1118 
THE RURAL MEW-TOHKEW 
September 12, 
P UBLISHER’S DESK 
I sent Chas. Dodge, proprietor of the 
Wisconsin Gin-Seal Co. of Albany, Wis., 
15,000 golden seal plants, for which lie 
was to pay me $10 per thousand. He 
sent me $100 and refuses to pay the re¬ 
maining $50. I sent him a few samples 
previously and wrote him that the ma¬ 
jority of the plants would average be¬ 
tween the middle size and two or three 
times as large as the smallest size, which 
was very small. He wrote me, “If the re¬ 
mainder of the roots you have are any¬ 
where near like the samples, they will be 
entirely satisfactory.” They surely did 
average better than I told him they 
Avould. I wrote him last Fall if he would 
send me $35 inside of 10 days, we would 
be even, but he would not. so he yet owes 
me $50. He wrote me this Spring that 
there were only about 10,000 stubs in all, 
and before that he said “The roots you 
send are sound enough, it appears, but are 
lacking in size badly.” I have witnesses 
as to the quality and number of plants. 
If you can collect this or influence him 
to pay it I will greatly appreciate it. 
Tennessee. c. D. R. 
We took this claim up by correspond¬ 
ence with the Wisconsin Gin-Seal Co., 
and the firm contends that they only re¬ 
ceived 10,000 instead of 15,000 plants as 
claimed, and they were inferior quality 
besides. The subscriber claims to be in 
position to prove by disinterested wit¬ 
nesses his contentions as to the number 
and quality of the plants shipped, but a 
farmer in Tennessee cannot afford to go 
to Wisconsin to bring suit on account of 
$50 worth of plants. The loss of time 
and expense in doing so would perhaps 
amount to more than the value of the 
whole shipment. Without regard to the 
merits of this particular controversy, the 
claim of inferior goods and shortage of 
quantity is worn threadbare by receiv¬ 
ers of farm produce who are willing to 
take advantage of helpless shippers at a 
distance. Our records show that another 
feature of the business methods of this 
concern was referred to in this depart¬ 
ment about a year ago., and we submit the 
experience of this subscriber for the guid¬ 
ance of shippers generally. 
Kindly permit me to join the Anti 
Fake Club. I hope that the member¬ 
ship (like the It. N.-Y. family) may ex¬ 
tend across the continent. Long ago I 
cut my subscription to one of the leading 
New England farm papers on account of 
their dishonest advertisers. I have had 
occasion to deal with several advertisers 
in Tiie R. N.-Y. and got a square deal 
each and every time. You may count me 
an active member of the club, willing to 
perform my part in making tlrs club a 
“terror” to the class of advertisers who 
are not giving a square deal. They are 
parasites, preying on their fellow hu¬ 
mans. I consider it a duty to help 
guard the unsuspecting widow or orphan 
against these unscrupulous “hot air” 
dealers. J. L. F. 
Vermont. 
We can see a great promise in the ac¬ 
tivities of the Anti-Fake Club. Fp to 
four or five years ago The R. N.-Y. was 
practically the only influence sincerely 
working for the protection of the public 
against fake and fraudulent concerns. 
Only three years ago the arch faker of 
America had no difficulty in buying page 
after page for the advertising of his 
swindling schemes in the publications, 
which, then as now, were making some 
pretense at a censorship of their adver¬ 
tising columns. It is easy enough to be 
virtuous in the face of a small order; but 
when orders for five pages come in dull 
months the publishers who make pre¬ 
tenses cannot resist the temptation. 
Such incidents test principles and sin¬ 
cerity. While the general movement for 
honest advertising is comparatively re¬ 
cent, it is now active. Vigilance com¬ 
mittees are at work all over the country 
and are working earnestly to make ad¬ 
vertising dependable and reliable. These 
men realize that deception destroys the 
efficiency of advertising, and makes it 
less valuable than it otherwise would be 
to honest houses. But they have not 
yet attacked the real source of the evil. 
They secure the passage of new laws, 
and occasionally prosecute and convict 
an offender, but the publisher who makes 
the fraud possible goes without so much 
as a reprimand. But the publisher is the 
key to the situation. If he honestly 
strives to exclude schemers from his col¬ 
umns, in three months the writing of de¬ 
ceptive advertising would be a lost art. 
This is the opportunity for our club. We 
will go straight to the fountain head. We 
will ask the publishers politely but firmly 
to exclude the advertisements that are 
found to be deceptive. If they comply, 
well and good. If they refuse, we will 
notify them that we want their publica¬ 
tions no longer and we will refuse to ac¬ 
cept them into our homes. When a pub¬ 
lisher persists we may go to the extent 
of telling honest advertisers what our ex¬ 
perience and our positions are in respect 
to such publications. We would have the 
co-operation of many of them. If the 
readers of Tiie R. N.-Y. alone, who are 
now probably 800,000 people all told, 
should follow this policy, they would rid 
the agricultural and literary publications 
of objectionable advertising in six months. 
We do not expect such a spontaneous 
demonstration; but we do expect prac¬ 
tical results. 
February 25 T found this advertisement 
in N. Y. American. I sent the $10 and 
about the last of May received a letter 
saying that no oil had been found so far, 
although a well had been drilled, but that 
they were looking at oil fields in Okla¬ 
homa. In June I got a letter and yellow 
slip for my name and address, stating 
that I was to have an interest in the 
Oklahoma fields. In July I got a letter 
asking me to buy shares in Oklahoma oil 
fields at 50 cents a share. (Later they 
will be $1). Is this a fraud or not? 
New York. M. B. 
The advertisement enclosed is a very 
clever appeal for $10 for investment in 
an oil scheme by Pliebus & McCoy, Inc., 
Denver, Colo. It is about as alluring a 
piece of sucker bait as we have seen in 
some time. The advertisement paints 
all the prospects for becoming rich 
through the small investment and then 
cleverly explains that oil isn’t always 
struck and the investor’s money may go 
in a “hole in the ground.” This appar¬ 
ent frankness is well intended to throw 
the prospective victim off his guard and 
it serves another purpose of giving the 
Government officials no grounds for prose¬ 
cution on an alleged fraudulent use of the 
mails. Those who send promoters money 
on a pure gamble of this kind have no 
good cause to complain when they lose 
their money. The root of the evil is the 
publishers who accept advertising de¬ 
signed to extract money from inexper¬ 
ienced people. 
I just bought from the U. S. Pheas- 
antry, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., 1(1 pheas¬ 
ant eggs, for which I paid $7 ; 14 of the 
eggs “rattle,” the contents being loose, 
and the air space sometimes on the small 
end, sometimes on the side, as the eggs 
are turned about. The other two eggs 
seem to show birds when held up against 
the light I wrote to the U. S. Pheas- 
antry and am told they will do nothing 
about it, as the eg^s are all right. I 
think the eggs are an unsuccessful hatch 
taken from some hen of their own. I 
have not put them undpr a hen, and have 
witnesses to prove that they were re¬ 
ceived in this condition. Will you let me 
know what you think of such eggs? Do 
good eggs ever rat lie? HRS. M. G. D. 
New Jersey. 
We have never seen fresh eggs that 
“rattle” in the way this subscriber de¬ 
scribes. Our subscriber for some years 
back may remember that this is not the 
first complaint that has appeared in these 
columns with regard to the F. S. Pheas- 
antry of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., the pro¬ 
prietor of which is Mr. F. J. Sudow. We 
have given Mr. Sudow an opportunity to 
make adjustment with this subscriber, but 
he refuses to do so. The loss of Mrs. M. 
G. D. may be the means of saving some 
other subscribers from a similar experi¬ 
ence. 
I have never received payment for a 
ease of eggs sent to B. Friedlander, 1S7 
Duane Street, New York. Express com¬ 
pany shows delivery. Can you collect? 
New York. o. o. o. 
We could not induce Mr. Friedlander 
to send remittance and our attorney was 
also unsuccessful. Mr. Friedlander seems 
to be manager of a store at 1231 Stebbins 
Avenue at the present time, but he makes 
no effort to adjust this bill. 
Can you give me any information about 
the Nassau Sales Company, 150 Nassau 
Street, New York? I received a circu¬ 
lar of their solder. I sent for a sample. 
It came and was fine. I sent for one 
dozen, which came. I sold out and sent 
for a larger quantity first part, of May, 
sending them a money order. I have nev¬ 
er heard anything from them ; have writ¬ 
ten three times and get no reply. See if 
you can trace them up as you do all 
frauds, and get my money back. My next 
order would have been for a gross, and I 
would have been robbed of $7.20 had they 
waited a little longer. j. c. F. 
Louisiana. 
Our advice is that they have moved and 
present address is unknown. Fnless you 
have satisfactory reference or rating for 
foreign concerns, it is best to have goods 
sent C. O. D. 
International Harvester 
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Y OU cannot point to one detail in 
International Harvester spreaders 
that will not do its work well in actual 
field and yard service. Every part is 
strong and durable, built for long life 
and good, even spreading. 
Among the features that will interest you 
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clogging of beater while driving to the field, etc. 
Ali styles are in the I H C spreader line, high and 
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The IH C Line 
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Cream Separators 
Farm Wagons 
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Grain Drills 
Feed Grinders 
Knife Grinders 
Linder Twine 
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(Incorporated) 
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Or J, B. NORTON CO., Inc., Distributors, 209 Elizabeth St.,Utica,N.Y. 
GASOLINE £NGINF> ■ —.. ■ i 
The dairy barn troughs, floor and walls 
are three places where Atlas Cement con¬ 
crete is practically a necessity. The best 
dairy farms have proved this. 
The man who asks for "Atlas” knows 
Portland cement. 
PORTLAND 
EM ENT 
'hen you write advertisers mention The R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply 
and a “square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
