1905. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
4oi 
PUBLISHER'S DESK. 
Under date of April 20, 1905, we re¬ 
ceived a letter from Mr. W. M. Ostrand¬ 
er, a real estate agent of Philadelphia, 
Pa., inclosing a list of alleged recent 
sales of real estate made by him. The 
letter contained this paragraph: 
To assure yourself beyond a vestige of a 
doubt that the sales are genuine, you may 
have access to the papers in each case at any 
time by calling at this office, or sending a 
representative. 
We replied asking him to give us the 
date of each sale and requesting a full 
list of sales made within the limit of time 
covered by the dates in the list. Our let¬ 
ter contained this paragraph: 
Recently our attention has been called to a 
telegram that you have sent to our people, 
reading somewhat as follows: “Prospects 
exceptional if listed at once. Will you accept 
proposition?” Will you have the goodness to 
• advise us whether or not you have a partic- 
u;ar client as a customer for such property 
before the telegram is sent, and if so. why 
the farmer who listed his property with you 
and paid the advanced fee was not. put in 
communication with the prospective cus¬ 
tomer? 
Mr. Ostrander’s reply was dated April 
24, and contained the following para¬ 
graphs : 
The sales mentioned in the list I submit¬ 
ted to you were all made between October, 
1904, and February, 1905. The list does not 
contain all the sales made by me during that 
time. 
It is impossible for me to give you a com¬ 
plete list of my sales during any specified pe¬ 
riod because my agreements with many of 
my clients provide that my dealings with 
them be kept strictly confidential. 
With regard to the telegram reading “Will 
you accept proposition? Prospects excep¬ 
tional if listed at once.” It seems to me 
that any thinking man would know that / 
did not mean by that telegram that I had an 
immediate customer for the particular prop¬ 
erty. Had I an immediate customer for a 
property, I would certainly so state in the 
telegram, as it would greatly strengthen the 
message and without doubt list the property. 
The telegram quoted above meant just what 
it read. The party who received such a tele¬ 
gram had received previously a lengthy prop¬ 
osition from- me. and the telegram simply 
asked if he would accept that proposition. 
In saying that the prospects were exceptional 
for a speedy sale I stated no more than the 
truth. Had the prospects been otherwise 
than good, 1 would not have sent the tele¬ 
gram. 
As you undoubtedly know. I have always 
courted and aided investigation of my busi¬ 
ness by the publishers I patronize. 
The retaining fee which you criticise is per¬ 
fectly legitimate and is collected, to pay for 
definite services and facilities. 
I do not sell all the property listed with 
me. It would be impossible for any broker 
to accomplish such results. However. I do, 
in every case, give a client exactly the ser¬ 
vice I promise him, the extent of which is 
definitely stated to him prior to his paving 
the fee. 
If any one who lias had business dealings 
with me has failed to receive all that he paid 
for I am unaware of the fact. 
We made the following reply: 
April 27, 1905. 
Mr. YY\ M. Ostrander, Philadelphia, Pa. 
Dear Sir:— 
We have your letter of April 24th. 
We are willing to publish your list of sales 
if you will give us the information that will 
permit us to do so. without creating a false 
impression. We wish to know the date of 
each sale, and we wish a complete list of 
the sales transacted for the time covered by 
the list. We want to know whether these 
are cash sales or trades, and if in the case 
of trades, both properties are listed. If you 
do not want any names published, we could 
describe the property without giving the 
names or location. One of the transactions 
you report seems to be duplicated in the list. 
When you have sent us the full detail we 
could have one of our representatives drop in 
to verify the data by the papers in the case, 
as you suggest. 
We note that you say that you “always 
court and aid investigation of your business 
by publishers.” Do we understand from this 
that you will allow us to make a thorough 
investigation of your books and records to 
ascertain the number of properties listed 
within a given time, the amount of advance 
fees on them and the number of sales made 
from such lists t 
Awaiting the pleasure of your further re¬ 
ply, we remain, Yours very truly, 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
To this we received the following reply: 
April 28, 1905. 
Mr. John J. Dillon, 
New York City. 
Dear Sir:— 
I have your letter of the 27th instant. 
When I first wrote you relative to your 
articles in The Rural New-Yorker I be¬ 
lieved that they were maliciously written, 
and that you did not write the truth when 
you said you would gladly publish any sales 
made by me. 
The evasive policy which you have adopted 
in vour last two letters serves to confirm my 
belief. 
I will not further discuss the matter with 
you at present, but will simply tile your let¬ 
ters and clippings for future reference. 
Very truly yours, 
W. M. OSTRANDER. 
We thought our letter of April 27 par¬ 
ticularly frank and direct. Mr. Ostrander 
calls it evasive. We have no wish to in¬ 
vestigate anybody’s business except our 
own, but we thought our readers might 
be interested in the information indi¬ 
cated in the last paragraph of our letter 
of April 27, but perhaps this was not the 
particular feature of the business that 
Mr. Ostrander intended to have investi¬ 
gated. 
We have been trying to make out what 
that telegram was sent for. If no “imme¬ 
diate customer” was in sight, there would 
seem to be no hurry, and a two-cent stamp 
ought to answer as well as a 25 or 40- 
cent telegram. 
Mr. Ostrander seems to think his cli¬ 
ents have had all they paid for. Some of 
the clients do not seem to agree with him 
on this point. Evidently from what he 
says some of his customers find a mean¬ 
ing in his letters and telegrams that he 
did not intend to convey. They didn’t 
understand just what lie meant to say in the 
letters and telegrams, but they sent the 
money for the registration fee. 
Following is the list sent out by Mr. 
Ostrander: 
Three houses in Kensington, Philadelphia, 
for C. H. Mansland, $3,300; medical practice 
in Elba, Neb., for Dr. M. D. Pass, $909; 
Philadelphia residence for D. S. Cook, 
Wrightsville, l’a., $1,700; lot on Southern 
Boulevard, New York City, for E. E. Iliggin. 
$600; quarter section of land in Cawley 
County, Kan., for J. D. YVorster, of Somer¬ 
ville, N. H., consideration nominal; 187-acre 
farm in Illinois for G. YV. Burks, Phillips- 
burg, Mont., $5,610; lot in New York City to 
August Stolz, N. Y., $3,000; residence in 
Yonkers, N. Y., for R. J. Sejalon, Chicago, 
$6,300; residence of John E. Ready. Phila¬ 
delphia, $3,000: 120 acres in Putnam County, 
Mo., for Mrs. E. A. DeKalb, Jamiaca Plains, 
Mass, $1,600; residence in Germantown for 
G. I’lomm, Philadelphia, $2,100; 160 acres 
in Lincoln County, Col., consideration nomi¬ 
nal : 1(50 acres in Liberty County. Tex., for 
II. N. Bisbee, Penns Grove, N. J., $1,200; 
farm in Door County, YVis., for Dr. O. II. 
Hale, Bloomfield, N. .T., $1,500; building lot 
in business district of Minneapolis for G. A. 
Parker, Castleton, Vt.. $13,325; dwelling in 
Philadelphia for L. N.- YY'healton, N. Y., 
$2,550; lot in YY’ebster City, la., for YV. .1. 
Sperl, Washington, D. C., $600; lot in Du¬ 
luth. Minn., for II. M. Lyons, YY r yalusing Pa., 
$600; house in New York City for George 
Stoltz, New York, $7,500 : lot on Long Island 
for S .Sweeton, N. Y.. $1,500; tract of timber 
land in Lonake County, Ark., for D. A. Long- 
ley, Leog, Ark., $400; 80 acres farm land in 
YVebster County, la., for Henry S. YVells, 
Humboldt, la., $500; farm in Middlesex Coun¬ 
ty, N. J., for Adolph Kaiser, Milltown. N. .T., 
$1,000; row of 17 houses in Kensington, 
Philadelphia, for John G. Willets, Iladdon- 
field, N. J., $19,500; residence in New York 
City, for Mrs. Nellie Morse, $14,750; 1,280 
acres in Sheridan County. Kan., for the Sev- 
erns Elevator Company, Chicago, Ill.. $7,250; 
three dwellings in Richmond, Philadelphia, 
for YY r . M. DuBois, $3,000; 160 acres in 
Dundy County, Neb., for Isaac Schofield, YVa- 
pello. la., $225; 446 acres timber land in 
Mechlenberg County. Va.. for Mrs. Priscilla 
Birch, Meadville, Pa., $1,459; 320 acres. 
Stark County. N. D.. for Mrs. Jennie Ellis. 
Fort Smith, Ark., $1,000; 80 acres in Craw¬ 
ford County, Hi., for Levinia Childs, Sedan, 
Minn., $800; Illinois farm for G. YY T . Burks 
Philllpsburg, Mont., $5,610; lot in Arkansas 
City, for Mrs. Mary A. Brown. New Alex¬ 
andria. Pa., $200; lot in Bronx. N. Y.. for 
Anna M. Detrich, New Y'ork City, $1,500; 
four lots suburbs of Chicago, $1,475; resi¬ 
dence Kings County. N. Y.. for Joseph Kin- 
zig. New York City. $10,000; three residences 
and lots in Philadelphia, for Emily F. Tracey. 
$2,475; dwelling in New York City, for Mrs. 
YV. II. Browne, $15,000; building site in 
Nortli Chicago. $900; 160 acres in Kansas, 
for .T. D. Worster, Somerville, N. II. ; 48 lots 
in Chicago Highlands, $30,000. 
We have not verified this list by the 
papers in the case. We expected to do 
so, but his last letter did not encourage 
us to go to Philadelphia to do so. The 
list may be entirely correct. There may 
be errors in it. It may be a record of ac¬ 
tual sales. At least one sale seems to be 
repeated. We don’t know 1ioyv many 
trades or simple transfers there may be, if 
any. Mr. Ostrander does not reply de¬ 
finitely to our inquiries on these points. 
Pie has been in business nearly ten years, 
we think, and we do not see how he could 
fail to make some sales. It will be noted 
that there are feYV farm sales reported in 
the list. 
The Postoffice authorities have recently 
been investigating Mr. Ostrander’s busi¬ 
ness. I he use of the mail has recently 
been refused several” concerns, some of 
which are located in Philadelphia, but we 
have not as yet learned the nature of the 
inspector’s report on Mr. Ostrander’s 
business. 
Nervous Oi-d Lady (on seventh floor of 
hotel) : “Do you know what precautions 
the proprietor of the hotel has taken 
against fire?” Porter: “Yes, mum; he 
has the place inshoored for twice Yvhat it’s 
worth.”—Tit-Bits. 
Enthusiastic but short-sighted Lady 
Artist (to old laborer) : “My good man, 
Yvhat are those beautiful waving objects 
near those trees, rivalling the latter them¬ 
selves in grace and beauty of outline, 
making such a beautiful variety in the 
landscape, and seeming to hang ’twixt 
earth and heaven?” Old Laborer (gruff¬ 
ly) : “My shirts.”—Tit-Bits 
YVhen you write .advertisers mention The 
It. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and 
"a square deal." See guarantee, page 8. 
A Splendid Opportunity 
For a man with small capital to engage in the pigeon 
and squab business; only a few miles from New York 
and a fine plant with several hundred pairs of pigeons 
in first-class condition. YVill rent or sell on very 
reasonable terms. Reply to “S. YV. 1J.” Post 
Office Box 1020, New York City, N. Y. 
Raise; 
It 
v —---- Pays 
You can make thin busiiiOMH InieiestiiiK and siiccphs- 
ful with two requisites—1st,good Btockj2d,intelligent 
care. We will sell you the llrutnnd teach you the second. 
Plant is the Largest In America 
Wo raise only straight bred Homers, the lx*8t for 
producing choice squabs. Our squabs bring high¬ 
est prices in New York markets. Our booklet will 
set you thinking In the right direction. 
Send for it. It’s FREE. 
The A flan tie) Squab Company 
Box K. Hammonton, N.J.; 
SQUABS PAY li&l 
Easier, need attention only part of 
time, bring big prices. Raised in one 
month. Money-makerB for poultry- 
men, farmers,women. 8end for FREE 
BOOKLET and learn this rich home 
Industry, PLYMOUTH ROCK SQUAB 
CO., 289 Atlantlo Ave., Boston, Mass. 
GOOD PROFITS FROM REES 
Learn how to make money easily, quickly. Send [ 
for free copy of that lively bee-paper, Gleaning s in 
Pee Culture. Rea.! It. Then subscribe. 6 months’ I 
trinl, 25c. 40 to B 0 pages. Semi-monthly. Do it | 
now. Name this paper and get a free bee-booklet. 
A-1. ROOT COMPANY, 
MEDINA, OHIO. 
POULTRY 
We keep ev-j 
_ ^-r-,. —m erything in the. 
(POULTRY LINE— Fencing, Feed, Incu-J 
jbators. Live Stock, Brooders—anything—J 
>it’s our business. Call or let us send you! 
jour Illustrated Catalogue—it’s free for the 
>asking—it's worth having. 
) Excelsior Wire & Poultry Supply Co.,< 
■J Dept. H.G. 26 & 28 Vesey Street. New York City t 
OOOQOOOOOOQQQOOOOOOOOOOOCl 
S, C, BROWN LEGHORNS SsSSKtt 
ed Hons. Have been breeding Brown Leghorns for 
fourteen years. Eggs, $1 per 15, or $4 per 100. J. A. 
BUSH, R, No. 10, Lockport, Niagara Co., New York. 
EGGS FOR HATCHING. -S. C. YVhite Leg¬ 
horns a specialty. Wyckoff, Van Dresser Strain. 
Stock largo and vigorous, farm raised, free range, 
northern grown, disease unknown. $1, 15; $3, 50; $5, 
100 eggs. S. Gordon, Dunn Farm, Chazy, New York. 
WRIGHT’S WHITE WYANDOTTES 
(Duston Strain) Eggs, 75 cts. per 15; $4 per 100. 
Grandview Farm, Stanfordville, N. Y. 
THE TOWNSEND 
WIRE STRETCHER 
is the most easily attached or de 
tached of any implement made. 
Stretches to the last post as well as 
to any. Steel grips that never slip. 
Can Vie got at any Hardware store. 
YVrite for circulars. Satisfaction 
guaranteed. 
F, G. TOYVNSEND, 
Painted Post, New York. 
W HITE WYANDOTTES EXCLUSIVELY_ 
HAWKINS AND DUSTIN STRAINS. Eggs $1 
for fifteen. E. L. KING, Minerva, Ohio. 
W HITE WYANDOTTES, 400 layers, bred for 
laying and market qualities for 8 years. Plenty 
of eggs $1.50 per 15; §5 per 100; $45 per 1000. Safe arrival 
guaranteed. E.H. DeMAR, Bryantville, Mass. 
White Holland Turkeys 
The kind that come home to roost. Eggs $3.50 per 9 
Stock alter Nov. 1. 
M. C. Y AN YVINKLE, Stone Ridge, New York. 
LIGHT BRAHMA 
C. GORDON, Box 63, Charleston Four Corners, N. Y. 
’s RarrpH RfirlfC combine quantity, 
a Ddimu IMJCK5 QuaUty and utility. 
Kinglet strain, farm raised, satisfaction guaranteed. 
Eggs$lperl5. J. YV. COX, New Wilmington, Pa. 
S. C. K. I. kEDS, farm raised. Eggs from best.pen, 
$1 per fifteen. C. L. TURNER, Becket, Mass. 
BUFF, YVhite Leghorns. Eggs 75c per 15, $1.25 per 30, 
$2 per 60. Cir. free. JOHN A. ROTH, Quakertown, Pa. 
E LLSWORTH’S Choice YY 7 liite YY r yandottes, 15 
eggs $2. Henry YV. Ellsworth, Portland, Conn. 
WHITE 
40 Eggs, $2 
prices. E. 
WYANDOTTES EXCLUSIVELY! 
100 for $4. Also breeding stock at right 
FRANKLIN KEAN, Stanley, New York. 
V alley View Poultry Farm, Belleville, Pa. Bronze ami Wild 
Turkeys. Leading varieties of Poultry. Prices low. Cat.free. 
Var's Poultry, Pigeons, Parrots, Dogs, Cats. 
Ferrets, etc. Eggs a specialty. 60 p. book, 10c. 
Rates free. J. A. UERGEY. Box 8,Telford,Pa, 
EGGS for hatching, from Rose Comb Buff Leghorns 
Rose Comb Brown Leghorns and Silver Pencilled 
Wyandottes. A. S. BEEKMAN. South Branch, N J 
Flifix Comb YY’hite Leghorn Eggs. Healt 
LUUw selected stock. Free range. $1 per 15: 
per 100. D. F. ARNOLD, Burlington Flats, N. 
100. Stock as good as the best; each variety ko] 
on a separate farm, with free and unlimited rang 
Eggs carefully packed; orders promptly filled. YVhi 
Wyandottes: Buff and YVhite Plymouth Rocks: R. ( 
Brown, Rose and Single Comb YVhite Leghorn: 
Anconas; Black and YVhite Minoreas. 
Otselie Farms, YY’liitney’s Point. N. Y r . 
Watpr filacc for preserving eggs. Endorse 
IIUIGI UIUOO by agricultural papers. Gallon cai 
$1. Middlesex Chem. Works, Middletown, Ct. 
EMPIRE STATE S. C. WHITE LEGHORNS 
won two first premiums at New York State Fair 1904. 
Trios, *5;_E_ggj3,Jfl_per 15; $5 per 100. Catalogue 
ZIMMER BROS.. 
. 41, Weedsport, N. 
Pratts Food best for your stock 
Over 30 years old. 
THE STRONGEST STEEL 
Fonce wire known to science is 
PAGE-YVIUE—n high-carbon dou¬ 
ble-strength, basic open-hearth 
spring steel wire maeie In our steel 
mills at Monessen, Pa., and used 
only In the manufacture of Pago 
Fences and coiled springs. 
PAGE YVOVEN WIRE FENCE CO. 
Box ?5» Adrian, Mich. 
WHEN YOU GET TIRED 
FROST 
BEST 
.CHEAPEST 
of buying and erecting wire fence, containing small 
soft tie wires, that will not last over three to five 
years, try the "FROST” containing heavy, hard stay 
wires that make a fence last a lifetime. 
THE FROST YVIRE FENCE CO., Cleveland, Ohio 
00%HATCH GUARANTEED 
30 DAYS’ TRIAL To prove it. 
50 <£4.50 100 <£8.50 200 (M 3 . 75 
|EggJ>5.00 Egg >4>9.50 'Egg 4>I5.00 
1 Self regulating; Automatic moisture. Brooders, 
all sizes and kinds, $3 up. 50,000 in use. Send 3c. for catalog. 
Buckeye Incubator Co., Box <23, Sorlngfleld, O. 
$ I 0-80 For 
I & 200 Egg 
< INCUBATOR 
Perfect in construction and 
action. Hatches every fertile 
egg. Write for catalog to-day. 
GEO. H. STAHL, Quincy, III 
Complete Incubator or Brooder 
Outfit, $1. Write for description, 
THE TROY ELECTRICAL CO., Troy, N. Y. 
Free Poultry Book 
Complete catalogue and poultrymen's guide, 212 
pages (8 x 11 inches) 600illustrations. Describes 
the (iarli Cyphers Incubators 
juice Id. 60 and up,and 40 Poultrymtn', uecuaiti,,. Hr™ 
fyou send addresses of two neighbor. Interested In good 
poultry. Writo to Cyphers Incubator Co. 
Buffalo, Boston, Chicago, New York, Kansas 
City or Son Francisco, 
C hoice Stock for Sale.—Hocks, Wyandottes, Leghoms 
Minoreas, Turkeys, Ducks and Guineas. Also Lice 
Killing Nest Eggs, sample mailed. 5e.; dozen. 50c 
Agents wanted. Pine Tree Farm, Jamesburg, N. J 
White Plymouth Rocks SKSfTfeSnftr 
$1 per 15, $5 per 100. Isaac C. Clark, Penn Y’an, N. Y 
Orpingtons, Buff, Black, White, 
Why not have the very best obtainable? First co: 
may be a little more, but you get < he stock and bloc 
from the grandest winning strain in America, an 
from the largest Orpington breeder. Send for fort 
page illustrated Orpington catalogue, also Matir 
List describing thirty-two breeding yards and prict 
of eggs. The blood from the largest winners at Ne 
\ ork the past three years are in these yards. 
Box 78, WILLOW BROOK FARM, Berlin, Com 
P 
EKIN DUCK EGGS 
FOR HATCHING. PURE WHITE DUCKS 
13 EGGS, $1.25; 26, $2; 100, $6 
John H. Gamber, R. F. I)., No. 1 Lancaster, Pa. 
f*EK!N DUCKS AND 
WHITE LEGHORNS 
April hatched Ducks. $1.50 to $2.50 each. Duck Eggs 
80 cents and $1.15 for 11; arm $ti and $8 per hundred. 
Leghorns are the real egg machines. Eggs for hatch¬ 
ings. 80 cents and $1 for thirteen; and $5 and $ti per 
hundred. Largest plant vicinity Now Yoik Citv, 
8C pens, 2.000 layers. Cut of same in Cyphers cata¬ 
logue. Agent Cyphers incubators, brooders, etc. 
Correspondence invited. 
BONNIE HK.4K, New Rochelle, N. Y. 
WHITE ORPINGTONS, 
BUFF ORPINGTONS, ERMINE FAVEROLLES 
SALMON FAVEROLLES. 
Send for list of winnings, also copy of "What is a 
Faverolle? They are free. 
,J. H. SYMONDS, 
Importer and Breeder, Metuc.hen, New Jersey. 
M-iPLE Villa Poultry Y'ards. Be sure to place order 
, * from guaranteed stock. Single and Rose, B. and 
YV. Leghorns, B’r’d, Buff and YV. Rocks, Golden and W 
Wyan., Silver Hamburgs, Hose Andalusians. Minor- 
cas, and Anconas. W. G. Mosher, Sylvania, Penna. 
Eggs for Hatching. 
FRED KEYERLEBERT l{aH&il?l!o>to: 
S. C. WHITE LEGHORNS 
Eggs for hatching from mature birds. We have been 
breeding Business Leghorns” for 10 years. Send for 
circular and prices. White & Rice, Y’ork town, N. Y. 
BUSINESS WHITE LEGHORNS 
and unsurpassed in beauty. Eggs that Hatch. 
Incubator Chicks 813.50 per 1 OO 
H1LANDALE FARM, Brooklyn, Ohio. R.F.D. 2. 
Rose Comb W, Leghorns 
Prize Winners at the best shows. KggsSl for 15 - *3 
for 50; $5 for 100. L. C. HILLS, Delaware*Ohio . ' * 
