570 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 13, 1920 
PUBLISHER’S DESK 
All letters to Publisher’s Desk depart¬ 
ment must be signed with writer’s full 
name and address given. Many inquiries 
are answered by mail instead o£ printing 
inquiry and answer, hence unsigned let¬ 
ters receive no consideration. 
Inclosed find clipping from yesterday’s 
Democrat and Chronicle that may throw 
some light on the quality of seed these 
people can be presumed to furnish. 
New Yoi'k. c. A a. 
The advertisement in question reads as 
follows: 
Wanted — Yellow eight-rowed flint 
corn, from crops husked and cribbed early 
in fall. Address or ’phone L. P. Gunson 
& Co., 1 Ambrose St. 
No doubt the corn purchased through 
this advertisement will be sold or offered 
for sale to farmers as some wonderful 
new variety at a fabulouss price. This is 
a fair assumption, as we never yet heard 
of the Gunson or Higbie agents offering 
just ordinary farm-grown seeds. No 
siree—their seeds are always superior to 
any ever grown before! 
Will you advise me as to whether the 
following firms are reliable to deal with? 
United Food & Fur Association. 820 W. 
48th St.. New York City; Standard Food 
& Fur Association, 800 Broadway, New 
York City; Frank II. Cross, “America’s 
Big Rabbit Man,” 6407 Ptidge Ave., St. 
Louis, Mo. w. J. 
New York. 
New York, St. Louis or other large 
cities are not congenial atmosphere for 
the raising of rabbits or other pet stock. 
We do not recommend dealings with these 
dealers or “jockeys.” The big profits 
they figure out in raising rabbits are just 
on a par with the fairy stories of the pro¬ 
moters of hog ranch schemes. Those who 
like pet stock and are favorably situated 
for breeding and raising them may find 
the business fairly profitable as a side 
line, but the amateur must not expect to 
get rich quickly on the profits. To those 
who desire to make a start in this line of 
breeding our advice would be to get foun¬ 
dation stock from some breeder in the 
line. We have previously referred to the 
failure of the United Food & Fur Co. to 
live up to its agreements with customers. 
There has been placed in my hands 
for collection a claim against you 
amounting to fifty dollars ($50) and in¬ 
terest, on a trade acceptance signed by 
you on September 12. 1619, running to the 
Fanners’ Consumers Carbide Company, 
which you failed to pay. I am under in¬ 
struction to commence suit unless this 
is settled within the next 10 days. I 
trust you will not make this necessary. 
I would, of course, commence action 
in Clinton County in the Supreme Court, 
and it would mean very heavy and un¬ 
necessary expense to you. Please let me 
have remittance without further delay 
and I will return your trade acceptance, 
together with the certificate of stock. If 
I do not hear from you within 10 days, I 
shall commence action without further 
delay. C. J. very. 
Plattsburg, N. Y. 
The above is a reprint of a letter sent 
us by a number of subscribers who were 
so unwise as to sign a contract or agree¬ 
ment for the purchase of stock in the 
Farmers’ Standard Carbide Company, 
Plattsburg, N. Y. The same sort of a 
letter is being sent out by the same at¬ 
torney to those who agreed to purchase 
stock in Farmers’ Consumers’ Carbide 
Company, Syracuse. As mentioned in a 
previous issue, the two concerns—as like 
as two eggs—have made some sort of an 
arrangement for consolidation. Some 
farmers report that their orders for car¬ 
bide are not being filled—it was the prom¬ 
ise to furnish carbide at about half the 
market price that induced many farmers 
to subscribe for the stock—in other 
words, this promise constituted the 
“sucker bait.” Many have asked if they 
will be obliged to pay the balance due 
on the stock in view of the developments. 
We do not know. Those finding them¬ 
selves in this dilemma should consult an 
attorney. Where there are a number of 
farmers in the same vicinity who got 
caught on this stock-selling scheme, by 
all combining their interests, the ex¬ 
pense of employing a lawyer to protect 
their rights would not be great. It is our 
part to keep farmers out of such unfor¬ 
tunate transactions, but there is little we 
can do when they get in. Farmers should 
not be frightr 4 by such letters as the 
above. It has been our experience that 
promoters of this class get into court all 
too soon in the natural course of events 
without voluntarily turning the search¬ 
light of legal proceedings on their proposi¬ 
tion and methods. 
My daughter, who is 19 years old, is 
teaching a country school. She received 
in September. 1919, literature from The 
Athenaeum, of Fort Wayne, Ind. She 
answered same, asking their terms for a 
“commercial course by mail.” They re¬ 
plied by saying they would send their 
representative to call on her. In due 
time the agent came to her school, and 
without consulting parents she signed 
what she thought was application for 
enrollment; was supposed to pay $70 
down and the balance of $190 in monthly 
payments. In three days she received a 
letter from Athenaeum. Fort Wayne, say¬ 
ing they had received her remittance and 
were sendiug her course by express. We 
wrote them immediately, saying she could 
not take up this course now, and thought 
the price exorbitant for a mail course, 
but in a few days she received a notice 
from a bank of a $25 draft, and in the 
meantime received a dun from the Athe¬ 
naeum for $10, another for $95. We. her 
parents, went to the bank to see. and 
explained to president of the bank. He 
very kindly wrote to the school for us. 
and of course returned the draft unpaid. 
But each month they notify our daughter 
that the monthly note has been discounted 
at the bank, which is not the case. We 
did not lift the express package when it 
came; told the agent to return it. He 
wrote them, and got no rely. Now they 
are threatening to bring suit, fan they 
compel a minor to pay this? I would 
like to know what kind of an educational 
institution it is. My daughter did not 
pay a cent, but has a letter saying they 
received remittance, but did not mention 
amount. Please let us know your opinion 
either through your columns or by letter. 
Pennsylvania. w. it. 
The above letter, which is typical of 
the transactions of this institution, eluci¬ 
dates the character of this vendor of cor¬ 
respondence school courses as well as any¬ 
thing we can write about it. We would 
not dignify the Athenaeum by calling it 
an “educational institution.” The teach¬ 
ing profession has been particularly 
selected by the Athenaeum for the subject 
of attention. The bait held out is that 
teachers can fit themselves for commer¬ 
cial positions by the correspondence 
school route, and thus secure positions 
paying much larger salaries than school 
positions. Many young girls fall victims 
to the scheme, just as did the daughter 
of this subscriber. We do not believe 
the Athenaeum can collect on the con¬ 
tract signed by this young girl—a minor 
•—and. furthermore, that no attempt will 
be made beyond that of threatening let¬ 
ters, which are supposed to frighten coun¬ 
try people to pay demands made upon 
them, no matter how unjust. 
I enclose circular of the Glass Casket 
Corporation, Altoona, Pa., that explains 
itself. Do you think it would be a safe 
investment ? w. K. r. 
Pennsylvania. 
No, we do not think this would be a 
safe investment. Our files show there 
have been at least two previous promo¬ 
tions of companies formed for the alleged 
purpose of manufacturing glass caskets, 
and incidentally making investors rich. 
The predecessors have gone the way of all 
such promotions, and the investors are 
poorer .but perhaps wiser men. The cir¬ 
cular of this concern is rather crude, and 
could appeal only to the most gullible. 
It contains principally the standard 
brands of hackneyed get-rich-quick dope. 
The medical profession has been so 
overrun with appeals for investment in 
“wildcat” stocks, that in many cases have 
led to losses of the savings of a lifetime, 
that an organization of surgeons, den¬ 
tists and physicians has been made under 
the name of the Doctors’ Service Corps, 
1457 Broadway, New York City. The 
object is to give information as to whether 
a stock is fraudulent or not. If it is an 
honest security the member must decide 
for himself as to the advisability of in¬ 
vesting. Doctors and ministers are 
classed as poor business men. but they 
have been worked so persistently by pro¬ 
moters of “wildcat” propositions that, 
like the proverbial worm, the physicians 
have turned and will protect themselves. 
Many doctors are on sucker lists, aud it 
seems to us thus service will be a broad 
education. 
“Women aud cats,” declared the young 
man, “are exactly alike.” “You’re 
wrong, young man.” said the old ’uu. “A 
woman can’t run up a telegraph pole aud 
a cat can’t run up a millinery bill.”—Mel¬ 
bourne Leader. 
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Dealers everywhere Magazines near you 
