746 
HOV 40 
circulars through the mails and in the columns 
of papers whose publishers ought to have 
known that they were advertising a flagrant 
swindle. Ingham and his “Syndicate” have 
been denounced four or five times by the Eye- 
Opener in this department. He professed to 
have special opportunities and facilities for 
making money with certainty in speculative 
ventures. What the nature of these was he 
did not disclose. All the gullible had to do 
was to send in their cash. Ingham would in¬ 
vest it, and make them enormous returns. 
He sold shares in the “Syndicate” at $10 each, 
and is now said to have managed to get rid of 
20.000 of them at this figure. Of course, the 
share-holders were promised a certainty of 
splendid profits. In many cases great profits 
were either sent them in money or credited to 
their accounts on the “books of the Syndi¬ 
cate” at first. By these means he induced 
those who had already invested to invest more 
heavily, or tempted others who heard of the 
bonanza to become share-holders too. It is 
now about ten months since the Eye-Opener 
predicted in these columns that the concern 
must collapse within a year and might do so 
in a month. It certainly lasted longer—yes, 
much longer, than was anticipated, but the 
longer it lived, the greater the number of vic¬ 
tims. Several other concerns of the same 
kind are still flourishing on public credulity, 
but within a short time they are also sure to 
go the same road as Ingham’s “Speculative 
Syndicate .' ’ _ 
The other day Z. Brown, an old resident 
of Godfrey, Ill., was swindled out of $2,500, 
by a sharper calling himself Dr. Williams, of 
New Jersey. He ingratiated himself into the 
confidence of Brown to whom he offered a 
large sum for this farm, and the offer was ac¬ 
cepted. Brown was induced to put up $2,500 
as a forfeit if he did not keep his agreement. 
The two drove into town together and Brown 
drew the money from the bank. Williams 
put it into a box or pretended to do so, and 
then handed the box back to Brown, telling 
him he could keep it. The sharper then made 
an excuse ana went away, and when Brown 
opened the box shortly afterwards, of course, 
it contained no money. Confidence “games” 
of this kind are of weekly, yes, daily occur¬ 
rence and have frequently been exposed in 
the Rural and other papers: but, in spite of 
all, the swindlers appear to find plenty of 
victims. George Jones, of Rockford, Ill., baf¬ 
fled such sharpers the other day, however. 
Two well-dressed strangers partially bar¬ 
gained for his farm, and while inspecting it 
again next day met a confederate who claimed 
to be a Texan and to know a trick at cards. 
The three rascals played some games, the 
“Texan” losing $500. They tried to induce 
Jones to join, but he had “caught on,” and 
before they could be arrested, the rascals left 
the place. It’s marvelous how such fellows van¬ 
ish ! The scoundrels are constantly describ¬ 
ed ; but who ever hears of their imprisonment? 
Farmers are not by any means the only 
victims of such “confidence” or bunco tricks. 
City people of all classes are nearly as likely 
to be victimized. The same day that farmer 
Brown was done’out of $2,500 out in Illinois, 
merchant J. K. Lemon, of Allegheny City, 
Pa., fell into the clutches of bunco sharpers 
and lost $10,000. Recently one of the gang 
called on the old man—he is 05—and said he 
wanted to contract for fire-brick. On the day 
of the swindle another met him, and in a 
friendly way, insisted that he should go with 
him to see some books. Lemon went, and 
soon after their arrival at the house, cards 
were introduced and the unsuspecting old 
man was told that he had won $5,000; but 
in order to get it he must show that he would 
have been able to pay had he lost instead of 
winning. This is, of course, a part of all 
such “confidence” tricks. Lemon went to the 
bank and drew $10,000, and when the cashier 
offered to go with him for protection, the old 
dupe became indignant and gave him to un¬ 
derstand that he could take care of himself. 
Taking along a revolver, he went straight to 
the house where he had left the sharpers. 
There he produced the $10,000 aud said he 
wanted the money he had won. Like a flash, 
he was pushed back over a chair, aud before 
he had time to regain his feet, the bunco men 
together with his $10,000 had gone. As they 
went out they locked the old man in the room. 
Nothing has yet been heard of the money or 
the sharpers. 
In nearly every instance that has come to 
the Eye-Opener’s notice old men have been 
the victims of such sharpers. In their case 
folly instead of wisdom appears to have come 
with gray hairs. Strange, too, the very 
fact that they had accumulated so much 
money shows that they had been careful, econ¬ 
omical and shrewd in other matters. Age 
must have intensified greed, and when the 
fallacious chance to make a big pile presented 
itself they couldn’t resist the temptation. 
THE RURAL HEW-Y0RKER. 
Cumjtu!)m. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
California. 
Climate good for catarrh and consumption ; 
some malaria exists ; summer heats not ex¬ 
hausting ; the "dry" and “wet ” seasons; 
convenience of irrigation ; fruit growing 
superseding wheat production; live stock 
thrives finely , California winters; “let 
well enough alone .' 1 ’ 1 
Hanford, Tulare Co., October 15.—So 
many Eastern people are making inquiries 
about California, now that another Eastern 
winter is approaching, that perhaps a brief 
reply to some of the most prominent questions 
may be of general interest to the readers of 
the Rural. 
I came here last January from a rough farm 
in Litchfield County, Conn., where I had car¬ 
ried on dairying for upwards of 20 years, and 
came not only to seek relief from the 
usual rigorous New England winters, but hop¬ 
ing in this mild California climate to obtain re¬ 
lief from catarrhal trouble and inherent weak¬ 
ness of the lungs, I located in an interior valley 
instead of near the coast, because of the drier 
atmosphere, and find even now, after only a 
few months’ residence here, that I am being 
greatly benefited. My catarrh is scarcely no¬ 
ticeable, my lungs are seemingly much 
stronger, and I have not felt so hearty and 
strong for years. There are many people all 
about me, who came in the early stages of 
consumption, and these haVe manifestly re¬ 
ceived temporary, if not lasting benefit. I am 
thoroughly convinced that any or all of the 
interior valleys, of California at least, are 
perfect sanitariums for all throat and lung 
difficulties. There is some malaria here, as in 
all newly-settled sections, but I think there 
will be less and less of this every year, and 
excepting an occasional slight indisposition 
from this, general good health seems every¬ 
where to prevail. 
The summers in California are considerably 
warmer than in New England, yet after one 
gets somewhat acclimated, a temperature 
ten or even twenty degrees higher in this dry 
atmosphere is not seriously objectionable. 
Even on the very hottest days, men and teams 
work at haying or harvesting the live-long 
day in the fields, with scarcely any inconveni¬ 
ence from the heat. I have not heard of a 
case of sunstroke, and am told that prostra¬ 
tion by heat is almost an unheard of thing. It 
rarely rains here from May until November, 
and for weeks at a time not a cloud is seen. 
These continuous bright days aud cloudless 
skies are wonderful indeed to an Eastern man 
aud I never tire of them, and the nights are as 
charming as the days. The sky being so 
perfectly clear, the stars shine their brightest, 
aud the moonlight evenings of California are 
bewitching in the extreme. No matter how 
warm the days are, a delicious coolness fol¬ 
lows at night, inviting to restful and satisfac¬ 
tory slumber. The lack of rain for so many 
months is scarcely heeded, agriculturally, 
where a perfect sytem of irrigation prevails. 
Here in the San Joaquin Valley, water is ob¬ 
tained in full abundance from King’s River, 
which rises in the Sierras. For a compara¬ 
tively small sum, a sufficiency of water is 
rented for the season, and every owner of laud 
can wet his lawn, his orchard, vineyard aud 
crops, at will. It is novel indeed to an East¬ 
erner, when he sees his crops suffering for 
moisture, to step back to some corner of his 
domain and hoist a gate, and then witness the 
“shower” amid clear sky aud bright sunshine, 
coursing among the vegetables, trees aud 
vines, supplying fresh life and growth to 
every leaf and stem. 
The fertility of California lands, when 
properly irrigated, is surprising. I have 
never seen such wonderful growth in trees 
and vines in a single year, as here. And the 
size attained by fruits, berries, aud vegetables, 
is almost incredible. If I were to give the 
measurement and weight of many of those I 
have myself seen, aud grown on our place, 
I would not be believed. The soil of this 
section where I am located seems to be of a 
sedimentary formation, the whole San Joa¬ 
quin Valley supposedly once being the bed of 
either Tulare Lake or a vast inland sea. 
Orchards aud vineyards come into bearing 
usually the third year from setting, and trees 
and vines throughout the lengt h and breadth of 
California are rapidly taking the place of 
wheat-growing and stock-raising. There are 
already bearing grape vineyards in this valley 
comprising hundreds of acres in extent, and 
whole trains, made up of raisins alone, are now 
being forwarded to Eastern markets. A man 
who has 20 acres divided between apricots, 
peaches, nectarines, prunes and Muscat 
grapes, can be pleasantly and profitably em¬ 
ployed through the year, and should be in¬ 
dependent, healthful and happy. 
Stock, of all kinds grow rapidly and mature 
easily here. Heifers usually come in at 
eighteen months, and mares foal when three 
years old, and are kept very cheaply on Al¬ 
falfa pasturage and hay. This species of 
clover yields four crops of hay between 
April and November, and affords excellent 
pasturage through most of the winter. Some 
stock-men do not feed any hay during winter 
months, while others give a light foddering 
for a few weeks of the time. It is rare indeed 
that any shelter is afforded or needed, except 
for work-horses or mules that are being con¬ 
stantly used. 
The winters in California are perfect. The 
“rainy season,” so often called, is usually only 
that in name. It rains occasionally for a few 
hours, rarely averaging once in a week, and 
then quickly clears away, bright and warm. 
The Alfalfa fields are green, many varieties of 
trees hold their foliage, and these are vocal 
with the song of birds, the entire winter. 
Slight frosts are not uncommon, but snow 
never falls, except on the mountains. One 
can hardly realize in the winter that it is win¬ 
ter. And when we are sitting with open doors 
and windows, or on the veranda basking in 
sunshine, reading perchance of blizzards and 
terrible cold back at the East, the remem¬ 
brance seems like a troubled dream. I would 
not advise every one to come to California. 
Those who are well fixed already, financially 
and socially,and are sufficiently warm-blooded 
and rugged safely to withstand the Eastern 
winters, are well enough off where they are. 
But those who are subject to throat and lung 
troubles, and constitutionally sensitive to 
cold, and have sufficient means to make the 
change, and to tide over the first year or two 
without too severe deprivation, I would ad¬ 
vise by all means to come. e. h. b. 
Dakota. 
Doland, Spink Co., October 16bh.—Crops 
in the central part of Dakota have been 
thrashing out as follows:—wheat five to ten 
bushels per acre; oats five to 15: barley a 
small yield; flax three to ten. While these 
yields are small, prices have been very good. 
W heat for one day sold at $1.17 and is now 
90 cts. Flax $1.27 to $1.30. Potatoes a poor 
yield on account of dry weather. Corn is 
doing fairly well and will prove the best pay¬ 
ing crop the farmer raises. Cattle have done 
excellently, as pasturages have been good. We 
have had a remarkably fine fall to gather in 
our harvest. No rain for about six weeks. 
While heavy floods and snow storms have 
occurred East, the weather here has been dry 
and warm throughout September. No rain 
came that would lay the dust on the road. 
J. w. a. 
Iowa. 
Des Moines, Polk Co., Oct. 24.—Our fall is 
still dry, and the weather is fine for out-door 
work. Most potatoes are harvested and there 
was a great variation in the crop, rangiug 
from 40 to as high as 200 bushels per acre. I 
do not think our farmers are storing so many 
as they usually do. They all got the idea 
that potatoes were high and so ran too many 
on the market and brought prices down to 25 
cents per bushel. The corn crop is very fine 
and husking has commenced. Corn is selling 
from the fields at 20 cents per bushel. The 
late crop of apples was better than we had ex¬ 
pected, so there is plenty of apples in the 
country and they have been slow sale at 50 
cents per bushel. We also have plenty of tur¬ 
nips aud late cabbage and likewise of onions. 
In fact, we have nearly all we need at home, 
unless it is wheat; we could use more of that. 
Very little plowing will be done this fall as 
the ground is too dry to fall-plow. 
f. s. w. 
Hamas. 
Conway, McPherson Co., Oct. 16.—We 
have the largest acreage of wheat sown for 
several years. Weather very dry, only two 
showers since August 25 when we had a fair 
rain. Wheat looks only fairly well, but far¬ 
mers are hopeful of a good crop and high 
prices next year. There is about enough feed 
for stock, but only a very few have anything 
to sell for living expenses, so they have either 
to sell stock or give chattel mortgages at two 
to four per cent per month, or real estate 
mortgages which are yet at reasonable rates— 
generally eight per cent. Quite a large num¬ 
ber of mortgages have been foreclosed. Per¬ 
haps one-third of the renters have moved 
away, but land-owners are still hopeful as to 
the future. Those who have sold have done 
so at 20 per cent less than farm prices a year 
ago. Corn is 23 cents, oats, 20 cents, hay, 
$3-50 and $5.00 per ton, hogs five cents and 
5>£ cents, cattle, two cents aud three cents off 
the grass. J. m. r. 
ANSWERS TO OORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to Insure attention. Before 
asking a question, please see If it Is not answered In 
our advertising columns. Ask only a few questions at 
onetime. Put questions on a separate piece of paper. 
WHAT KILLED THE HORSE? 
“ Dartmouth ” (No address).— Saturday 
morning, I fed my horse, (an old one) a half 
pailful of raw potatoes, mostly small ones 
nearly all cut, with a pint of dry corn meal, 
shaken through them; I drove him three or 
four miles. At noon I gave him a couple of 
quarts of oats, with a quart of dry bran; (he 
had some good hay both meals); about 5.30 I 
gave him the same quantity of potatoes and 
corn meal as in the morning, and drove him 
a couple of miles in the rain (not cold). I not¬ 
iced the steam rising off the horse on my way 
home. I put him iu the stable,having neglected 
to rub him down, and gave him about eight 
quarts of cold water aud fed him hay. Short¬ 
ly after nine o’clock he started pawing, and 
would lie down, and rise at short intervals, 
and turn his head around to his sides. He 
seemed to be in great pain. I gave him a good 
rubbing down with straw, a cold sweat com¬ 
ing out on him. As I had nothing to give him 
but pepper and ginger, I made a drench of two 
teaspoonfuls of pepper to one of ginger—I 
didn’t succeed in .getting it all down his 
throat. I let him go till morning when I got 
a pint of gin. I gave him half of it about nine 
o’clock and the other half with two teaspoon¬ 
fuls of pepper about 10 o’clock. He 
then seemed more comfortable. Be¬ 
tween two and three I gave him a 
half ounce of aloes-mixed with lard into a 
ball, I waited until 7.30 for it to operate, but 
no movement of the bowels ensuing, I injected 
a pailful of soapy warm water, which he re¬ 
tained, and died an hour afterwards swelled up 
badly. He passed nothing from the time he 
became sick, but made water of a reddish 
color, shortly after I gave him the gin. He 
was a large horse, but has always had good 
health and strength. What should have been 
the treatment? 
ANSWERED BY DR. F. L. KILBORNE. 
From your description I cannot tell what 
killed the horse, and therefore cannot 
say what the treatment should have been. It 
may have been an attack of spasmodic colic 
the first evening, due to indigestion and the 
wetting; but if so, complications appeared 
later which could probably have been satis¬ 
factorily diagnosed, only by a personal exami¬ 
nation by a veterinarian. If you suspected 
colic your treatment was not heroic enough. 
You should have given the aloes at the outset, 
and at least a dose of tnree fourths ounce for a 
large horse, followed immediately by the 
warm injections, if the case was a severe one. 
For the treatment of colic, se9 “Colic in a 
Horse” in the F. C. for Juue2nd. page 367. 
GREENHOUSES SASHES, ETC. 
W. B. S., Ashland, N. Y.—l. I am build¬ 
ing a greenhouse 12x30 feet adjoining a shop 
under which is a cellar. What will be the 
best method of heating it? The sashes came 
from an old cotton factory and are three feet 
four inches by six feet six inches. The glass 
is not shingled, greenhouse fashion, but stands 
as in ordinary sashes. Will there be any 
more danger that the glass will be broken by 
frost? Should each cross-piece be notched to 
allow water to drain off? What is the best 
way to prepare the soil for a greenhouse? 
2. Is there any special law under which 
farmers’ clubs or granges can be incorporated 
at a small expense? 
Ans. —2. Hitchiugs & Co., 233 Mercer St., 
New York, make a base-burner boiler which 
is excellent for heating small greenhouses. 
Almost all the prominent greenhouse 
boiler makers have small boilers suitable for 
such work. Or such a small house may be 
heated by a brick or tile smoke flue made to 
pass around inside the house under the 
benches. While the sashes may be good 
enough for the sides of the greenhouse, we 
certainly should not use them for the roof. 
A light but strong fixed roof and double thick 
clear glass set so as to overlap about one-eighth 
to one-fifth of an inch, make the best roof. 
Window sashes hold water and are likely to 
be much broken by frost; they are also bad 
for drip. Notching the sash-bars so as to per¬ 
mit the water to escape will lesson but not at 
all do away with the evil. Sod loam; that is, 
sod two to three inches thick taken from an old 
