4887 
THE BUBAL ftiW-VQRKER. 
W ATCHES Free! yells the advertisement 
of the American Int roduction Company, 
Tremont, N. Y. Then it goes on: “Something 
new. Just out. Beautiful stem-winder and 
setter, nickel-plated open face or hunting- 
case. Ladies or gents’ size, finely finished. 
Given free with a year’s subscription to a pop¬ 
ular family paper to all who send us the 
names and addresses of 10 married ladies, and 
only one dollar. An elegant gold plated chain 
with the above, 50 cents extra. American In¬ 
troduction C'o., Tremont, N. Y.” A shady 
individual named (for the present, at any rate) 
W. E. Graham, is in reality the A. I. Co. It 
is very hard to find him at the address given, 
either “down town” or “up town" in the part 
of this city called “ Tremont,” The Post-Of¬ 
fice authorities arc already very particular 
about letting the man have his mail matter, 
and are soon likely to stop it altogether. In- 
any case, none but simpletons will contribute 
a line or a cent to it. Wouder does any one 
outside an idiot asylum really expect to get a 
watch or any thing else of real value free from a 
stranger, even at the approaching holidays? 
Do you, or you, or you, know any' such an 
innocent? 
Employment Sharpers.— Law, King & 
Law, of Chicago, are a heartless set of scoun¬ 
drels, who deserve a strictly first-class cow- 
hiding at once, and then a lengthy term of 
imprisonment, if what the Turf, Field and 
Farm says of them is true. The rascals pre¬ 
tend to be publishers, book-sellers, manufac¬ 
turers, printers, with branches at San Fran¬ 
cisco, Cal.; Topeka, Kan.; Minneapolis, Minn.; 
Austin, Tex.; Denver, Col.; Little Rock, 
Ark.; aud a warehouse at Lake and Franklin 
streets, Chicago; Ill. The rascals advertise 
for an assistant, usually in agricultural or 
country papers or the agricultural editions of 
weekly papers. To applicants applying from 
a distance they promise •??. a day for the first 
year and $5.50 for the second, provided they 
suit. To ascertain this they engage to pay 
the candidate’s fare *o Chicago, if he suits, 
and if ho doesn’t they will pay all his ex¬ 
penses. Now to any one at all acquainted with 
the methods of honest business firms such an 
offer is by far too generous to be genuine. 
There would be no need whatever to go to 
such heavy expense to secure a man from a 
distance, while hundreds possessed of all sorts 
of talents are constantly on the outlook for 
auy kind of legitimate opening in Chicago. 
All advertisements and offers of that sort may¬ 
be fairly set down to sharpers, Wheu one of 
the applicants, after traveling a long distance, 
presented himself at the office of L. K. &. L., 
of Chicago, he was informed that, first of all, 
it would be necessary for him to pay $85. On 
his refusal, they would have nothing to do 
with him, refusing, of course, to pay his ex¬ 
penses as they had agreed. The $85 is what 
they were after all along. Doubtless if he ap¬ 
peared able to pay more they- would have 
asked him for a heavier deposit, “to guaran¬ 
tee his fidelity" or for some other clap-trap 
reason. There are a great number of such 
heartless sharpers in all cities, and indeed 
there are very few towns or even villages 
free from them, either as permanent or 
transient nuisances. 
TnK Note Swindle.— A great many farm¬ 
ers are constantly victimized in this way: A 
plausible stranger calls on his intended vic¬ 
tim, and with niauy fair words persuades him 
to take a local agency for the “Modern Miracle 
Corn-Planter," and “as a mere matter of form, 
aud to prevent any possible misunderstand¬ 
ing ” or to “ satisfy the firm" for which he 
works, he induces the farmer to sigu on 
agreement which looks harmless enough; but 
which is just so w orded that when it is cut in 
two one half is a perfectly negotiable note 
payable three months, or any other desired 
time, from date*. As such it is easily sold at 
the nearest village and it then passes from 
hand to hand like a bank bill. When it ma¬ 
tures the then owner presents it for payment. 
The farmer, utter some reflection, recognizes 
the paper, and says that it is only a part of an 
agreement he sigued to sell corn-planters, aud 
that lie has often wondered why they 
had never come; that he did not 
sigu a note, aud that ho will not 
pay what he did not sigu. The hold¬ 
er says that he took the note iu the 
ordinary' corn's© of his business as so much 
cash, on the strength of the signature, which 
he knew to be genuine, uud that lie can't af¬ 
ford to lose the money. The swindler, of 
course, has disappeared, and one of the two 
iuuocent persons must suffer; which shall it 
be? Some courts would answer the question 
one way; some .unother. In, inost_of the 
States, the courts would sustain the validity 
of the note, taking into account the impor¬ 
tant and delicate functions of commercial 
paper; while jurymen, if toe case is submitted 
to them, will be almost certain to side with 
the farmer. It not infrequently, happens 
that the holder of the note, the “innocent 
party" into whose hands it has got, is a mere 
unscrupulous note-shaver who took it at a big 
discount, purposely refraining from inquiring 
into the manner in which it had been ob¬ 
tained, after he had made sure of the genuine¬ 
ness of the signature. 
Concerns Censured.— Under this caption 
the Eye-Opener will, from time to time, give 
the names of various concerns he has seen de¬ 
nounced in other papers; but which have not 
been investigated from the Rural Office. 
Among those noticed within the past week or 
so are The Safe Fountain Pen Company, alias 
G. E. Lowentbal. alias Liberty M'f’g Co., 
alias Jerome Novelty Co., Chicago.The 
Monarch Laundry Works offer to give away 
1,000 self-operating washing machines free, 
but ask 65 cents to pay express charges. 
Why not let the receiver pay ? How much is 
the washer worth over 50 cents? .... Of the 
Union Supply Co., Chicago, a Chicago paper 
says, “We can’t recommend it.”.The W. 
Willard Company, of Buffalo. N. Y\, is 
charged with sending out a worthless com¬ 
plexion powder. Lots of humbugs are adver¬ 
tising worthless or absolutely- injurious beau- 
tifiers of this kind.Delos Staples, alias L. 
D. Staples, West Sebewa. or Portland, Mich., 
is denounced as a fraudulent nurseryman.... 
The Carson River Dredging Company-, which 
offers $1 a month for $3.50, or $100 a month 
for $350 invested in its stock, was denounced 
here several weeks ago and is now “catching 
it” in a few other wide-awake papers. 
IVonwit’s Work. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY LOUISE TAPLIN. 
CHAT BY THE WAY. 
F ashion’s fancies are indeed passing 
strange. A few years ago the woman of so¬ 
ciety was to clothe herself in flowing, sad-color¬ 
ed drajieries, and discourse languidly of art. 
Now she is uotliing if she is not muscular. 
She must wear trim tailor gowns aud go in 
largely for the athletic. This latter craze is 
to be commended, but, like all good things, 
it is carried to extremes. Certainly, when 
women shoulder their guns, and start off 
partridge or woodcock shooting with the men, 
the sanction of fashion cannot prevent their 
actions from being unfeminine and unfeeling. 
This fashion was first set, we regret to say, by 
Englishwomen of good birth, and has been 
copied by our own country-women. 
* * * 
Poor Lesbia! she Las few followers in this 
age. The silly and thoughtless women who 
trimmed their bonnets with slaughtered birds 
were overwhelmed with disapproval from the 
other sex, though it was largely a case where 
"Evil Is wrought by wane of thought. 
As well as want of heart.’’ 
But the same authorities who condemu this 
fashion complacently- describe the coquettish 
shooting costumes worn by some fashionable 
dames, aud speak with admiration of their 
skill with the gun. Whether it is more uu- 
feminine to trim one's hat with a poor little 
ornithological mummy—slaughtered by a 
pot-hunting masculine—or to go out attired 
in a becoming costume, slaughtering birds 
just for fun, without even the excuse of using 
them for bonuet-trimmiug, is a question for 
casuists. In the mean time, we must express 
our firm conviction that these feminine gun¬ 
nel’s, iu spite of Redferu gowns and social 
varnish, are several degrees lower in human¬ 
ity than the Iudmn Squaw, attired iu a greasy 
blanket, who helps to secure game for the 
daily- food. 
* * * 
Charles Dudley Warner says some very nice 
things about charming old ladies in Harper’s 
for November. He does not want youug 
women to act like old ones, but he thinks we 
ought to lay up a reserve force of mental aud 
moral charm iu our youth, so as to produce 
a lovely old age. 
What a lot of girls we know—nice girls, too 
—who really throw away- the possibilities of 
future charms! Pretty, little, petulaut hu¬ 
mors are charming now, but how will they go 
with failed skin aud whitened hair? Ashower 
of angry tears or a warning frown wheu 
things go wrong makes little difference now, 
but what an effect they will have ou the ma¬ 
tured face, which should be so sweet aud 
placid.- We often see a plain-faced girl grow 
into something very near to actual beauty, as 
she becomes older, merely because her thoughts 
are noble aud refined. Au empty or frivolous 
mind does not alway-s slime through the dim¬ 
ples of youth, but.it is k not. tojje.disguised 
when the first bloom passes away. To be a 
beautiful old woman one need not be a beauti¬ 
ful young one, save iu charms of mind and 
heart. 
A WOMAN’S LETTER. 
I N a recent conversation with an army offi¬ 
cer the subject of manners was discussed, 
“How important are courteous manners!” he 
said: “We of the army appreciate this fact 
more, I think, than civilians. If we think 
anything particularly pleasant about another, 
we don’t hesitate to say so. Why should we 
keep back somet ing that will make the world 
look a little brighter to our neighbors? There 
was an officer in our fort who, having fought 
on the unpopular side iu our late war, was 
avoided and slighted by our men. He never 
noticed it, and while maintaining a proper 
dignity, his frank, courteous ways won all 
hearts in spite of prejudice, and to-day there 
isn’t a more popular man in the army than 
L-.” Aud I could not but think after that 
little talk with my friend, why do we wait 
until too late to say pleasant, appreciative 
things to each other ? We need not be insin¬ 
cere, but if we do think Louise unusually skill¬ 
ful in some department, or sweet-teumered 
aud patient with impatient, sour-tempered 
folk about her, why not let her know we 
notice it and love her for it? No one can esti¬ 
mate the lighter feeling in a heavy heart, the 
happiness in moments of depression, such con¬ 
siderate words may bring. Life has burdens 
for almost every one. Why cannot we try at 
least to make them a little lighter for some 
heavy-laden souls about us? We call to 
miud Mr. Beecher’s words: “When a man 
is dead, and you are sure he is out of the way, 
you can afford to praise him. I have not the 
least particle of prejudice against the thistles 
that, were on my place this year. It is those 
that are there now that l do not like.” 
When in Washington this summer I was 
struck with the brightness of the place. 
Every one on “ our street” was so social, so 
informal, so thoroughly kind. Roses of all 
varieties poured in upon us, dainties were 
sent in to tempt our appetite, and many were 
the cordial visitors who “ dropped in" morn¬ 
ing and evening. I could not believe I was in 
a city. The pretty little yards in front of the 
houses, the luxurious vines—trumpet creeper, 
honeysuckle, clematis and ivies—climbed over 
the verandas or half covered the bare brick 
walls, looking into the windows with a free 
but friendly air, In some of the yards were 
quantities of flowers, and then everywhere 
the ehildreu! Where did they come from? 
All kinds and sizes and colors of babies. On 
the stoops, in the parks and on many of the 
streets. Dainty darlings with their nurse or 
father, for Washington abounds in friendly 
papas who are only too proud to take the 
nurse’s place at any leisure moment—boys 
laughing and teasing as they go, and mingling 
with the white children are darkeys. Such 
shrewd old faces and such absurdly polite 
manners with such little bodies! Some carry¬ 
ing fat babies as large as themselves, others 
full of mischief, with dancing eyes and comi¬ 
cal grimaces. 
Aud then the many pretty homes, and the 
clean, smooth concrete streets, like a floor, to 
drive upon—no wonder Washington has been 
called the “Paris of America!”I never go there 
that I do not fall iu love afresh with the beau¬ 
tiful half Southern city, so unlike auy other 
in the Union. Society there may be said per¬ 
haps to be divided into three classes—those 
holding positions under Government, the 
ultra-fashionable, including Army and Navy 
people, and,last,the old residents of Washing¬ 
ton, who in a quiet, uuostentatious way enter¬ 
tain and visit, aud are entirely distinct from 
the other two. One who chooses can live very 
economically and most comfortably in this 
sunny town, and on the other hand people can 
be shoddiest of the shoddy, and run after 
great people and cling co the garments of the 
favored few in a way peculiarly distasteful 
to all well-bred souls. 
Like the children iu Washington, books, 
those cbidLren of the braiu—all kiuds, sizes and 
colors—ore becoming more numerous every 
year. Magazines uud papers cover our tables 
aud book-cases, aud the cry is, “ We read too 
much.” Certaiuly we fall unconsciously iutoa 
way of skimming through articles aud read¬ 
ing books carelessly. Some deserve nothing 
better, but do we not—children aud parents— 
read too much light literature and too little 
solid reading? Too many charming, well- 
writteu stories, and too little Macaulay, Gui¬ 
zot. Froude, Carlyle and Rusfein? For chil¬ 
dren there never were more fascinating trav¬ 
els, biographies and histories that- now. The 
Bodley Books, the Zig-zag stories of our own 
ami other countries, lives of Oliver Cromwell, 
Dun lei Booue and the Boyhood of Luther and 
Quaekenboss’s Histories,also Miss Youge’s,aud 
for shorter sketches is the Historical Reader, 
full of exciting glimpses into French, English 
Pissrellattmtisi gritmtisshtg. 
“THE MANE.” 
Particular attention is in¬ 
vited to our new French 
Corset “The Diane,” rang¬ 
ing in price from $1.30 to 
$5.50 each. Onr customers 
are cordially invited to ex¬ 
amine these most excellent 
Paris-made Corsets, which 
combine new features in 
style and shape, and a»*e 
absolutely controlled by 
ns for the United States. 
ORDERS BY MAIL 
from any part of the coun¬ 
try will receive careful 
and prompt attention. 
Broadway and 11th St., 
New York. 
THE BEST. 
way to provide for the improvement of 
time by the children of a family is to sub¬ 
scribe for good magazines adapted to their 
ages. 
They are of very great value; but they 
need not coat you one cent. 
Bahyland, 50 cents a year, for the help 
and pleasure of mother and baby together. 
Our Little Men and Women . $1 a year, 
consists of interesting stones and pictures 
for children beginning to read. 
The Pansy, $1 a year, for the Sunday 
School age—“Pausy” the famous religious 
writer and teacher, is the editor. 
Wide Awake, $2.40, a comprehensive 
family entertainment every month in the 
year. 
They are better and more important 
than we can put into words. We will 
send you a sample copy of any one of 
them for five cents. You will see from 
the Premium List how to get them all, 
and more, for a word with your neigh¬ 
bors which you will be glad to speak. 
D. LOTHROP COMPANY, 
Boston. 
and American history, with many others as 
fascinating as stories and far more instruct¬ 
ive. Not that I would have stories dropped 
entirely—there's not much danger in this 
story-loving age—but have them taken like 
homeopathic doses, iu moderation. Do chil¬ 
dren like Scott as of old, or ait* his wonderfu 
creations dubbed old-fashioned by this new 
generation of young people? Is Dickeus read 
with enthusiasm? Aud what of George Eliot, 
Cooper, Hawthorne, Thackeray aud Bulwer? 
Of Miss Alcott, Miss Yonge. Mrs. Whitney, 
Mrs. Ewing and Susan Coolidge, as well as 
Trowbridge? We know there are gems among 
each author’s works, devoured eagerly by 
boys and girls all over the country, aud teach¬ 
ing uot too obviously, lessons of chivalric 
courtesy, manliness and unselfishness. Of 
modern fairy tales Laboulaye’s collection is 
very pretty and full of interest to younger 
readers, and for them also are the Prudy 
Books and all of Sophie May's—to say nothing 
of her sister’s “ Little Miss Weezy”—and Mar¬ 
garet Siuney’s simple every-day stories like 
“Five Little Peppers,” “Who told it to me?” 
and others. 
But it is bedtime uow, aud all the little 
folks are tucked snugly iu their beds, dream- 
