1043 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
August 22, 
P UBLISHER’S DESK 
The various transportation companies 
are standing rather firmly upon that 
clause of their receipts pertaining to fil¬ 
ing claims for loss and damage within 
four months after a reasonable time of 
delivery has elapsed. It will be well to 
bear this in mind, and see that claims are 
entered within the prescribed time. Make 
prompt investigation if returns fail to 
reach you from houses to whom you are 
shipping, and ask your agent to trace the 
claim promptly. This will act as a 
waiver, and when formal claim is entered 
the companies cannot fall back upon the 
time limit as a technicality for declining 
the claim. Losses prior to February 9, 
1914, will not be considered by transpor¬ 
tation companies if no notice was given 
of the loss prior to April 1, 1914. 
A jury in the United States District 
Court acquitted Nova Adolphus Brown, 
Floyd N. Franklin and seven other de¬ 
fendants who were charged with using 
the mails to defraud in the sale of $650, 
000 of the stock of Franklin’s Inc., a 
candy making concern, with headquarters 
in Long Island City. The jury had been 
out 27 hours and had twice reported its 
inability to arrive at a verdict, only to be 
sent back to its room by the judge. At 
first, it is said, only one juror held out 
for the acquittal of all the defendants. 
Judge Russell had the jury locked up for 
the night and the defendants sent to the 
Tombs. Until an hour or so before the 
verdict it was rumored that three jury¬ 
men were voting for a general acquittal. 
The trial lasted for three weeks.—Lo¬ 
cal Paper. 
The promoters will probably point to 
this verdict as a justification of them¬ 
selves; but the victims of the schemes 
have lost their money, and no verdict of 
a jury, either for conviction or acquittal, 
will alter their sad position. A failure 
to convict is by no means a clean bill of 
health for the scheme. It may be that 
one or more of the jury are in sympathy 
with crooks, or it may be that the evi¬ 
dence is such that honest jurymen have 
a doubt as to the fraudulent intent of 
the promoters. No matter how foolish 
and impractical a scheme may be, if the 
jury thinks the promoter might have be¬ 
lieved that it would be successful, they 
must vote for acquittal, no matter if 
he humbugged every investor in the 
scheme. Their lawyers frankly admit 
the failure of the scheme. Sometimes 
they call it the vision of a dreamer, but 
insist that it is no crime to dream. Juries 
often become very squeamish on this argu¬ 
ment and it has kept a good many promo¬ 
ters out of jail. The only help for the 
victim must be administered before he 
parts with his money. After it once 
leaves his hands the case is hopeless. 
That is why we try to sound the warning 
to our people in advance. 
On July 9, 1914, after considerable cor¬ 
respondence I sent W. O. Chase of “the 
Edgemont Poultry Farms” of Hillsboro, 
Ill. $15 for 100 R. C. Black Minorca 
day-old chicks which were to be sent me 
at once. I have written him at least a 
dozen times since then and demanded that 
he either return the money or send me 
chicks. Sometimes he has answered with 
excuses and promises but nothing else 
has been forthcoming. I wrote the local 
banker there, and lie said Chase was 
slow. If you could get anything I would 
be very glad, and if not, you might show 
him up for the benefit of your subscrib¬ 
ers. H. E. II. 
Pennsylvania. 
We also have complaint from a New 
York State,subscriber who sent this same 
W. O. Chase of the Edgemont Poultry 
Farms, Hillsboro, Ill., $15 for a pen of 
poultry last Spring. Mr. Chase failed 
to ship the poultry as agreed, and our ef¬ 
forts to get any adjustment in either case 
has been fruitless. Mr. Chase seems to 
be in the same class of poultrymen as E. 
E. Cooley of Ransomville, N. Y., and 
E. F. McAvoy of Cambridge, N. Y. We 
trust The R. N.-Y. readers will give all 
three a wide berth in the future. 
I am sending you literature which 
rather puzzles me. I don’t know whether 
I have a good friend who wants to make 
money for me, or has my name on his 
sucker list. However, I did not send any 
money. It is a new one to me. If you 
think it a swindle please expose it. If 
all right, why give the gentleman due 
credit for his generosity in wanting to 
help a farmer. Having read the contract 
carefully, it looks very one-sided, c. s. 
Indiana. 
The literature enclosed is from the 
Ozark Hog Ranch Co., of St. Louis, Mo., 
which appears to be a scheme to sell two 
brood sows in connection with 10 acres 
of land for $225. It might be called a 
sale of land with the brood sows thrown 
in or a sale of the brood sows with a 
bonus of the land. It would not be so 
much a surprise if the scheme appealed 
to city men who have no knowledge of 
farm operations or stock raising, but we 
doubt if such bait will catch many farm¬ 
ers. 
Dwight B. Cornell of the Cornell real 
estate agency of Great Barrington, and 
the head of that institution, was arrested 
Friday and placed under $500 bonds to 
answer to a charge of false pretences, 
brought by T. S. James of Austerlitz, N. 
Y. The substance of the complaint is 
that Dwight B. Cornell obtained the 
signature of T. S. James to a written in¬ 
strument designedly and with intent to 
defraud Elmer C. Herrick of Great Bar¬ 
rington. It seems that Mr. Herrick was 
the owner of a farm at Austerlitz, N. Y. 
Mr. James was the proposed buyer and 
Cornell acted as agent. On Oct. 17, 
1911, it is alleged, Cornell agreed with 
Mr. James for the purchase of the farm 
for $1,600; but on the next day wrote Mr. 
Herrick that he had been offered only 
$900 in cash or $1,000 in credit.—New 
York Local Paper. 
Of this particular transaction we 
know only what is reported above; but 
we have had occasion to refer to Mr. Cor¬ 
nell’s operations in the past on different 
occasions; and the practice of some agents 
in selling farms at 20 to 70 per cent, 
above the owner’s price and keeping the 
excess as commissions or profits, has been 
quite freely discussed in these columns. 
Several civil actions have resulted in tnc 
courts; but this is the first criminal 
action that has come to our attention. 
The precedent established by this action 
will be important; but it is usually dif¬ 
ficult to convict in such cases on crim¬ 
inal charges. The people however will 
find some way to reach the agents who 
persist in these practices. The civil 
courts do not afford a remedy because 
they are too expensive for the class of 
people who are deceived. If the criminal 
courts do not reach them, statutes will 
have to be enacted to regulate the sale 
of farm property through agents, and they 
will limit the commission to the agent and 
prescribe the form of contract to be used. 
I have watched The R. N.-Y. closely 
for the past year, and I find you are a 
real protector of your subscribers. I am 
in trouble with the Verde Grand Copper 
Company of Arizona. The leading men 
are trying to freeze the stockholders out. 
I have 1.250 shares non-assessable. I 
never refused to do my part. They fixed 
a mortgage for $4,000; placed it in the 
Jerome Bank to come due February 15. 
1915, in this way trying to take the min¬ 
ing outfit, which has cost at least a few 
hundred thousands. What can I do to 
protect myself? I was told by a man, 
who knows all that country, that the mine 
was O. K. Could you collect $10,000 
from the officers for my claim? g. w. s. 
California. 
In 1910 one of our subscribers reported 
a sad experience with this same Verde 
Grand Copper Company. AVe wrote the 
president of the company in regard to the 
present complaint and he advises us that 
the stock has but little value in the mar¬ 
ket—one-half to one cent per share, and 
there is but little sale for it at any price. 
The stockholder simply owns a fractional 
part of the business of the company. The 
other stockholders have as much legal 
right to collect their original investments 
from him as he has from them. Of 
course, really the promoters usually man¬ 
ipulate things for their own advantage, 
and by a control of the company get all 
the benefits. In mining enterprises there 
is seldom any attempt to develop the 
business; but when there is, and the mine 
becomes valuable, the small investors are 
usually frozen out. AA r e are powerless to 
help in such a situation. 
The inclosed card gives address of the 
Associated Farm Products Co., Herald 
Square Building, N. Y. City, that has a 
representative soliciting shipments of 
eggs and offering attractive prices for 
same. They are anxious for immediate 
shipments. Do you know anything about 
them? Do you consider them a safe con¬ 
signee? E. E. K. 
Manorville, N. Y. 
Several shippers have inquired about 
the Associated Farm Products Co., which 
according to the best information we can 
get is the name assumed by a Chas. A. 
Boyle. He is reported to have desk room at 
the address given and to be engaged in 
selling eggs to private families. He carries 
no stock and we are unable to learn 
through the regular channels that he has 
any financial responsibility. The only 
safety for shippers therefore will be to 
insist on advance payment or some tangi¬ 
ble form of security before parting with 
their produce. 
DIRIG0 SILOS 
Are GOOD Silos. It has been^ 
our persistent purpose for four¬ 
teen years to inako a perfect 
Silo. Every D1RIGO SILO is 
sold by mail. We want to mail 
a catalog and price list to every 
farmer who keeps stock. A 
postal card will bring our Low 
Prices delivered at your nearest 
station. Prompt shipments. 
STEVENS TANK & TOWER CO. 
AUBURN, MAINE 
|l 
They preserve silage perfectly. Com¬ 
bine best construction, greatest dura¬ 
bility and convenience. Easy to erect 
and keep air-tigbt. W rite today for cata¬ 
logue. Agents wanted. Address 
TJNADILLA SltO 00., Bor C .Unadilla, N. 
It is NOT Too Late 
to order a 
Green Mountain Silo 
The long life, dipped in 
preservative, silo. 
The Creamery Package Mfg. Company 
338 West Street, Rutland, Vt. 
ZYRO Metal Silos 
E reserve »ilage perfectly. They are substantially 
uilt along correct lines. “Zyro” Silos cannot 
crack or shrink and are practically trouble proof. 
All sizes.Writo for FIIKK Catalog NOW. 
Telia the complete story of “Zyro” 
Silos. Ask for It To-Day. 
CANTON CTJLVKRT CO. 
Bo» A4 Canton,Ohio 
Give Your Horses Fresh, Pure 
Water From a Concrete Tank 
Chop up the old, moss-covered, germ breeding, wooden trough. 
Buy a few bags of Portland cement and build a permanent water¬ 
ing tank of concrete. The concrete tank doesn’t leak. It is very 
easily cleaned. It will improve the looks of your barnyard. The 
stock will always have pure, fresh drinking water. In buying 
cement be sure to ask your dealer for 
UNIVERSAL 
PORTLAND 
CEMENT 
Use it for any concrete work you do about the farm. It is uni¬ 
form in quality, in strength and fineness; can be relied on for 
satisfactory results. If you are planning any concrete improve¬ 
ments, we will gladly give you suggestions. Write for our free 
books,“Concrete in the Barnyard”or “Concrete for the Farmer.” 
UNIVERSAL PORTLAND CEMENT CO. 
CHICAGO, 208 South LaSalle St. PITTSBURGH, Frick Bldg. 
MINNEAPOLIS, Security Bank Building 
Plants at Chicago and Pittsburgh Annual Output 12,000,000 Barrels 
