ul 
9 
19 
scurity, or a success achieved by such effrontery 
and low cunning to be allowed to continue, and we 
present this case as one fit for exposure by the Ag¬ 
riculturist ,, to which other specimens of this new 
pest may be added by ourselves and other dealers. 
We do this as a protection to the trade, by giving 
timely notice to those who might otherwise suffer, 
and also warn any who might hope to escape de¬ 
tection in the ‘ways that are dark and tricks that 
are mean,’ by the pitiful littleness of the act.” 
Chase Brothers & Woodward. 
“ Rochester , N. Y." 
“Our attention has been called to the article in the 
Agriculturist for July, entitled “Swindling by Mail,” 
as being specially interesting to seedsmen in gen¬ 
eral, and soft-hearted ones in particular; we pe¬ 
rused it, as it seemed to carry the conviction that we 
too had been victimized. Examining our books we 
find, that in April last year, the Big Creek fraud had 
free seeds for the season. Upon further investiga¬ 
tion we find that last February we were favored 
with four pages of poverty from the pen of a female 
Bagley, a Mrs. M. C. Bagley, of Big Creek. A letter 
containing an order for seeds amounting to $10.95, 
and enclosing cash for same had been lost, so the 
story opens. We took the course usually taken b} r 
other seedsmen, offering to fill the order upon re¬ 
ceipt of half the amount said to be lost. This offer 
was followed by many thanks, and a eulogy on de¬ 
parted finances, with, the proposition that it would 
be more satisfactory to share the loss by sending 
half the seeds without further remittance. We 
failed to appreciate that logic, but filled the order 
out of charity, little suspecting that such a combina¬ 
tion of 'soft sawder’ and rural simplicity, was but a 
veneer for rustic rascality. We are of the opinion 
that Bagleyism blooms in Western, as well as South¬ 
ern sections of the country, for there are other 
names familiar to us of persons who periodically 
suffer the loss of money which was never sent.” 
Washburn & Co., Boston, Mass. 
It would be supposed that after such an 
exposure as this a person would cea,se to 
try that game any longer, but remember¬ 
ing his success with us, we were soon 
again favored with another of th se gen- 
ous orders which we quote: 
Big Creek, Ga., April 5, 1883. 
Isaac F. Tillinghast: Sir, I forwarded you $2.00 for 
the following Potatoes on or about the 1st of March, 
1883; ******1 am very sorry to say that I have never 
received the Potatoes. Please look the matter up 
as they should have been planted ere this. If you 
have forwarded them, they have gone astray in the 
mails, I will suggest that 3-011 send another. Should 
I receive two parcels, I will remit you for the extra 
parcel. Yours Respectfully, W. W. Landers. 
To this we replied as follows: 
La Plume, Pa., April 9, 1883. 
Dear Sir: Your letter of 5th inst. at hand. We 
have not received the order you speak of or the mon¬ 
ey. If you were in almost any other place but “Big 
Creek, Ga.,” we would send the potatoes right along 
as you suggest, but there are parties in your place 
who have practiced writing just such letters as the 
one before us, when they know they have never sent 
a penny, but take that way to get orders re-filled or 
filled for nothing. I have no other reason to suspect 
that you did not send the money as you say, but if 
you are honest in the matter, it is unfortunate for 
you that 3-011 live in Big Creek, Ga., for I think that 
name is indelibly fixed in the mind of every seeds¬ 
man in the country- as a home for dead beats. 
Very Respectfully, Isaac F. Tillinghast. 
! o this we received the following reply 
well calculated to cause us to repent, and 
under the fears of wronging a customer, 
still send the goods: 
Big Creek, Ga., April 20, 1883. 
I. F. Tillinghast: Dear Sir, your very strange and 
peculiar letter herewith received. Replying, would 
say I am at a loss to understand you. The lead you 
make on Big Creek Post Office, I think perfectly 
unfair. There is but a few men in the vicinity that 
handle seeds, and so far as I know, they are all hon¬ 
orable, high-toned, fair dealing gentlemen. Then 
again, Big Creek is nothing but a country post-office, 
no town or borough about it that is any- nearer than 
six miles. So if you do not want to send me the po¬ 
tatoes, because I live in Big Creek vicinity, of course 
y r ou can just let it alone! I live in a free eountry, 
and what I cannot get, I will try and let alone! Yet 
I like to receive anything that I pay for, especially 
when I comply with the printed terms of business 
houses, who I supposed to be honest and upright. 
This is my first experience with you, and if you 
think it a crime to live in the vicinity of Big Creek, 
and make a polite inquiry about, as I suppose a 
delayed order, it will be my last. Can send you ref¬ 
erence if you like, and think there is anyone suitable 
in the community. Respectfully, W. W. Landers. 
Now we will leave it with our readers to 
say if “Big Creelf, Ga.” does not want 
watching. We think if we were deputized 
to act as special agent of the Post Office 
Department we could easily work up a 
case of swindling by mail, and if anj’ - of 
our readers actually have sent us money 
which we did not receive, they will, we 
trust, no longer think hard of us that we 
refused to forward the goods until one-half 
the amount claimed to have been lost was 
received. 
------ 
TO ADVERTISERS . 
We frequently send free copies of Seed- 
Time and Harvest to a few of the most 
prominent business men in different sec¬ 
tions whom we { think it would pay as an 
advertising medium should they be per¬ 
suaded to give it a trial. We do not .wish 
