1911. 
THE RURAfe NEW-YORKER 
691 
OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY. 
After granting numerous delays and 
patiently listening to all the arguments 
and evidence presented by the attorneys 
for E. G. Lewis and the alleged reor¬ 
ganization scheme of the Class A pub¬ 
lishers, Judge Dyer, sitting in the Fed¬ 
eral District Court in St. Louis on Mon¬ 
day of last week, appointed a receiver 
in the foreclosure suit on property of 
the University Heights Realty and De¬ 
velopment Company, and issued an in¬ 
junction restraining the company and 
the Peoples’ Trust Company as trustee 
from disposing of the property. 
This covers a tract of land bought bv 
E. G. Lewis for $114,000; and later 
sold to the above realty company, of 
which Lewis was president, for $537,- 
788.16, and the same day mortgaged 
by him for $537,788. The mortgage 
was issued to the Peoples’ Trust Com¬ 
pany as trustee, and the notes against it 
sold to poor people all over the country 
under the representations that the notes 
were the best security in the world and 
would make the holders rich. Interest 
was not paid and taxes are in default 
since 1906. When notes became due 
they were not paid. Instead the holders 
were urged to transfer them for deben¬ 
tures and other fake schemes. Some of 
the notes seem to have been issued even 
before the mortgage was fded, and the 
interests of the note holders were not 
protected in the mortgage nor in :he 
execution of the trusteeship by the Lewis 
concern; but the suit is in a court of 
equity, and the interests of all credi¬ 
tors will be protected from now on 
through the direction of the Federal 
court. The trick of frenzied finance 
worked in this case will give you some 
notion of the Lewis operations general¬ 
ly. It explains his great interest in the 
plain people. No bank or experienced 
investor would loan more than 50 or 60 
per cent of the fair purchase price of 
such property on mortgage. As Mr. 
Lewis boasts that the only money he 
put up for his real estate purchase was 
the notary fee, it is not to be supposed 
that he bought it for less than its value. 
So that $70,000 would be the limit of 
what he could expect to borrow on 
mortgage from experienced investors. 
But he borrowed nearly five times the 
purchase price from people scattered all 
over the country, and actually seems to 
have borrowed some of it to pay the 
original purchase price before any mort¬ 
gage was issued. We do not by any 
means put this down as the worst of his 
swindles, but it will serve as an ex¬ 
ample of the most of them. 
Cither notes signed by the University 
Heights Realty and Development Com¬ 
pany and E. G. Lewis in connection with 
some fake form of a Trust Agree¬ 
ment to the amount of $500,000 were 
issued. This promises to be more of a 
swindle than the case referred to above. 
The people who received these notes 
thought they were a first lien on the 
real estate. They were nothing of the 
kind. They were subject to a first 
mortgage of record for $400,000, now 
only partly paid and taxes long past 
due. Attorneys say this trust agree¬ 
ment is even more of a fraud than the 
deed of trust. 
A depositor in the People’s Savings 
Trust Co. recently tried to get his 
money through his local bank. The cer¬ 
tificate was first returned, but the bank 
took it up with the Missouri State 
Banking Department, and it was then 
paid. Our understanding is that the 
Banking Department will protect the 
depositors, but will give itself no con¬ 
cern about the stockholders who con¬ 
tributed most of the money. The trust 
company is held to be solvent as long 
as it can pay the depositors. 
With all this record of deception and 
fraud, and with all the debts and obliga¬ 
tions unpaid, Lewis is in California 
promising to build $100,000 club houses, 
though after the millions that he col¬ 
lected from the people during the last 
10 years, he claimed that friends had to 
advance the carfare to take him to the 
Pacific coast. It seems impossible that 
the man could have continued his fake 
career so long. It seems more impos¬ 
sible that any community would endure 
his bluff for even a single minute. It is 
of course the reckless audacity of the 
man that has carried him so far. He 
must realize now that he has reached 
the end of his tether, and he seems de¬ 
termined to make the most of whatever 
slack he has yet to take up. The credi¬ 
tors see now that the so-called reorgan¬ 
ization through the alleged publishers’ 
committee was no protection to them at 
all, and that it was simply a scheme of 
Lewis to get the evidence out of their 
hands. Those who have sent him their 
claims should now demand their return, 
and place them either with their own 
attorneys or through Claud D. Hall, 705 
Olive street, St. Louis, Mo., who is at¬ 
torney for the other creditors in the 
foreclosure suit. From now on the 
creditors who do this will have their in¬ 
terest#; protected. If left with Lewis and 
his associates with authority to do with 
as he pleases you can imagine the result 
as well as we can describe it. 
DIARY OF FARM WORK 
A Week on a New York Fruit Farm. 
Monday, May 22.—Apples in full bloom; 
two teams dragging apple orchards with 
spike-tooth harrows. Each covered about 18 
acres. Three teams plowing for corn, two 
men trimming young fruit orchards; one 
man raking brush in same with horse-rake; 
one man grubbing peach trees; one man hoe¬ 
ing around young apple trees. 
Tuesday, May 23.—One team continued 
dragging apple orchards with spike-tooth 
harrow. Three teams continued plowing for 
corn ; one team and two men drawing brush 
in young peach orchards. Four men trim¬ 
ming three-year-old peaches. At noon it be¬ 
gan to rain. Afternoon sent one team to the 
blacksmith. Two men cleaning oats, three 
men clipping horses. The day men went 
home on account of rain. By three o’clock 
a terrific electric storm centered over the 
farm. Lightning struck the horse barn; a 
rush was made to get the horses out. They 
were somewhat dazed and had to be urged. 
The next thought was to start the electric 
motor attached to the pump. The men also 
rushed to the loft with pails of water, but 
found it had not taken fire. The lightning 
struck the cupola, passed down a rafter to 
the electric light, and to the ground on the 
wire. For fire protection we can use our 
two-horse power motor attached to a power 
pump, which pumps from both well and cis¬ 
tern. This pump will throw a one-half-inch 
stream 25 feet high. With 100 feet of hose 
we can protect all our buildings. 
Wednesday, May 24.—First spraying after 
the blossom, or third spraying of apples. 
Formula, lime and sulphur, 1-40, with 10 
pounds arsenate of lead to a tank of 200 
gallons. West wind held all day; six men 
with two power sprayers covered about 16 
acres of apples on one side, and used about 
1,600 gallons of mixture. Team of mules 
plowing for corn, the most satisfactory team 
on the farm. Two teams continued drag¬ 
ging apple and peach orchards with spike- 
tooth harrows. Call from insurance ad¬ 
justor. Prospective fruit-grower presented 
to farm by tenant’s family. 
Thursday, May 25.—Wind still from the 
west; six men continued spraying. By 
night the two power sprayers had complet¬ 
ed spraying 34 acres of apples on one side 
of trees and had used about 3,600 gallons 
of spray mixture. You can judge by this 
the thoroughness of the job. Two teams 
dragging orchards with spike harrows. Team 
of mules plowing for corn ; one man trim¬ 
ming out apple brush. Hatched 10 pheas¬ 
ants under a hen; consider the pheasant one 
of the best destroyers of insect pests on a 
fruit farm. Try to protect them by posting 
farm against hunting. Met representatives 
of Beebe Syndicate in regard to putting 
through railroad. 
Friday, May 26.—Wind northeast, east 
and southeast, changed just in time to spray 
the other side of apples. Two teams, six 
men, continued spraying. Team of mules 
finished plowing corn ground, finished roll¬ 
ing and began dragging with spring-tooth 
harrow. Two teams dragging orchards, 
spike harrow. 
Saturday, May 27.—One team and three 
men continued spraying all day, and the 
other team half a day ; finished spraying ap¬ 
ples, both sides. Team of mules continued 
dragging corn ground, spring harrow ; one 
team dragging orchard, spike harrow; team 
half a day on orchard cultivator on peaches. 
One team dragging young orchard one-half 
day and cleaning up peach stumps and 
brush one-half day. One man went to sta¬ 
tion after spring-tooth harrow. In the aft¬ 
ernoon the proprietor and his wife went to 
Rochester in the auto and saw the Roch- 
ester-Buffalo ball game. 
Wayne Co., N. Y. p. w. Cornwall. 
A Town Diary in Kansas. 
Our new home is but a stone's throw 
from the citiy’s edge. This nearness to 
market suits our ideal of farm life perfect¬ 
ly—up to the point of taxation. The sec¬ 
ond year of our ownership we offered this 
land, all it would produce, to anyone who 
would pay that year’s taxes. Land adjoin¬ 
ing that rented then for three dollars cash 
per acre, now goes begging, as this tract 
did at that time. ' I presume I am taxed 
$50 per acre as a farmer and an additional 
one hundred for the privilege of living on 
a clean, clover bordered urbanside tract of 
20 acres. With two dry wells the water 
problem here is still unsolved, although we 
allowed eight or ten “witches” to forecast, 
predict and explain, turn of them brothers- 
in-law, but no two of them agreed as to 
the location. For this reason we cannot 
dairy as largely as we had expected. Our 
former home is about one-half mile farther 
country ward and over there is most of the 
water and pasture. 
May 24.—About five a. m., while the boy 
builds the kitchen fire, I feed and rub down 
the three horses. Then he starts for the 
cows on the three acre clover pasture where 
they were wintered and fed in all season¬ 
able weather, and the same is outlined for 
the coming winter, then the ground will be 
ready for corn. While the mocking bird 
sings and the boy whistles the cows along, 
I corn the chickens, put in that “lick of 
salt” for each cow, adjust the buckets on 
the shelf, tie on my apron and am ready to 
snap the stanchion as each cow wilnngly 
steps into her accustomed place—Winter 
and Summer alike. 
One little calf still takes new- milk from 
his special pail, carried by the little six- 
year-old sonny who usually arrives just at 
this moment of usefulness. The first cows 
almost finished, the little ones of various 
ages and dimensions clamor to “strip,” and 
the boy and I adjust our stools by the side 
of other cows. While I am drawing, pump¬ 
like, more than 20 pounds of milk from a 
three-year-old, strictly bled in the bark, 
dual-purpose cow, I recall to mind all the 
cruel adjectives that have been hurled by 
professors and specialists at these farmer’s 
standbys. The milk is hurried to the cool¬ 
ing tub, the cows unloosed and the boy 
astride a better than a rocking horse is on 
the way to the pond pasture, while I pre¬ 
pare for breakfast. Of course “nobody works 
but father,” and I strain the milk with more 
or less assistance and carry it to the cel¬ 
lar. 
After getting the boy started to harrow¬ 
ing some listed corn, we tinker on some 
unfinished window screens that Missy re¬ 
members to remind us of almost daily. We 
moved into our new quarters in early Win¬ 
ter, before the finishing touches were as¬ 
sembled together, and it was my fondest 
expectation to make this my Winter's job. 
Right here I would like to say I offered Mr. 
Carpenter in the city 40 cents per hour to 
do this work, to cancel a debt of over half 
a hundred, but he declined as ueediug all he 
could earn. 
Milking time arrives at 5.30 to 0. Two 
of the little girls carry four small pails of 
milk to city customers at six cents per 
quart. A neighbor is supplied at five cents, 
and while it is more than plentiful, the 
measure is heaped higher than required by 
the pure food officers—or the Scriptures. 
The little girls bring home the daily paper. 
We pay 25c per month to have it left at 
the east side store. By the light of the 
west 40 inch window we read of our na¬ 
tional prospect for parcels post or lower 
taxation. By the time we get to Mexico 
or E. G. Lewis’s private business transac¬ 
tions, it has become too dark for even my 
spectacled nose and I retire to my den anil 
bring back my youthful ability to read be¬ 
tween the lines by turning on the acetylene 
gas. 
May 25.—The boy observed a small fifth 
teat on a young heifer. This was snipped 
off close up, not causing a drop of blood, 
and will be the making of a much nicer 
udder when a cow. The potatoes got their 
third working to-day. Somehow we think 
ours just a little better than any we have 
seen. We always furrow out. drop, step 
on the seed, cover lightly with hoe and 
plant our foot again upon the finished hill. 
Anyway, we always have good potatoes. 
Being in a furrow we can harrow twice 
without injury to the row, and mighty 
little hoeing is ever needed. The fourteen 
tooth one horse “scratcher” is mostly used. 
This, a single shovel plow and hoe, make a 
working trio unexcelled for quality of work 
and cheapness of outfit. Went down to see 
the Alfalfa. It is in the farthest corner, 
about a mile from the house. The dry Win¬ 
ter and Spring have shortened it somewhat 
and the next cutting will show it more 
than this one. I sowed the first seed I 
ever saw over 25 years ago. I offered the 
first freshly raked hay at two dollars per 
ton, and sold but little. Only succeeded 
in selling two loads in the city at $4 
per ton. Now a good Alfalfa field is pref¬ 
erable to a good bank account. Corn is 
very backward. We got a good stand and 
the ground is clean. The ground had five 
workings before planting and retains mois¬ 
ture remarkably well. Got out the thin 
covers for the cows. Two straps connected 
in the middle by a ring arc buckled above 
each hock. We milk with safety and pleas¬ 
ure. JOHN E. HINSHAW. 
Kansas. 
A Western New York Farm. 
June 2—Had company last night so did 
not get up very early. Have had a fine rain 
and as we like to keep the cultivators go¬ 
ing and stir the soil after every rain, one 
team has been using the disk harrow on 
the peach and pear orchard, and one using 
the three-section spring-tooth in the apple 
orchard. The three-sectioned spring-tooth 
is the best tool to reach under low-headed 
trees I ever used. You need not let the 
center section run deep, or touch at all if 
you do not have team heavy enough to 
draw it. The ground works like a garden 
and the apple orchard is in the best of 
shape. Apples growing fine, but few insects 
to injure the foliage. Have sprayed with 
lime and sulphur one to 40, and 15 pounds 
arsenate of lead to 200 gallons. Last year 
used 10 pounds to 200 and had too many 
wormy apples. Sprayed just before the 
blossoms opened, and after they had fallen. 
Bought a barrel of arsenate of lead; paid 
for 400 pounds and found only 330 pounds 
in it. Needed some more and went to a 
local dealer who kept another brand; 
bought 50 pound keg at 10 cents per pound. 
Paid seven cents for the barrel. The dealer 
had a larger keg and I said : "That has 100 
pounds has it?” lie smiled and said, “I 
will tell you. There is 90 pounds in that 
keg.” I said, “I thought that had 100 
pounds in it. Why do they put it in 90- 
pound kegs?” "Well,” he said, “if they 
have to cut prices they sell it for 100 
pounds.” Moral: Weigh your spray ma¬ 
terials. Baldwin apples are a light crop, 
but all other varieties have a full crop. 
Planted an acre of potatoes. Fitted the 
ground when we did the corn ground, and 
it was in the best of condition by going 
over with the spring-tooth. Used the Planet 
Junior to open up lurrows and covered with 
the same. 
June 3—Did some odd jobs to-day. Drew 
the coal ashes from tenant house, and dug 
a cellar drain to one we put up last Fall. 
Expected to spray a few prune trees, but 
did not get at it. Have had some trouble 
with the sediment in the bottom of spray 
tank, where we used the lime and sulphur 
and ai'senate of lead. Had to clean our the 
tank every day. \\ e have a power sprayer 
and it was kept thoroughly agitated. The 
sides and bottom would be coated and we 
would have to take a broom and scrub it 
hard to get it off. delos tenny. 
Monroe Co., N. Y. 
A Hot Day in Texas. 
June 3—Hauled and stacked balance of 
three loads of barley hay. Weather hot and 
dry at present. This work is best done when 
stuff is a little damp, preventing loss of 
grain. Next we dug remainder of Irish 
Cobbler potatoes, about 15 bushels. They 
yielded well, far superior to Triumph. This 
ended, dinner time was called and ail hands 
did justice to fried (Spring* chicken, snap 
beans, peas, potatoes and gi'avy, home- 
baked bread, blackberry pie. With the 
thermometer at 98 degrees in shade, right 
after diuuer, it was too unpleasant to go 
right back into the field to work. Thus 
the sickle of the mowing machine was put 
into good order to cut the second growth 
of Alfalfa which is now beginning to bloom 
freely aud ready to be cut. By three 
o’clock we started to scatter fertilizer in 
rows marked out for a late crop of toma¬ 
toes and mixed it with soil with a harrow 
plow. These tomatoes will be planted with¬ 
in a week. They will come on and make 
a fine crop when the early plants set out 
give way. Some green feed (corn suckers) 
was got for the hogs. This completed the 
afternoon work by the hired help. I had 
some business at the blacksmith shop in 
town and seeing about getting more help 
for hoeing cotton the next week. 
Texas. j. w stubenrauch. 
CROP NOTES. 
The outlook for fruit is fairly good, most 
of the apple, pear, plum and cherry trees 
blossomed full, and the young fruit seems 
to be set well. It has been very dry all 
the Spring but so far the fruit hangs on 
well. There are not many trees being 
planted around here. We are not afraid 
of growing too much fruit as the market 
is good. As we are not troubled very bad 
with wormy fruit we have never sprayed at 
all but 1 think it would pay to spray. 
New Hampshire. B. F. c. 
We are rejoicing to-day, June 1, over 
the rain yesterday, which has done a great 
deal of good, although I am afraid it is too 
late to save the hay crop. Our corn is up 
nicely aud we are cultivating it as fast as 
we can. We are also sowing oats and peas 
for the third time. The two former sowings 
were nearly failures on account of the 
drouth, but may improve now. We are 
making 530 quarts of milk a day from 40 
cows, which we think is pretty good, con¬ 
sidering the fact that there has been but 
little grass for them so far. Our new pig¬ 
gery is almost finished and we are increas¬ 
ing our herd to fill it. We now have 110 
March and April pigs, and have vaccinated 
them so they will not get the cholera. We 
have had two outbreaks here, so we figure 
that it will be a paying venture if success¬ 
ful. I do not think it is pimcticed much in 
the Eastern States. C. s. g. 
Staten Island, N. Y. 
The past month has been variable, ex¬ 
treme heat and cold, accompanied by a 
severe drouth. The mercury has been at 96 
degrees several times and then dropping 
30 or 40. We have not had a good warm 
Spring rain. Old meadows are hurt be¬ 
yond relief; the crop will be light and poor 
in quality. Wheat is heading out very 
early and is short. Oats have come up 
uneven. Corn is doing the best of any 
crops. Small acreage of potatoes planted ; 
the bugs are on hand for them. Orchards 
have been thoi'oughly sprayed. The set fbr 
fruit on Greenings and sweet apples is good. 
Baldwins are shy. Kings and Spies are 
good. Strawberries have been hurt by 
drouth. Pears and plums had a full bloom, 
gooseberries shy. Cherries will be fair 
crop. Hard fitting land for beans and cab¬ 
bage on account of dryness. Much to be 
done yet for these crops. Cabbage plants 
hurt by beetle that punctures the leaves 
with holes. Wheat 85 cents; oats 35, corn 
60. potatoes 40, butter 18, eggs 15, veal 
5 lA, pork 5J-4. E. t. b 
Ontario Co., N. Y. 
