred, so as to bring them five or ten dollars, they 
make a large profit ; for very feu- of them give even the 
smallest return for the money received. (-\nd here we 
desire to say, in answer to sundry hints and inquiries 
from some subscribers, who wonder where their names 
■were oblained. that no one has ever liad access to our mai i 
books or list of subscribers, on any pretense, or for any 
purpose whatever. We have been so cautious on this 
point, that when referring to any correspondent, we give 
only his county, omitting his town and Post-Oflice. to 
save him the annoyance of receiving a host of humbug 
circulars ; nor do we ever allow any kind of circulars to 
be enclosed in the Agriculturist. They get names from 
Post masters under false pretenses, and by special offers 
to persons who privately send them tlie names of a 
liundred or more persons in a town.) 
One of the worst feat\ires of tlie business is, that the 
swindlers are adepts at ev.ading the laws. We have con- 
sulted uilh the Mayor and our City District Attorney. 
We found Mayor Hoffmaci ready and anxious to do what 
lie could, yet greatly trammeled by the want of specific 
laws to reach the eases of cerlain of these operators. 
For example, our State laws entirely prohibit dealing in 
loltery tickets, yet the dealers contest the application of 
these laws, claiming that their U. S. license is above 
State laws. This matter is in litigation and not yet de- 
cided. While wailing this decision, and the results of 
oilier efforts, we must do what we can to warn people \ 
and we beg our readers to talk over the matter, and get 
these warnings and exposures as extensively known as 
possible. For this purpose alone it would be desirable 
to have the Agriculturist still more widely circulated.— 
Show this page to the Post-master, and ask him to warn 
people against sending letters to any of these names, or to 
others of like character or pretensions. Every Post- 
master would find it to his advantage to subscribe 
for the " V. S. Mail," a monthly journal, edited by J. 
Gayler, New York, and furnished at $1 a year. Besides 
its great amount of information about all Post-Office 
matters, it is severe on the class of swindlers operating 
through the mails. The Feb. No. contains an excellent 
suggestion to Post-masters about fraudulent concerns. 
An important Bill is now befure Congress in reference 
to excluding these humbug circulars from the mails. It 
ought to pass at once. We here group together a 
number of humbug operators : 
" Haiiward J^ Co."— The villain operating under this 
name, and sundry aliases, has done an extensive and 
successful business. We have letters concerning his oper- 
ations from all over the country. Some time since we 
found him in a small room at 2'29 Broadway, in an upper 
story, with less slock than could be put into a carpet bag, 
aside from the immense numbers of circulars he was 
sending out with the aid of clerks. Vet he has distributed 
a circular with his name emblazoned upon a jncture of 
Ihe whole front of the building, which is occupied by more 
than fifty business offices. "Very few' of the occupants of 
lliese olTices even know tliat there is such a person as 
Ilayward in the building. lie pretends to have bought 
great stocks of watches and jewelry of " a large number 
of Importers," etc., who have failed by the decline in 
gold. There have been no such f.iilures. — For a time 
he offered tickets at 25 cents a piece, or less. Latterly 
he has sent the tickets at once, pretending to have re- 
ceived the money for them. These tickets call for various 
articles, watches, diamond rings, chains, gold pencils, 
etc., etc., valued from $6 to $250 each, on paying $5.24. 
Sometimes, as a bait, he sends out gold pens, etc., where 
there are many to be caught. This takes, and back 
come a lot of $5.24 letters, which he pockets. Usually 
no answer can be obtained from him. He generally 
denies the receipt of these letters , but when sliarply 
cornered, or caught by a regislered letter, he pretends 
the money had been abstracted before it reached him, or 
that he has forwarded the article. He puts on a patron- 
izing air, and tries to avert suspicion by pretending to 
caution people against other swindlers. His dodges, as 
described to us in a multitude of letters, are " too numer- 
ous to mention "— we cannot 7101c answer further inquiries. 
D. W. Hammond J, Co.. 162 Monlague-st., Brooklyn, is 
of the same ilk as Hayward & Co., probably the 
same party. The circulars are every way alike, except 
the different headings, and address, of Hayward & Co. 
and Hammond & Co.— the type-setting, and orthography, 
and even broken letters showing them to he prinle 1 from 
the same type or stereotype. 
E. 0. Horton, Danville, .V. /., " Manager of the Cali- 
fornia Manufacturing Jewelry Association," is another 
like Hayward & Co., if not the same. 
7. E. Loomis * Co., Warren, R. /., of the same class. 
'•Dr. Freeman" and his "Journal of Science," have 
been too often denounced as humbugs, to need more than 
the mere recording of his name in this list. 
Chidester Jt Co. belong to Dr. Freeman's class of 
wonder-doing pretenders. 
Jason H. Tutlle, Flalhrookville P.O., N. J., imitates 
Hayward & Co., (if not the same party) 1 but offers large 
things— Rosewood Pianos, elc.-tor $2. We hear of 
mulliludes taken in by him. An unmiligated swindler. 
Chester M. Wakeman, of Jersey City or N. Y., started 
a " Mutual Protection Union," a pure swindle, directing 
his letters sent to Danville, Me. ; but thinking he had got 
the Post-master there to assist him, he "caught a Tar- 
tar." He uses fictitious names, etc., on his grand scheme. 
The Danville P. M. will attend to his case, if he will call 
there. There are three other scliemes of the same kind, 
dlfl'ering only in some of the names used. 
Everett E.Morgan,\s one of those chaps we have often de- 
scril)ed. w ho offers to lie a ticket through a bogus concern. 
Of course he lies everybody out of money, w ho tmsts him. 
W. H. Morgan, same class as E. E. Morgan. 
George Y. Hoffman, same class as C. M. Wakeman. 
James P. De Wolfe, same class as E. E. Morgan. 
Mr. H. H, Colfax, same class as E. E. Morgan. 
The above are a variety of the names used by a com- 
paratively few parties. They will, as heretofore, con- 
tinue to change name and P. O. address from time to time. 
If our readers will cast aside every templing bait offered 
in printed circulars and advertisements proposing to 
give any tiling by chance drawings, or to furnish any thing 
at less than lis legitimate value, there will be half a mil- 
lion at least, whom these swindlers cannot reach. 
Beware of " No Ink Pen," which don't exist ; of Pho- 
tographic apparatus offered cheap by unknown parties ; 
of sending money for Maps to be published at some in- 
definite future time ; of (Rev.) Jos. T. Inman, etc., etc. 
Lottery Tickets. — We can not, in these days 
of intelligence, greatly sympathize with those who lose 
money in any kind of lottery schemes. Yet we can 
not but pitv those who suffer from any deficiency of 
judgment or discretion. If there were no such persons, 
we should cease to "have the poor always witii us."— We 
have received hundreds of lottery schemes, forwarded by 
subscribers. The following are among the most promi- 
nent operators at present, who, under the plea of a U. S. 
license, and olher subterfuges, manage to evade the 
laws. That they are successful, our observations at the 
Post Office delivery furnish abundant evidence. 
No 1. Fletcher Bros., Box 5549, P. O., N. Y. City. 
No. 2. T. Seymour t, Co., Box 4259, P. O., N. Y. City. 
No. 3. Hammett /, Co., Box 2100, P. O., N. Y. City. 
No. 4. A. Buck * Co., Box 232, Washington, D. C. 
No. 5. P. Hoffman J, Co., Box 224, Washington, D. C. 
No. 6. 11'. J. Elliott If Co., Box 4609, P. 0., N. Y. Cilv. 
No. 7. Egrrton Bros., Box 4196, P. O., N. Y. Cily. 
No. 8. Tlios. Boult 4- Co., Box 6713, P.O., N.Y. City. 
These eight parties all use precisely the same printed 
lottery schemes, except that the headings and signatures 
are changed to correspond with the several names. Each 
incloses a printed envelope directed to himself. Each 
sends a " private and confidenlial " lithographed letter, 
resembling a written letter. All these letters greatly 
resemble each other. No. 4 and No. 5 are exactly the 
same, except heading and signature. No. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 
are essentially alike, except the names, and a little va- 
riation in the prizes— $2000 in one, and $1200 in tile other 
two. No. 6 varies the form, talks about doing away pre- 
judices against Lotteries by getting for some one $5000 
(not a mere $1200 or $2000, but $5000 !) They all appear 
to emanate from the same mind, and all operate alike. 
An explanation of one answers for the whole. Thus: 
Hammett & Co. write to the person addressed, that 
they are agents (with U. S. license) for a Covington legal 
lottery, and send grand schemes for piizes ; that they 
want to do a large business, and that accidentally meeting 
the name of the addressed party, they were led to think 
him just the one to help them. They therefore offer to 
send him, for the bag.atelle of $10, a " certificate of a 
package of tickets," (not the tickets themselves) "lucky, ' 
for $1200 to $2000 ; that from long experience they know- 
how to select lucky-numbers ; that they do this because 
the party receiving them is expected to show his prize to 
many, and make known the character of the said Ham- 
mett & Co. as sellers of lucky tickets, and they thus will 
get a large business, while the prize money will coma 
out of the pockets of the lottery managers. There is a 
lot more of stuff, such .as the offer of other tickets free, 
inquiries how to forw-ird the money, etc., etc. 
It seems strange to many that there should be persons 
unsophisticated enough to bite at such a bait, yet there 
are, and it is the duty of those who are wiser, todo what 
they can to enlighten the ignorant and credulous ; to in- 
form them that these swindlers make the same " private 
and confidential " offer to every person in the same town, 
whose name they can get; that any lottery is a fraud, 
even if the chances are made equal, for from the money 
distributed large sums are deducted for expenses, profits, 
etc.; that if a lottery be fairly conducted, it is a fraud for 
any one to claim the ability to select lucky numbers; 
while, if not fairly conducted, every investor is likely to 
be defrauded ; that these "lucky agents" would keep and 
draw sure lucky tickets themselves. For example, would 
T. Seymour i Co., instead of keeping a ticket sure to 
draw- $2000, be likely to send it to you as an advertise- 
ment of tliemfelves, when they would h.ave to sell In 
your neighborhood Thirteen Hundred $10 tickets, in 
order to realize $2000 as the commission of 15 per cent. 
on the tickets, to say nothing of postage, printing, etc.? 
Finally did anybody ever hear ofa prize drawn by these 
"private and confidential" agents, who send $10 each » 
We have thus devoted unusual space to this subject, 
because it seems to be needed. Until we can get the 
strong arm of the law to crush these pests of society, who 
fatten upon the ignor.ance and simplicity of the people, 
we shall keep on uttering warning after warning. We 
have on hand and are constantly receiving accounts of 
other swindling operations, which will receive attention. 
Some of them are under investigation. 
A I.00U iiito a, Striinlling- Sliop. — 
In this city, and elsewhere, especially in large cities and 
towns wliere a new flock of viclims can be constantly 
secured, there have lately sprung up a gre.at number of 
establishments, at which are offered a lot of articles, all 
at $1 each, w ilh a chance for a " splendid prize " thrown 
in. In order to study the modus operandi, we took a 
dollar (leaving the pocketbook behind for safety), and 
dropped into one of these " splendid prize " shops, up 
Chatham-st. There was a fine array of silvered w are, tea 
sets, etc., all numbered and marked as prizes, -with cases 
full'ofarticlesforsaleat $1 each, and apparently fully 
worth that sum. We invested $1 in a " Ridgewood Case," 
the usual price for a well-made article being $2 to $5.— 
Ours probably yielded a profit at SI. But the " splendid 
prize" was what we were after. A large box of envelopes 
was handed out, from which we drew one containing 
ticket No. 232. That gave us a " gift locket," costing 
less than a one cent, and worth 0. (We noticed that 
out of 300 numbered prize articles, 200 were these 
" lockets," about 80 were other showy but valueless 
things, and about 20 were things worth apparently from 
$1 to $50.) We were told that by paying half-price (50 
c»nts), we could draw- again, and for effect, we showed a 
partial willingness to do so. While this was going on, 
two men came in, and each paid fifty cents for a chance. 
They both drew " lockets," and tried again at fifty cents. 
The second time one drew a pretty gilt bell. f..r which 
the operator immediately paid him $1, and the other got 
a fine silvered butter plate witli ornamental cover, for 
which the operator paid him $5. They went on drawing 
rapidlv, now lockets, then costly articles, and selling 
them back. Thev were apparently having grind luck, 
and making lots of money. They were of course " stool 
pigeons," to dazzle our eyes, and by means of privately 
marked envelopes, and slight of hand in changing num- 
bers, got any articles desired. We received numerous 
invitations "to try our luck," but afler learning enough, 
we left to write out this item. The above shows one of 
Hie ways these concerns take in the unwary. 
»-> — »■■ I ■ 
Oil S-windles. — An old comrade iu the 
Agricultural laboratory at Yale College, who has for 
many years resided in south-eastern Ohio, (except while 
absent in command of an Ohio regiment during the war,) 
sends us a familiar letter, from which, though a private 
one. we take the liberty to publish the following extract : 
.. I think you were wise in excluding tiom the ^,jri- 
culturist all advertisements of oil companies. From my 
location, and other reasons, I have practically been 
obliged to study oil in its geological relations more than 
