1884.] 
39 
AMEEIOAlS^ AG KiC U LT UEltST. 
humbugs that have received attention in these col¬ 
umns. In fact, now and then one turns up that got 
its quietus herein twenty years ago or more. Human 
nature changes slowly as a whole. Those who have 
had their “ eye teeth cut” pass away and the now 
crop comes forward to go through the same process; 
some never get through with it. The swindlers are not 
all fertile enough in invention to get up new dodges, 
though some are quite expert at it; and the old hands 
often think it will do to try the old tricks upon new dogs. 
So it conies to pass that we have to often take in hand an 
old offender or a new one in his cast-off suit.—Further, 
many new readers are not so familiar as our old friends 
with some of the phases of swindling, and with some of 
those which have but recently been found in our Rogues’ 
Gallery. The latter will bear with us, then, if they seem 
to see the return upon the stage of some familiar faces. 
A CASE IN POINT. 
Even those who have so long read these columns as 
to think themselves proof against imposition are 
not always so.—A farmer living near by called last week 
at our office to bring in a club of subscribers, which 
he had gathered, as for many years past, and to talk 
over some farm matters. He is a fair specimen of a 
sensible and business-like farmer. We know he is 
intelligent, for he has read this journal for thirty years, 
and as he reads, thinks, observes and studies his busi¬ 
ness we can always learn something at least from him. 
Well, after an interview mutually pleasant—it was to us 
—he left. Later in the day he returned for a little private 
conversation. To our surprise even he had fallen 
among the rascals who prey upon strangers, even 
“THE BANCO STEEREItS.” 
It was the old, old story. A suave young ipA well 
dressed, came up and called him by name. He professed 
to be the son of a neighbor of our friend, whom he knew 
to be a prominent eilizen of life county who had several 
sons, and one or more of them in the city. The Banco 
man claimed to be one of these sous—“ was in a bank 
was happy to meet an old neiglibor of his boy¬ 
hood,” in short was very agreeable. He soon brought in 
adroitly his good luck in drawing two large tine pictures, 
and would his country friend like to see them, and indeed 
take one homo, as he had only room for one.—Down a 
side street, and up stairs to an office where very solemn 
men were in attendance, our affable man was informed 
by the solemn attendants that there was $500 waiting for 
him from a recent “ drawing” for a charitable and relig¬ 
ious ohjrct, of course. There were some tickets with 
numbers and stars on them—a regular “I win, you 
lose ” arrangement. Our friend took a ticket and won 
and then—he lost. Having no ready money to pay the 
loss he gave his check, and departed a wiser man. He 
called to privately tell us what he had paid for the lesson, 
and to express his surprise that after reading all our 
warnings, hw should be thus taken in, and to urge our re¬ 
peating the warnings until no reader could forget them. 
Perhaps this narrative will save some others. At our 
suggestion he telegraphed his bank to refuse the check. 
In this case the loss was but a few dollars of money in 
hand, but he feels most the loss of confidence in himself. 
“ He felt that a man like him, old enough to have cut 
several sets of eye teeth, should be taken in like a green 
horn was quite too much.”—We do not think it shows 
so much greenness on his part, as the skill and shrewd¬ 
ness of the swindler. “ Why,” said our friend, “ he came 
right up to me as if he had known me all of his life, and 
as there are many of his name in our county I tried to 
recollect him.”—We hardly need to repeat our oft-given 
advice ; in travelling, as well as in cities, and elsewhere, 
KEPBL THE ADVANCES OF STRANGERS. 
Tlie Union B>ctective Agency. 
When the circular of this “ Agency” came we looked at 
the bottom for “ Cincinnati.” But New York claims her 
share. This “ Agency” will make “secret inquiries of 
every nature” in “every county in the United States.” 
Any one can be a member by “ filling out the enclosed 
blank and forward it with .$5.00 at once.” Indeed, the 
circular before us is devoted more to telling how to send 
that $5.00 than to defining the duties of the members. 
Uolici-ics Merc mi«l 'l’lie«*c. 
Ho long-time reader need to be told that we regard lot¬ 
teries, even when fairly managed, as prejudicial to the 
ivelfare of the community. The fact that many give 
their money in order that a few, who do nothing to de¬ 
serve it, may draw prizes, makes it one of the meanest 
forms of gambling. By law, all letters and circulars re¬ 
lating to lotteries are excluded from the mails. But that 
“ Royal” concern at St. Stephen, N. B., in defiance of 
the laws of Congress, still sends its schemes far and 
wide. It would seem that Congress, with a proper re¬ 
gard for its own dignity, should ti.id a way to put a stop 
to this. Isn’t it rathei hard on our own swindlers to ho 
shut out from the mails, while the “Royal” chaps, the 
“Bluo-noscs,” cau flood the country with circulars, 
tickets, apd schemes of their lotteries over the border? 
“ Sprsjts to Catcli 
The cashier of a bank in Logan Co., Ky., informs us 
that a farmer presented a dollar bill, asking if it was gen¬ 
uine. After close examination the teller pronounced the 
bill good. The farmer received it in a letter, which of¬ 
fered him any quantity of the same stuff, fully equal to 
the sample. The cashier says that the bill is no doubt 
genuine; hut that the recipient “ did not bite,” and is 
one dollar better off. 
One of the oldest of all humbugs is the offering of, or 
rather pretending to offer, counterfeit, or “ (iueer” 
money. It has been thoroughly worked, and has ap¬ 
peared in many guises, yet they still come. One circular, 
purporting to be sent by Chas. Hayden, 7-14 Sixth Ave¬ 
nue, New York, is more blasphemous than any we have 
before seen. Its appeals to the Deity in asserting the 
truth of its claims are enough to make one shudder. 
ISiiperfluous Hair. 
A correspondent in Ohio asks our opinion of the circu¬ 
lar of a Philadelphia “ University Chemical Preparation” 
for removing hair from the face, arms, etc. It is claimed 
that the preparation is not poisonous and “ is based upon 
the unerring natural laws of matter, and can never fail.” 
As we have not seen this preparation we can only judge 
of it on general principles. It has no right to call itself a 
“University Chemical Preparation,” as no “ university” 
has anything to do with it. Being false in its title, we 
have a right to suspect that its claims are equally false. 
But why remove the hair ? Removal will only stimulate 
future growth. Some of the most estimable ladies of our 
acquaintance are thus annoyed, but they have the good 
sense to know that the regard in which they are held by 
• their friends is not affected by a few hairs 'upon the face. 
'I'lic B'ljad. «>i‘ “ UjiBiii W.” 
Flemming & Marion, claiming to be brokers in Chi¬ 
cago, notlongago flooded the country with their circulars, 
showing that an easy road to fortune was to subscribe 
to their “Fund W.,” and allow them to speculate with 
the money. At one time these circulars were sent us in 
great numbers by our readers, who asked our advice 
about subscribing. Suddenly the “Fund W.” circulars 
ceased to come. The Post Office Department refused to 
allow Flemming & Marion to do business through the 
mails, and as a consequence the firm came to grief, and 
the “ Fund W.” could not be operated. One of the firm 
went to Canada to avoid arrest, but found he “ was 
wanted ” by creditors there. Escaping from the officers 
of the Dominion, he took refuge in Dakota, hut was ar¬ 
rested there; at last accounts he was awaiting trial in 
Illinois upon a charge of obtaining money under false 
pretenses. Wo shall probably hear no more of “ Fund W.” 
“ Storm, glasses,” So Called. 
A Postmaster in N. C., writes us that parties in In¬ 
dianapolis, Ind., oft'ered to send, for a certain sum, 
“ a Thermometer and Storm Glass combined.” The par¬ 
ties offering the affair having sold out, their successors 
propose to send the instrument for fifty cents additional. 
The N. C. Postmaster asks if this is not a case for our 
Humbug Column. This whole “ Storm Glass,” or 
“ Weather Glass ”, ljusiness, is a humbug. The so-called 
“ instrument” consists of a thermometer,and a tube about 
six inches long, and as large as one’s little finger, con¬ 
taining a liquid. It is claimed that this liquid becomes 
cloudy when a storm is at hand, and when it clears, fine 
weather is to be expected. The liquid is diluted alcohol, 
holding in solution Sal Ammoniac, and other salts. A 
maker of excellent thermometers in the suburbs of New 
York, a few years ago proposed to add these “ Storm 
Glasses” to his thorinometers. He sent us two of 
the instruments for trial, and after a few days, 
called at our residence in the country, to learn the 
result. When he came, both instruments showed that 
clear weather was prevailing. We then placed one of 
the instruments in the refrigerator, and soon had a viO' 
lent storm predicted, while the other remained as clear 
as before. This showed that the “Storm Glass” is only 
affected by temperature. When the liquid it contains is 
cooled, the salts crystalize, and it becomes cloudy. As 
a weather indicator, it is quite worthless. Our ther¬ 
mometer maker, being an honest man, did not add the- 
“Storm Glass” to his instruments. 
'I’lie fiSliitd 'I'lie BSliiid. 
If Messrs. Chas. Prudit & Co., German, .Mo., are not? 
humbugs, they are unfortunate in their manner of adver¬ 
tising. C. P. & Co., have evidently come into possession 
of a small iirinting press, and know very little about 
using it. Their circular has the merit of brevity, and is 
printed in large type, on a small sheet of note paper. 
It reads: 
“WE Being informed oF your GOOD & Reliable' 
Standing in Business This Induces us to communi¬ 
cate with you by Letter We would be glad to Initiate 
you in a New pleasent and very Profitable Business it 
is Something ENTIRELY NEW nothing to sell or 
peddle No other Firm in THE U S DEvotEd TO' 
THE B usiness Arail yourself of this offer—& we' 
will pay you a Salary ip you work for us only during 
yours pare moments prom $5 to $50 Per month ac¬ 
cording to YOUR Service Return us this letter 
with only a $1 Bill or stamps & we will send you 
FREE by mail our Complete Working Outfit You 
can then work For us or yourself Regular 
Price $5 This offer is good tor 30 Days For our' 
Fair Dealing SEE MO Directory Here write Ad. 
dREss Don’t ask for decription of Outfit We only 
initiate Purchaser.” 
This is a curiosity in the way of a circular. We have- 
given it li(erati?n—and were about to say punctatim, only 
it don’t punctate at all. Indeed, there is not a particle 
of -‘pepper and salt ” in the whole mess. We do not 
wonder that the Colorado Postmaster was in doubt as 
to its contents. 
Blow IPostiiiasK-rs arc 'I'cMiptc<l» 
A personal friend, who is, as was his father before him. 
Postmaster in a small rural district, in New Y’'ork State, 
sends us a circular to show the offers made to Postmas¬ 
ters. A concern, which modestly calls itself nothing less- 
than the ‘-World's Dispensary Medical Association,” 
asks our Postmaster friend to furnish (on a blank 
enclosed for the purpose), -‘the name of every per¬ 
son whom you know to be suffering from any chronic or 
lingering disease (however slight it may be), indicating 
also, if known to you, what the disease is, or has been 
pronounced by home physicians ; also the names of all 
other people^ not to include more than two in any one 
family, and omitting the names of physicians. [We 
should say so, Eds.], and only including those who ob¬ 
tain their mail through your office.” The Postmaster 
who does this, is oft'ered some kind of a book, and he has 
also a ‘- numbered receipt,” good for one of the presents, 
valued at from twenty-five cents to six tiiousand dollars, 
‘-in our next Grand Distribution.” Here is an offer to the 
Po-itmaster to sell the knowledge he has acquired of his 
patrons, and also to take a chance in a -' Distribution,” 
which is but another name for a lottery-, which is for¬ 
bidden by the law of the State, and shut out from the 
mails he handles. This ‘-Dispensary” concern also, 
wishes Postmasters to send lists of people afflicted w-ith 
all sorts of diseases. If other Postmasters will so far 
violate the proprieties as to comply with the requests 
made in the circular, sent out by this “Dispensary,” the 
Post Office Department, under its present head at least, 
will soon dispense with their services. The concern says, 
“ We want the names of all invalids.” When you tempt 
Postmasters into taking part in a lottery, we are 
tempted to say, -‘Physician (if you happen to be one), 
heal thyself.” 
“ Tlic 'W'oia«lei-rsil 'Free ISeuia oT 
Mexieo.” 
Sometimes one is unfortunate in the style of his adver¬ 
tisement. The “ 'I’l'ce Bean” was advertised by a party 
in Wisconsin in a manner that made us suspect that it 
was the same plant which was offered a few years ago- 
from a small town in Tennessee as a -‘Tree Pen.” In 
our notice of the “'free Bean,” in November last, we 
asked those who had tried it to send us specimens. The 
responses have been numerous; they indicate that there 
are at least two, possibly three, distinct beans claiming 
to be “tree”-like in their growdh. The correspondence 
relating to these “ 'Pree Beans” is already large, and the 
specimens sent vary from a few beans in an envelopeto- 
the whole plants in a box. Weave warranted in saying 
that the “ 'Pree Bean” ofl’ered by the dealer in Wiscon¬ 
sin, is a bean, and a very prolific one. As to its Mexican 
origin and its real value, as well as that of similar 
beans, we may have something more to say hereaft- r. 
