4888 
Caw. 
“ Every Man is presumed to know the Law; 
Nine-tenths of all Litigation arises from Ig¬ 
norance of Law." 
GUARANTEE OF TITLE. 
L. M. Troy, N. Y. —A little more than a 
year ago I bought a piece of land and hired a 
lajvyer to examine the title and see that the 
transfer was properly made. He assured me 
that everything was all right and that there 
were no charges against the property of any 
kind, and that I need not bother myself about 
it, as he guaranteed everything as being all 
right, and he would be responsible if it was 
not. I asked him particularly if the taxes 
of the previous year had been paid and he 
assured me they had. Now when 1 paid my 
taxes for 1887 I found that the taxes for the 
previous year were not yet paid, although the 
lawyer assured me that he particularly in¬ 
quired about that, and that they were. I have 
called his attention to this oversight several 
times and have allowed him ample time to 
make it good, which he has not yet done. 
What redress have I, or what means should I 
take to compel him to make the matter right, 
as I do not think he has anything which I can 
attach. The property was conveyed to me 
by a full warranty deed and the seller is 
really liable for the taxes for that year, but 
as this lawyer gave me his guaranty, and I 
have it in writing that he would be responsi¬ 
ble, I think I ought to hold him. 
Ans. —The lawyer is liable, and suit against 
him may be prosecuted to judgment. Even 
if he has no property subject to execution he 
may not like to have a judgment held over 
him, and the exposure of such a suit would 
not, we should think, be a pleasant experience 
for a lawyer seeking patronage. 
S T. M, Dayton, Ohio —What is a wife’s 
interest in her husband’s mortgaged estate? 
Ans. —A wife has no interest in the land of 
her husband against a mortgagee whose mort¬ 
gage was executed and delivered before the 
marriage. Where the mortgage is executed 
after the marriage and the wife does not join 
in it she has her contingent right of dower 
and can claim a homestead in the mortgaged 
premises. A widow is entitled to a year’s 
support and a homestead, if the husband was 
the owner of one, and a dower whether credit¬ 
ors are paid or not. 
insuring mortgaged property. 
S. T., Brooklyn, JV. Y. —A purchases a 
house and insures it for a moderate amount. 
B holds a mortgage on the property executed 
by a former owner. Can B legally compel A 
to insure the property for the full amount of 
his mortgage? 
Ans. —If the original mortgagor agreed to 
keep the premises insured, and A, in pur¬ 
chasing, expressly assumed the obligation, 
and it is so stated in the contract or deed, 
then he can be compelled to fulfill the agree¬ 
ment. But if he merely purchased subject 
to the mortgage and without assuming any of 
its obligations, he cannot be required to insure 
for the benefit of the mortgagee. If the bond 
for which the mortgage was given is due, the 
holder can foreclose and sell the property un¬ 
less his money is paid. But if it is not due, 
and the mortgagor is not solvent or has made 
no covenant to insure, B must look out for 
himself until the bond matures. 
ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN AS HEIRS. 
L. T. H, Peekskill, N. Y. —A is an illegiti¬ 
mate child. Four years after his birth his 
mother was married to a man who was not 
A’s father, and had three other children. Ten 
months after A’s birth his grandfather on the 
mother’s side died, leaving a valuable estate, 
which after an interval of nearly 20 years is 
just about to be closed. Meanwhile the mother 
has died. The parties are all in this State, and 
so is the property. Is not the illegitimate 
child entitled to his pro rata share with the 
three legitimate children to the interest his 
mother had in the estate? 
Ans. —Until about 30 years ago the statutes 
of this State provided that “children and rel¬ 
atives who are illegitimate shall not be enti¬ 
tled to inherit under any provisions” of the 
the law of distribution. On April 18, 1855, 
however, a change was made by which “ille¬ 
gitimate children, in default of lawful issue, 
may inherit real and personal property from 
their mother, as if legitimate.” If, then, A 
were the only descendant, he would inherit; 
but his mother having left “lawful issue” sur¬ 
viving her, he remains cut off as he would 
have been before the change in the law. This 
rule applies in New York and in most of the 
other States, but in several the law gives 
more rights to such children. At common 
law an illegitimate child is filius nullius (no¬ 
body’s child). Although he can take property 
given him by will, he can be heir-at-law of no 
one except his own descendants. He can 
have no ancestors or relatives. His family 
originates with him as if he were Adam. 
Y es, the Eye-Opener has seen the prospect¬ 
uses and advertisements of the Talla¬ 
poosa Land, Mining and Manufacturing Com¬ 
pany as well as the New York Herald’s expos¬ 
ure of the character of the affair. Moreover, 
ever since the concern’s advertisement first 
appeared, the Eye-Opener has been quietly in¬ 
vestigating the company, having been strong¬ 
ly impressed from the first with the idea that 
it wasn’t an altogether honest affair. Have 
you any notion of the difficulty of ascertain¬ 
ing the real facts in such cases at a distance, 
or even on the spot unless one is specially qual¬ 
ified to form an independent judgment with 
regard to the claims and pretensions of each 
enterprise ? Such concerns are usually located 
in thinly settled parts of the country where 
land is cheap. The “natives” know right well 
that the more immigrants who can be induced 
to come there on any pretense, the more their 
own land will rise in value. As a rule, 
therefore, tbfey are very reluctant, in 
answer to inquiries, to say a word that might 
reflect on the honesty of any scheme that is 
paying large sums in advertising in order to 
bring new-comers to the. place, thus enhanc¬ 
ing the value of their own property. Fre¬ 
quently, too, while people at a distance know 
all about the claims of each concern, owing 
to the wide range of its advertisements,people 
close at hand know little or nothing about 
it, as it doesn’t pay to advertise close at 
home, for the familiar is seldom marvelous. 
Thus it happens that it is generally hard to 
obtain any information at all by corres¬ 
ponding with people living at or close to the 
locations of such enterprises* *, and much harder 
to obtain information that can be relied upon. 
Even when residents have no interest what¬ 
ever in the success of the affair, and are able 
to give information with regard to its fraudu¬ 
lent character, they are reluctant to give it 
to strangers and especially to journals, be¬ 
cause they fear suits for libel or the local ill- 
will or persecution of those who may really 
be, or who may fancy they have been, injured 
by the exposure. Why should they run any 
risk of injury to themselves to gratify a 
stranger, especially a journal which is very 
likely to spread the information abroad, and 
thus multiply the risks of annoyance to them¬ 
selves. Moreover, it is not unlikely that in 
seeking facts one may apply for information 
to one of the officials of the concern or to 
somebody directly interested in it, whose 
interest it is to misrepresent things. 
Then again, such concerns often get mining 
experts, analysts, engineers, etc., etc., to give 
formal opinions with regard to the undevel¬ 
oped recources of the region which their em¬ 
ployers control; how are the simple “natives” 
to know that such opinions of “experts” are 
founded on the remuneration of the “com¬ 
pany” instead of the riches of the land; and 
how, too. can an honest investigator on the 
spot decide with regard to such matters un¬ 
less he is peculiarly fitted by special techni¬ 
cal knowledge to detect misrepresentations 
and falsehood,especially as his researches must 
be secret and every means are employed, by 
“salting mines,” exhibiting false specimens of 
products, etc., etc., to mislead local inves¬ 
tigation? There are usually many other dif¬ 
ficulties in ascertaining the truth in such mat¬ 
ters, but a consideration of those mentioned 
will indicate that it is no easy job. Then, re¬ 
member . that any responsible paper which 
makes derogatory statements with regard to 
such a concern is liable to prosecution for libel, 
and to damages if it cannot prove,under oath, 
the truth of its statements, and even if it can 
prove the truth of them, it can do so only by 
a heavy outlay of money for legal and other ex¬ 
penses. In view of all these considerations 
our friends ought not to be angry if we do 
not give a very decided opinion “in the next 
issue” with regard to the character of any 
particular large enterprise in mining, coloniz¬ 
ing, town-building, stock-ranching, etc. We 
may be convinced that it is a humbug or a 
fraud, but it would be risky, very risky, to 
say so openly. We can, however, speak bold¬ 
ly of the general characteristics of fraudulent 
concerns of the kind, enabling our readers to 
apply the general rule to any particular case, 
and this we have been doing over and over 
again for years. The Rural New-Yorker 
is a thoroughly responsible paper; papers 
that are not so responsible can be more reck¬ 
less in such matters, because if they lay them¬ 
selves open to a legal judgment for damages 
nothing can be recovered from them. 
To Several Inquirers.— The Eye-Opener 
has lately received a large number of com¬ 
plaints against the Household Companion of 
this city, which advertises its.anxiety,^ “give 
away” “ 1,200 dozen ladies’ fine hosiery, free, 
to those who may send the names of 20 news¬ 
paper readers,” and, of course, 15 cents “to 
help pay postage.” Over two months ago our 
readers were warned against this concern by 
name, and the Eye-Opener is getting a trifle 
tired of denouncing frauds that appeal to the 
cupidity of the public in that fashion.... Cer¬ 
tainly not. We could not recommend the 
“Home Company” of Fredonia, N. Y., or its 
nostrums....We have received no complaints 
with regard to the dealings of the World Man¬ 
ufacturing Co., of this city. Of course, the 
concern exaggerates a good deal in praising 
its goods; but sensible people make allow¬ 
ances for exaggeration in advertisements. 
The smaller the concern, usually the louder 
is its trumpet of self-glorification. 
Yes; the Louisiana Lottery is a fraud, and the 
biggest fraud of the kind in the world. It en¬ 
riches its owners and most of its agents, and 
impoverishes its patrons. For five dollars it 
receives for chances, it pays out hardly one in 
prizes It is a memento of the most infamous¬ 
ly corrupt period of Louisiana politics. What¬ 
ever honorable reputation Beauregard and 
Early won in the minds of anybody, INorth or 
South, for their conduct during the “War,” 
is covered with deep disgrace by the fact that 
they have for years lent their names, for large 
pay for small service, to this swindle for the 
purpose of inducing the gullible public to pa¬ 
tronize it. 
Concerns Censured. —Under this cap¬ 
tion the Eye-Opener will from time to time, 
give the names of various concerns he has seen 
denounced in other papers, but which have 
not been investigated by the Rural office. 
Among such concerns are W. Lincoln & Co., 
and J. R. Holcomb & Co., Chicago. The 
Artistic Needle Co. of Eighth street, N. Y., 
was denounced as an arrant fraud in a column 
article of last Sunday’s Sun. The Women’s 
Educational and Industrial Union of 74 
Boyleston St., Boston, Mass., also declares it 
is fraudulent. This Union makes it one of its 
special objects to investigate and expose 
work-at-home swindles and similar hum¬ 
bugs.“The Metropolitan,” a jewel¬ 
ry concern of this city, is far from receiving 
hearty commendation. 
CATALOGUES, ETC., RECEIVED. 
The Acme Harrow. —We have frequently 
directed the attention of our readers to this 
implement. We are glad to do so again be¬ 
cause we believe this to be a valuable tool— 
one that can be made useful on any farm. 
The “Acme” is now in use in every county in 
the United States where good farming is prac¬ 
ticed. It will be found in every civilized 
country on the globe. The tool is manufac¬ 
tured at Millington N. J., but numerous dis¬ 
tributing depots are located at the West and 
South so that shipments can be cheaply made. 
A recent improvement adds to the value of 
the “Acme.” The teeth or coulters are now 
made reversible: when worn on one end, 
they may be turned end for end. Thus in 
point of durability, the coulters as now 
made are worth double the old style coul¬ 
ters. The manufacturer makes the following 
guarantee to those who buy the “Acme:” 
“I hereby warrant each and every part of 
each and every “Acme” Pulverizing Harrow 
against breakage for the term of one season 
after it leaves the manufactory or any of my 
storehouses—and I hereby authorize agents 
and dealers to furnish free new parts to re¬ 
place broken parts; the only stipulation being, 
that the farmer demanding such parts shall 
sign a statement that the breakage occurred in 
fair usage, and that the agent or dealer shall 
countersign said statement.” 
Pamphlets and circuiars giving full infor¬ 
mation concerning the “Acme” will be sent by 
Duane H. Nash, Millington, New Jersey. 
James J H. Gregory, Marblehead, Mass. 
—A large-sized illustrated seed catalogue of 60 
pages, and one of the most reliable issued. 
Gregory’s Hard-Heading Cabbage, offered for 
the first time, is introduced with powerful 
testimonials of its merits. The Delaware 
Potato, also offered for the first time, was 
tried at the Rural Grounds. Eight pieces 
(double eyes) yielded 34 pounds in the rich, 
specially-prepared soil of our trial plot. This 
would be at the rate of about 1,000 bushels to 
the acre. It is an intermediate as to maturity. 
The catalogue should be consulted for other 
novelties. 
B. L. Bragg & Co., Springfield, Mass.—An 
illustrated catalogue of seeds of all kinds 
of agricultural and garden implements, etc. 
Attention is called to the Pedigree Sweet 
Corn,introduced by the R. N.-Y. last year; to 
the new Bay State tomato, the result of 15 
years’ selection from the Trophy; to the new 
Hampden strawberry for which almost every 
excellence is claimed. The catalogue is 
well worthy of a careful examination. It 
will be sent without charge to all of our read, 
ers who apply to the above firm. 
W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Philadelphia. 
Pa.—This is the brightest of any catalogue 
ever issued by this wide-awake firm. It con¬ 
tains 130 pages, is full of engravings, two col¬ 
ored plates, 10 pages devoted to novelties. We 
always examine this catalogue with interest 
and usually find a number of new plants or 
varieties of seeds which we order for the pur¬ 
pose of trying them at the Rural Grounds. 
We commend the catalogue to our readers to 
whom it will be sent upon application to Mr. 
Burpee. 
The Storrs and Harrison Co., Paines- 
ville. O.—A splended catalogue of 140 pages, 
one of the finest issued. It is a combined cat¬ 
alogue of all kinds of seeds, trees, shrub", 
roses and tender plants; fruit trees, grapes, 
small fruits, nut trees, and in fact, every¬ 
thing that the farmer, gardener, fruit-grower 
or florist would be likely to need. All will 
examine it with interest and instruction. 
The firm is among the old and trustworthy 
establishments of the country. 
James Viok, Rochester, N. Y. —A beauti¬ 
ful catalogue in all respects, with excellent 
engravings and colored plates, devoid of the 
absurd exaggerations so common in many 
catalogues of the times. Among the many 
novelties announced is a hybrid perpetual 
rose bearing a striped flower. It is not yet 
named. 
Johnson & Stokes.— This is an illustrated 
garden and farm manual. All kinds of seeds 
are offered, among them many specialties and 
novelties as well as eggs from the popular 
breeds of fowls. 
Webb & Sons, Wordsley, Stowbridge, 
England.—A large catalogue of 120 pages 
with colored covers and plates of all kinds. 
J. H. Haynes, Delphi, Ind.—A pamphlet 
setting forth the merits of the Itasca and 
Logan strawberries. 
D. Landreth & Sons, Philadelphia, Pa.— 
A catalogue of vegetable, garden and field 
seeds—38 pages. 
Wonum’s Work. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY LOUISE TAPLIN. 
CHAT BY THE WAY. 
W oman wage-earners are assuredly a sub¬ 
ject of much discussion nowadays, 
especially on the part of men. The more con¬ 
servative critics hold the opinion that, once 
assured of a livelihood, we should entirely lose 
the desire to become wives and mothers, and 
devote ourselves solely to business pursuits. 
Admitting this for the sake of argument, we 
should put marriage on the basis of business 
only, since it would imply that we accept 
husbands merely for want of other means of 
subsistence. On the other hand, a man who 
wins a successful business woman for his wife 
may certainly rest assured that she is actuated 
by personal affection, and is not driven to ac¬ 
cept him as a last resort. 
* * * 
But this oft-quoted argument, that the ac¬ 
quisition of a business or profession renders a 
woman indifferent or averse to marriage, is 
certainly without any real foundation. The 
love of home and children, the longing to be 
cared for and protected, are dominant traits in 
every real woman even though she belong to 
what we call the emancipated class. We ven¬ 
ture to repeat our assertion, that if a major¬ 
ity of the most advanced business women 
were to give their honest, inmost opinion, they 
would declare their ideal life to be one of sim¬ 
ple domestic love. Nature has written wife 
and mother in every woman’s heart, and 
there is a lacking element in her life if she 
does not attain that consummation. 
* * 
But while waiting for the fairy prince— 
what then? If we remain quietly at home, 
waiting for something matrimonial to turn 
up, after Mr. Micawber’s philosophy, we are 
looked upon as mere cumberers of the earth; 
if we leave our shelter, and join the army of 
wage earners, we diminish our chances of 
marriage thereby. The fact is, there is no 
absolute rule in this case, either one way or 
the other; we must simply do the duty that 
lies nearest us, whether it be to stay home 
and help mother, or to go out into the high¬ 
ways and work for ourselves, and, it may be, 
for others too. 
* * * 
We hear so much nowadays about the de¬ 
cay of courtesy, that it is very pleasing to 
note any evidences to the contrary. We saw 
a street car conductor the other day who de¬ 
serves the epithet of gentleman more fully 
than many of greater pretentions. He got off 
his car to help a poor old crippled woman up 
the steps, and when she came to her destina¬ 
tion he helped her off with as much deference 
as a duchess’s footman would display in as¬ 
sisting his noble mistress from her carriage. 
Such an incident ought to be too frequent to 
need comment, but unfortunately it is not. 
But we hear a lot on the other side of the ques¬ 
tion, especially in print, from those self-con- 
1 stituted individuals whom Colonel Higginson 
