80 
AMEKIOAIsr AG-EIOULTUEIST, 
[February, 
“A. N.,” Arkansas Co., Ark., writes us that three 
years ago he was examined for an “increase of pension,” 
which was allowed him. Since then he has written 
to Washington many times, and paid numerous attor¬ 
ney’s fees ; as he gets no pension or reply, he comes to 
us for advice. The best tiling for him to do is, to write 
out a plain statement of his case, giving names and 
dates, and send it to the member of Congress who rep¬ 
resents his district, asking him to look up the case, and 
advise him how he can get the money that is due him. 
“ Chesapeake ISay l>og'S 
The Chesapeake Bogs, long celebrated for their value 
in hunting water fowl, and for great endurance, are now 
very scarce. A correspondent writes us that lie has been 
offered one for five dollars. Our advice is, don’t buy, as 
it can not be pure-bred. One of the officers of this Com¬ 
pany had a dog of this rare and valuable breed, which the 
above price with two ciphers added could not purchase. 
Wanted, a Yonigs' JTlaii. 
One of the meanest swindles is to advertise for a 
young man with a sum of money. Sometimes this is as 
small as twenty-five or fifty dollars, or it may be that two 
or three hundred is named. The young man is promised 
a good salary, and he unsuspectingly loans his employer 
the money. An excuse is soon found to discharge the 
young man and the game is repeated with another. 
BBog Ci»olera—“A Sure Cure.” 
" W. H. S.,” Bayton, O., writes us that a man in In¬ 
dianapolis, Ind., “ is taking in unsuspecting country 
people,” with a “sure cure” for hog cholera, and asks 
us “ to warn our subscribers against the fellow.” If our 
friend had sent us a circular or advertisement of the 
stuff, we might have been able to judge of it, and to is¬ 
sue the desired warning, but when we are given only the 
name and residence of the fellow, we are unable to “do 
the public a service.” Send us the documents. 
Orain and Cattle Enterprises. 
Very flattering promises are made by parties who pro¬ 
pose to carry on cattle raising and speculation in grain 
in the far West. Some of these propose dividends as 
large as five per cent, per month. Several have asked 
our opinion of these schemes. We would not advise 
any one to invest in such enterprises ; they are carried 
on at a very long distance off, and managed by strangers; 
safe investments can be found nearer home. 
Tlie Coiinterieit Money Swindle. 
Now if there is any one form of swindling that we 
have shown up in all its phases, all its ins and outs, for 
the last twenty years, it is this. Yet here is a subscriber 
in Iowa, to whom the matter is entirely new, who, evi¬ 
dently not having heard of it, naively writes: “These 
parties ought to be published.” We need only say now, 
that these circulars do not appeal to honest men. Our 
correspondent speaks of “ these parties,” signers of the 
circulars, evidently not knowing that they have a vast 
number of aliases. We have known as many as twenty 
different names used for the same circular. 
** 1 Tliiiik It Is a Hamkug,*’ 
Writes Mr. B. Stout, who in renewing his subscription 
forwards us several advertisements of a New York firm. 
One of these announcements states, “ You can now 
grasp a fortune,” illustrated by a cut of an open hand 
loaded with coin, and not grasping at all. The reader is 
told: “ If you return this slip with twenty five cents, 
either in currency or postage stamps, we will send you a 
package of splendid articles worth a great many times 
twenty-five cents, and which wc hnow will ena¬ 
ble you to grasp a fortune and earn from sevent}'- 
five to two hundred dollars per month, rain or shine, all 
the year round, honorably and easy.”—As we infer, 
something is promised for the twenty-five cents, which 
will enable the receiver by selling it, or otherwise, to 
make the sums named. If any such profits arc to be 
realized from a twenty-five cent Investment we would 
suggest to the advertising firm to “ grasp a fortune” it¬ 
self, it would pay better than to sell the chances for 
“grasping” at twenty-five cents each. This is a trade, 
as the boys say, “ on sight unseen.” The only definite 
statement is that twenty-five cents is to be paid. After 
that one “grasps” his “ fortune,” whatever that may be. 
If this is not a lottery it would seem to be sufficiently a 
game of chance for the attention of the Postal authorities. 
Book-keeping' foi* Fifteen Bollars. 
Announcements are often made that book-keeping will 
be taught for fifteen dollars, or some such sum. Many 
young men, especially those in the country, are under the 
impression that there is always a demand for book-keep¬ 
ers, and that by expendinga few dollars they can fit them¬ 
selves to occupy a place with a good salary. In New 
York, and no doubt other large cities, there are hundreds 
of young men who have come in the hope of finding a 
place as book-keeper and having expended all their 
means are not able to get away. Some of these are driven 
to theft, and not rarely a suicide ends the miserable wait¬ 
ing. A friend of ours needing a book-keeper advertised 
for one, not long ago, and the next day received over 
five hundred answers. The demand for book-keepers is 
far less than the supply. It is a mistake to think that 
more book-keepers are wanted than cities can furnish. 
A Wonderful Plum. 
J. E. Pratt, Solana Co., Cal., writes us : I send you a 
circular not exactly of a ‘ Blue Rose,’ but of a Plum that 
is, to say the least, wonderful.”—The circular announces 
that the signer will have for sale one hundred thousand 
African plum and prune plants from Cape Town. These 
remarkable plants were discovered in a journey to the 
diamond fields in 1875. They are bushes about five feet 
high, can be planted close together “ and each one will 
bear a gallon of fruit.” That there maybe a South Af¬ 
rican bush with an edible plum-like fruit, is quite likely. 
That it is really a plum is doubtful. When it is stated 
that the plants bear “ the most beautiful round, thin- 
skinned and pale-red, delicious fruit that man ever saw 
or tasted, each plum being as large as the average French 
or German prune, with the tiniest little freestone, not 
larger than a grain of white corn,” we take it with a 
grain of allowance. We have had some experience in 
desert countries, and know how easy it is to regard a 
fruit that can be eaten at all, as the most delicious ever 
tasted. The importer shows much enterprise in procur¬ 
ing the plants which he offers, but his description is 
no doubt overdrawn; still the fruit may be worth trying. 
His Father’s Corpse. 
A well-to-do farmer, while waiting for the train at a 
depot in Pittsburgh the other day, was accosted by a 
stranger who was also waiting. The stranger was a glib 
talker, and the farmer being rather lonely, was glad to 
meet him. As they were talking, a couple of men in 
railroad uniform came up and asked the stranger to pay 
the charges as the train would soon be off. The other 
did not think he must pay in advance, and had not near 
enough money to pay the one hundred and twenty-five 
dollars demanded, “ Well,” said the others, “ corpses 
always pay in advance, if you can’t pay, the corpse can’t 
go.” The son of the corpse explained to the farmer that 
he was taking his father’s body home for burial, the 
funeral had been appointed, and unless the body could 
go upon that train the services must be postponed. He 
had a check for six hundred dollars on the bank at N., 
the place of his destination, but this the railroad men re¬ 
fused to take. At last he appealed to the farmer to loan 
the sum to pay the charges, and as they were both going 
to N., he would get his check cashed, and make all right. 
The good-natured farmer advanced the money, for which 
the bereaved son was duly grateful, and insisted that the 
other should hold the check as collateral security. They 
both boarded a car, but the train had hardly left the sub¬ 
urbs of the city before the young man found it necessary to 
go to the baggage car to see if the corpse was all right, bu 
failed to return. Before the farmer reached home he learnt 
ed that there was no corpse on the train, that the son was 
not tobefound,and it slowly came to him that he had been 
swindled by his new acquaintance. The farmer had in¬ 
advertently mentioned his destination, and the other took 
advantage of the information. Of course the other men 
were confederates, and were not employees of the road. 
Be cautious in making acquaintances in travelling. 
WANTED. 
^ (fifl Women and Children to 
canvass tor the America7i Agri¬ 
culturist. Special inducements are offered in cash. 
Airess PnMlslsrs, 751 Broaiway, N. T, 
BEHOLDI 
Special Offer for 30 Days. 
American Agriculturist 
AND 
N. T. Weekiy Tribuue, 
OR 
New York Weekly Sun, 
TOGETHER WITH 
“Foes or Friends?” 
A 11x18 SUPERB ENGRAVING. 
“In the Meadow.” 
A 12x17 SUPERB ENGRAVING. 
All for $2, 
POST-PAID. 
Address 
American Agriculturist, 
751 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. 
Sample Testimonials Regarding Our 
Premium Guns.—(»See page 87.) 
Manchester, Mich., Jan. 4,1884. 
Orange Judd Company —Dear Sirs: —The Gun 
(Handy) you sent me I have received in good order 
and am well pleased with it. 
Yours, Henry Schulte. 
EQUAL TO A $75.00 GUN. 
Danbury, Conn., December 26, 1883. 
Orange Judd Co.— Dear Sirs :—The W. Scott Gun 
came to hand all right, and on trial I find it to be a 
strong shooter. One of my neighbors has a $75.00 
Parker Gun, but he can not beat this W. Scott at 
shooting. Tours truly, S. J. Sherman. 
ENTIRELY SATISFACTORY. 
Darlington, Pa., Dec. 22,1883. 
Orange Judd Company —Dear Sirs ;—I received 
the Handy Gun, and it has proved entirely satisfac¬ 
tory. Respectfully, Joseph Biggerstaef, 
St. Clairsville, Ohio, Dec. 18,1883. 
Orange Judd Company — Dear Sirs :—Gun (Han¬ 
dy) received and tested. Like it very well. Can kill 
rabbits on the skip, etc. Tours respectfully, 
VERY HANDSOME AND GOOD EXECUTION. 
Muncy, Pa., Deoember 4,1883. 
range Judd Company :—The W Scott Gun ar¬ 
rived on Saturday, and I tested it yesterday. It is 
a very handsome Gun, and its execution is good. I 
am well satisfied. Tours respectfully, 
Rev. Wm. H. Johnson, 
The only mcchme that received an award on both 
I Horse-power and Thresher and Cleaner, at the Centen¬ 
nial Exhibition; was awarded the two last Gold 
Models given by the New York State Agricultural 
Society on Horse-powers and Threshers; and is the 
only Thresher selected from the vast number built in 
the United States, for illustration and description in 
"AppIeton^s Cyclopedia of Applied Mechanics,” re- 
I cently published, thus adopting it as the standard 
j machine of this country. Catalogue sent free. Address 
KINARD HARDER, Cobleskill, Schoharie Co., N.Y, 
