1354 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
November 14, 1914 
P UBLISHER’S DESK 
An agent of the Madison Square Com* 
pany, 25 East 26th Street, New York, 
approached me recently with the sug¬ 
gestion that he had an honorable square 
and fair business proposition by which 
I could make some money. His com¬ 
pany had a lot development at or near 
Bound Brook, N. J. He would deed me 
one lot free and clear, provided I would 
write them a testimonial letter like sev¬ 
eral others which he exhibited and al¬ 
low the use of my name to induce other 
sales. In addition I was to pay the com¬ 
pany $350 for an adjoining lot, worth 
$600; and all purchasers except the fav¬ 
ored few like myself were to be charged 
$600 for the lots. My two would cost 
me only $175 each; and as a special sug¬ 
gestion to my cupidity I had the priv¬ 
ilege of reselling at any price I choose. 
I might even sell them as low as $500 a 
lot and it did not take long to figure up 
the profits. He seemed disappointed 
when I told him I did not want to share 
in that kind of traffic, and he was really 
shocked when I told him that to do so, 
even if I could make the profits, would 
be a swindle on every person I influenced 
to buy. My letter would be a lie and a 
cheat, because others may rely on my 
judgment; and they would not know that 
I bought for less than one-third of the 
price asked them. Besides. I had no am¬ 
bition to become a sucker myself. I 
knew right well that I could not get the 
lots on any pretense for less than they 
are worth, and I was satisfied that 
$350 was too much for both of his lots. 
Some years ago Ostrander developed lots 
at Lincoln, N. J., in the same section. 
A Michigan subscriber bought two lots, 
and paid $105 on them. He had $45 
yet to pay, and asked us to look uo the 
lots for him. I got an appraisal of $15 
for the lots, but no market for them even 
at that price. I advised the Michigan 
investor to lose his $105. and save his 
$45 yet due. Several other experiences 
were along the same line and yet this 
agent carried letters from business men 
in the city, who undoubtedly paid more 
for the lots than any reliable appraisal 
would show them to be worth; but the 
most discouraging feature of it is that 
they thoughtlessly no doubt permitted 
the use of their names to swindle others. 
I am not expecting any follow-up call 
from the Madison Square Company. 
What can you tell us about the Na¬ 
tional Mercantile Company of Vancouver, 
Canada? They are offering farm loans 
in some of the States at three per cent, 
interest. D. F. 
Connecticut. 
This is practically the same as the 
Standard Home Company of Alabama 
scheme, which has been exposed in TnE 
It. N.-Y. for the past four or five years. 
As a result of that exposure, one of our 
subscribers in the South secured the 
complaints from us and turned them over 
to the local District Attorney and the 
officers of the company are now under in¬ 
dictment. It will be remembered that 
the Alabama concern, like the Canada 
people, make their strong plea on an 
easy loan at low interest rates. The 
agents and advertising made it appear 
that the loan was sure; but the contract 
said that the member was entitled to a 
loan after certain fees had been paid in, 
and when the member applied for the 
loan she was told she must wait her 
turn, and unless she kept on paying the 
monthly installment, she would lose 
what had already been paid in. A poor 
woman had paid in some fifty-odd dol¬ 
lars before she learned that she could 
not get the loan, and feeling that she had 
been deceived, she refused to pay in more 
with no definite assurance that she could 
ever get the loan. We tried to get her 
money returned to her, but failed. A 
similar fate awaits the members of the 
Canada concern; but we have little fear 
that regular readers of The R. N.-Y. 
will get entangled in these or similar 
schemes. 
I wish to take advantage of this oc¬ 
casion to say that my feeble efforts to 
increase the circulation of The R. N.-Y. 
have been made solely as an apprecia¬ 
tion of the efforts you are putting forth 
to take care of your flock through the 
Publisher’s Desk. Having been kicked 
and cuffed around the world since early 
boyhood, I am probably not much in need 
of such warnings or assistance, but it is 
probably that very experience that some¬ 
times makes me think your own column 
is the grandest effort that today appears 
in print. G. K. B. 
New York. 
In a footnote the above writer says he 
writes in personal appreciation and not 
for publication. It is seldom we publish 
anything that reaches us under such cir¬ 
cumstances, but there is no reason to 
suppress this note except the writer’s 
modesty and we think he will excuse us 
this time in taking liberties with his 
confidence. I use it because it confirms 
a conclusion that I long ago reached. 
That is that the man of broad affairs and 
information is the first to appreciate the 
protection that an honest vigilant and 
fearless publication may afford people 
with less experience and information. I 
think the friends of this department will 
bear us out in the assurance that we 
are striving for nothing unusual or spec¬ 
tacular. Such an attempt would make 
a work of this kind ridiculous. It was 
started with the hope of serving those 
who did not-have the necessary informa¬ 
tion and means for their own protection. 
Its ambition is quietly to maintain this 
service from week to week. 
A. and B. Howton, of Halifax, have 
entered suit in county court to recover 
$1,000 damages from the E. A. Strout 
Farm Agency for alleged deceit in mis¬ 
representing a farm in Halifax which 
the plaintiffs bought through Hugh Ag- 
new. agent at that time for the agency, 
for $1,400. Mr. Agnew is made a co¬ 
defendant with the Strout Agency. It is 
alleged that May 28. 1913, they pur¬ 
chased what had been known as the Mac- 
Lane farm, owned by E. J. and Minnie A. 
MacLane, for $1,400. The farm was rep¬ 
resented to them as containing 95 acres, 
500 apple trees in prime condition, and 
100,000 feet of timber. They allege that 
the farm really contains only 65 acres, 
that there are only 125 old. scraggy, and 
rotten apple trees not in prime bearing 
condition and that there is only 25,000 
feet of timber on it. The sum of $1,000 
is named as the difference between the 
actual value and the value represented 
to them.—Vermont Messenger. 
A later report states that the case was 
tried and the jury brought in a verdict 
for $550 in favor of the Howtons. The 
jury released the agent, Agnew, from re¬ 
sponsibility, evidently holding that the 
company was responsible for the act of 
the agent. The burden of the Howtons’ 
testimony seemed to be that they bought 
the farm relying on the representations 
of the agent and the description in the 
catalogue. It was also testified that the 
Strout Company sold the farm two years 
ago to Mr. MacLane, the seller now; 
and that it was at that time advertised i 
under a different description. All of 
these trials justify our contention that a 
party to a contract has redress where 
misrepresentation can be shown by the 
principal or his agents, but those who 
wish to save themselves annoyance and 
expense will get reliable information 
from disinterested parties before they 
buy, and will then employ an attorney 1 
of their own selection to prepare the con¬ 
tract and secure title to the property. 
The Supreme Court has declined to 
direct the New York federal courts to 
annul the indictment against Jared 
Flagg, indicted with Daniel II. Morgan. 
ex-Treasurer of the United States, and 
now on trial in New York, charged with 
alleged misuse of the mails in selling 
stocks.—Washington Dispatch. 
Flagg ran an investment scheme and 
promised one per cent, profit a week, or 
52 per cent, profit a year for money sent 
him for speculation in Wall Street. The 
indictment alleged fraudulent use of the 
mails, and the evidence showed that he 
never used more than 10 to 15 per cent, 
of the money sent him in his alleged sys¬ 
tem of speculation in Wall Street, and 
what operations he did make were at a 
loss. The local trial resulted in a ver¬ 
dict of guilty on five different counts. 
We hope the repetition of these records 
from time to time will finally convince 
the people that these schemes of quick 
riches are gotten up not for their en¬ 
richment but as a painless process of ex¬ 
tracting their hard earnings and frugal 
savings. j. j. d. 
The railroad station of Meridian, Tex., 
is about a mile from the business part of 
the town. One night a sleepy, weary, 
traveling man said to the darky who was 
driving him to the hotel: “Old man, why 
did they put this depot so far from 
town?” The darky scratched his head 
in thought and replied : “Waal, boss, I’s 
fo’ced to admit dat I hasn’t give de mat¬ 
ter s’ficient cogitation, but jes’ jumped up 
for a answer like dis: I s’pose dey done 
dat so as to have the depot as near as 
possible to the railroad.”—Credit Lost. 
— 
Made in La Salle and 
Peru, III., by Westclox 
Built Like a Good Bull 
He’s as strong as an ox—look at 
his inner vest of tough implement 
steel, and his outer shield which 
serves also as his bell. 
He puts in a full 24-hour day 
without a grumble—and he’ll go 36 
hours at a stretch without rewind¬ 
ing. 
y He’s been working steadily for 
five years now and he’s never worn 
out, so far as is known. 
Hitch him to your sleeping sched¬ 
ule and see how much better the 
whole farm runs. 
Big Ben stands 7 inches tall, 
handsome, well balanced, broad 
backed, honest looking. 
Hi* hands and numerals are big 
and black—easy to read on dark 
mornings. He rings two ways — 
five straight minutes, or every 
other half minute for ten minutes, 
as you prefer. You can shut him 
off in the middle of either ring if 
you wish. 
In fact, his ma v ers think he's the 
prize clock—the American People 
certainly have pinned the blue rib¬ 
bon on him. $2.50 is his price—a 
pretty small price for a grand 
champion. 
He’s on exhibit at your jeweler’s. 
If yours hasn’t him, send a money 
order for 2.50 to Westclox, LaSalle, 
Illinois, and Big Ben comes pre¬ 
paid to any address in the United 
States. 
(241) 
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WITTE 
ENGINES 
New Prices! 
ENCINE SAW-RIGS 
6 H-P $173.80 
8 H-P 227.10 
12 H-P 324.50 
H-P 
STATIORARY 
PORTABLE 
2 
$ 34.95 
$ 40.95 
4 
69.75 
82.80 
6 
99.35 
141.80 
8 
139.65 
190.40 
12 
219.90 
279.80 
16 
298.80 
378.70 
22 
399.65 
483.15 
Cash or Easy Termst-* 
