1883 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
341 
in Chicago informs one of our subscribers in Alleghany 
Co.,N. Y.,by printed postal card, that: “There is at this 
office at your disposal 1 package, which will be for¬ 
warded to you by mail upon receipt of the required 
charges, 64c. Please give this your earliest attention.’’ 
The lines: “ Said to contain ” and “ Valued at,” at the 
bottom, are not filled out. As our correspondent, “F. 
E. P.,” says, “this is very thin.” He, no doubt, has 
friends in Chicago; let him write to one of these, giv¬ 
ing him an order for the package. If the transaction is 
an honest one, it will be delivered. If it is not given 
up, send the 64c. in an open letter to the Chicago post¬ 
master, that he may see that the stamps are sent, and 
await the result. If the package is not sent, or if it 
proves to be worthless, the “Package Delivery ” can be 
stopped from using the mails. . 
Trapping; HSIgy iiamr, 
The class of swindlers who operate in a grand style is 
not a large one. Though they deal with thousands, 
they take them only from moneyed people, and do not 
cause so much distress as those who rob the industrious 
classes of their dollars. One of these wholesale dealers 
has recently been caught, J. H. Langley, who was con¬ 
cerned in a Guano Company, a Railway Frog Company, 
and various other companies related to railroad matters. 
Besides these, he ran a Live Stock Express Co., a Texas 
Land Syndicate, and various other enterprises. He had 
an expensively furnished office, where he employed 
some fifteen clerks, many of whom paid a bonus for 
their situation. But it all came to an end by his arrest 
in Boston the other day as a swindler. 
116441118; on Marriages. 
Not very long ago, the circulars of numerous concerns 
calling themselves “ Marriage Endowment Companies,” 
“Marriage Insurance Companies,” and the like, were 
sent us in great numbers by inquiring correspondents. 
We could only judge of these associations by what they 
said for themselves. Even allowing the parties con¬ 
ducting them to be responsible, a careful examination 
of the schemes of these Companies showed them to be 
mere games of chance; in fact, betting on the marriage 
of their subscribers. Several States having declared 
them illegal, we supposed they were all billed, until 
early in June an arrest in Virginia showed that the swin¬ 
dle was not defunct. The Manager and Secretary of the 
“Marriage Fund Mutual Trust Association ” were ar¬ 
rested at Cedar Rapids, Va. This time the arrest was 
for using the 1J. S. Mail for the purposes of fraud. 
44 Work at Home—No matter where 
You are laving;.” 
Numerous inquiries come to us concerning parties in 
New England cities, who offer to ladies and young men 
desirable “work at home” in coloring photographs. The 
pictures are called by some high-sounding name, such as 
“ Pearlographs,” “ Artographs,” “ Electrographs,” etc. 
The work is “so simple, that a child [age not stated] 
can do it after a week’s trial.” Two sample pictures for 
trial are sent by one concern for $1.00 and two stamps 
[size not statedj ; another offers a “ Pamphlet of Direc¬ 
tions,” with two “ nice pictures ” for trial, for $1.00 and 
no stamps. The circulars offer work which, according 
to description, is easily learned. We are told that “Any 
lady, when she has learned to make these beautiful pic¬ 
tures, would have no difficulty in earning from $10.00 to 
$20.00 a week.” There is much more in these circulars 
that is very tempting—so tempting that we do not won¬ 
der that cautious ladies inquire about the matter. That 
the interest is wide-spread is shown by the last two let¬ 
ters concerning the scheme, which are from Iowa and 
Dakota. In such cases we can only judge by what ap¬ 
pears on the surface, and by 
TAKING A COMMON-SENSE VIEW. 
We find that each of the two concerns warns the public 
against the other. No names are called, but the red 
circular designates the concern which sends out the 
white document in a most unmistakable manner, and 
the same is done in the other direction. “Red” cau¬ 
tions against “ white,” “ white ” cautions against 
“red.” It is not for us to say that both are not right. 
We are always suspicious when persons go a roundabout 
way to accomplish a very simple object. Why send 
photographs from New England to Idaho, Dakota, or 
even to New Jersey to be colored? If the mere object 
is to get pictures colored, an advertisement in a Boston, 
Fall River, Lowell, or Providence paper, making sim¬ 
ilar offers to those in these circulars, would bring appli¬ 
cants by the thousand. The work could he done as 
well near home, without the risk and expense of send¬ 
ing the pictures to and from a far distant point. There 
must be something unexplained. 
THEBE ARE PHOTOGRAPHS AND PHOTOGRAPHS. 
What kind of photographs are those that must be sent 
away to be colored? “Distance is no objection,” we 
are told. It is also said that the work can be done “ in 
the privacy of your own room.” We shall be glad to 
hear from any lady who is making $20.00 or even a less 
sum a week, as to what is the “ true inwardness ” of all 
this fuss about coloring photographs. Does it all mean 
“ send us a dollar?” 
CS&iwMIng; fov Farmers, 
If there is an individual in the community having a 
reputation for honesty, it is the one engaged in farming. 
The farmer’s occupation is an education ; he learns as a 
boy that good seed and good culture, if the season be fa¬ 
vorable, bring good crops. If the farmer continues in his 
honest ways, it will not be because he is not tempted to 
leave them and “try his luck” in various schemes, which 
promise to make him rich without labor. But a few 
years ago, he was offered abundant chances to get rich 
on “ puts and calls ” in Wall street, hut the most bene¬ 
ficial postal laws suddenly put an end to that source of 
wealth. Later, Chicago sharpers for a while had it all 
their own way. Schemes offering most attractive terms 
were scattered all over the country. The farmer was 
tempted by uniting in “ combinations ” (never known 
to fail) and “ running corners,” through the means of 
“.Bureaus of Information,” to give less attention to the 
raising of corn, pork and other products, and to invest 
in speculating on the future prices of these. The Post 
Office, a while ago, placed a damper on this, by publish¬ 
ing the names of the leading concerns in 
THE OFFICIAL LIST OF FRAUDS. 
But the thing is too profitable to be suppressed at 
once, and new circulars appear with new names. A letter 
to us, from a farmer in Tennessee, inquiring about seed 
wheat, encloses one of the latest productions of these 
Chicago operators. There is one man in Tennessee, who 
wishes to make money on wheat, but he is old-fashioned 
enough to get the best seed he can find, to stick it into 
the dirty soil, go through the labor of harvest, take the 
risks of the weather and insects, and of the prices for 
the next crop. He might go into a “ joint account ” of 
“ $25 to $25,000,” and he might avail himself of some of 
“ the grandest opportunities to make money on corn,” 
or as “ our pork and lard dealers are making a good deal 
of money,” he could join them. For this concern has a 
“Bureau of Information,” more than that, it has “Our 
Literature,” whether, as the wife of one of the celebrated 
“ Day & Martin Blacking firm ” claimed, they can say, 
“ we keeps a poet,” the circular does not state, but if 
any one is in need of “ A Special Circular on Selling 
Short,” it can be supplied by “ Our Literature.” That 
circulars of this kind tempt a sufficient number to make 
it pay to those who issue them, is probable. They oc¬ 
casionally publish letters from those who make on 
“ wheat deals,” but did a lottery concern ever publish a 
list of the blanks ? 
It is homely advice “ cobbler stick to your last,” (we 
need not give the Latin), but with much observation in 
such matters, we have never known one who came sud¬ 
denly into the possession of money by lottery or success¬ 
ful gambling, by whatever name it might be called, who 
was not unfitted for the enjoyment of his fortune. Uhc 
future prosperity of our country depends upon the 
honesty and intelligence of its workers, of whom farmers 
form so large a share, and it is gratifying to know that 
so many turn a deaf ear to the temptations to gamble, 
whether they come from Wall street or Chicago. 
“ HSesslos-ative Keiuedies.” 
It is gratifying to note that the number of Medical 
Humbugs is, of late years, much less than formerly. 
Some of the perennial kinds, like Inman, with the free 
recipe (of course furnished in an unmeaning jargon of 
words), contrive to pay for the insertion of their adver¬ 
tisements in papers which should know better than to 
publish them. But take Quack Medicines as a whole. 
very few can be said to have a “boom.” A number of 
our correspondents are justly indignant at the 
IMPERTINENT AND INSULTING CIRCULARS 
of a concern in New York City—Davidson & Co.—who 
claim to be “ Proprietors of Dr. Churchill’s Restorative 
Remedies.” This firm sends out, right and left, all 
over the country, a lithographed circular. This circular 
begins by stating: “Your name and address having 
come into our possession ” -But how wub that “ name 
and address” procured? Temptations are offered to 
postmasters in small places, and even to school chil¬ 
dren, to send the “ name and address ” of respectable 
people in their neighborhood. Names and addresses, 
with a certain class, are articles of trade. In one way 
or another the name and address of nearly every 
RESPECTABLE PERSON IN THE COUNTRY 
can be bought. This circular states that “ We have 
taken the liberty [and a great liberty it is, to be sure] 
of enclosing you descriptive circulars of Dr. Church¬ 
ill’s Restorative Remedies, thinking you might be bene¬ 
fited by their perusal. [The impudence of the chaps 1 
What business have they to think about it at all ?] Should 
you, after a careful reading of them, conclude that you 
are in need of the Remedies, and will fill up the en¬ 
closed list of questions [which no sensible man will do], 
and return them to us, we will forward you a trial pack¬ 
age, free of charge, by return mail. We are anxious 
[no doubt] to introduce them in your vicinity, and feel 
so sure that you will he benefited by their use [note the 
assurance and impudence of this 1], that you will recom¬ 
mend them toothers, thus helping us to advertise them." 
There is where D. & Co. are weak. People with “ pri¬ 
vate troubles ” do not talk about them toothers, and are 
the last persons in the world to engage in the advertis¬ 
ing business. This precious circular goes on to say: 
“ If in need of them, we sincerely trust you will accept 
our offer.” And we “sincerely trust” that the offer 
will not be accepted by any self-respecting man. 
Asa Apology IFsae Cimcimniati. 
In another item, in mentioning the inducements of¬ 
fered to farmers for speculating in stocks, provisions, 
grain, etc., we named only the cities of New York and 
Chicago. We might have known, from former experi¬ 
ence, that in any scheme for making money (for some¬ 
body), Cincinnati would be at the front, and not be out¬ 
done by any other city, especially Chicago. The Chicago 
operators modestly call themselves “ Commission Mer¬ 
chants,” while a man and his brother in Cincinnati 
claim to be a whole “Stock Exchange.” If we were to 
invest in either, we should favor the Cincinnati shop, 
for they print more and explain more, and claim that, 
“The intent and effect of the operations of the Ex¬ 
change is to do away with the dangers of speculation I” 
But—and it is very kind of them to say it—“ We do not 
urge any one to invest against their inclinations,” 
still they are “perfectly satisfied that any one who buys 
shares in the Exchange, will receive large returns for 
their money.” We, on the whole, withdraw our prefer¬ 
ence for this Cincinnati concern. An Exchange so 
shaky as to its grammar, is not likely to be sound as to 
its arithmetic. Still we give the concern the credit of 
industry. A friend in a Kentucky town writes us that 
the circular has been sent to every one in the place. 
Cautionary Signals. 
XIae Monarch E/igBitralng Saw. 
J. M. Pitzer, Orange Co.. Fla., contributes to our 
knowledge of the “Monarch Lightning Saw.” The 
“Company” sent him a postal, asking him, “Do you 
want to make $5.00 ? * * If you will write us a good 
testimonial puff of the machine, will send you $5.00 by 
registered letter.” Mr. P. writes that he has no $5.00 
testimonial puffs to dispose of, but if any one wishes a 
“Monarch Lightning Saw,” he can have his for $5.00, 
and thinks that others can be bought cheaply of his 
neighbors. 
XHie lP«i-tall>le B'llecttiric ff.ig-Htt.eii-, 
is the subject of many letters of inquiry. When this 
affair was first introduced, it appeared to be useful, and 
was advertised in our columns. It has apparently passed 
into new hands, who offer it at about a third more than 
the original price. After a thorough trial, we can only 
regard it as an amusing toy. Those who understand the 
laws of electricity, will not find much difficulty in keep¬ 
ing it in order, but for the general public, it is not suit¬ 
ed, and when it is once disarranged, it must be sent to 
the maker or some mechanic skilled in repairing elec¬ 
trical appartus, to bo set in running order. If one knows 
sufficient about batteries, he can keep it in use, but to 
others it will not prove satisfactory. 
