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618 
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 of printing 
inquiry and answer, lienee unsigned let¬ 
ters receive no consideration. 
I am enclosing herewith catalogue of 
Whitney Poultry Farm. Marlborough. N. 
Y., and wish you to assist me in what¬ 
ever way you think proper. During 
January, 1919, I booked an order for 
hatching eggs from liis “extra special” 
pen of hens, and paid him $25 for 15 
eggs. You note his guarantee and price. 
These eggs when received by me were 
freakish—odd shapes—and only two 
hatched and these chicks were also de¬ 
formed and died in a few hours. I wrote 
to him asking him to replace at least a 
part of the eggs. His - answer was not 
only a bluff and insult but stated that 
the fertility was tested before shipping 
and that every egg was found hatchable. 
I have handled and managed poultry for 
15 years, and never before have I heard 
of any scheme of testing the fertility of 
an egg before incubation. I wrote again 
this year to him repeating my experience 
of last year, but no reply. Please inves¬ 
tigate and report. w. H. B. 
Maryland. 
The above is a fair sample of Wm. B. 
Whitney’s way of doing business accord¬ 
ing to the reports which come to us. and 
his reputation at home corresponds with 
his practices. Mr. Whitney gets out ex¬ 
pensive literature which in connection 
with his claims made for his stock and 
his broad guarantee is well intended to 
deceive the public. His letters are so 
abusive and repulsive that we refuse to 
enter into any correspondence with him. 
As the “eggs for hatching” season is at 
its height we hope this item may save 
some of our readers from a disagreeable 
and unfortunate experience. 
What do you think of this offer of E. 
P.. Marshall Co.. Milwaukee. Wis.? Don’t 
you think the company is making a good 
offer to get rid of some mighty poor stuff? 
If the blanket is 90 per cent wool it is 
worth more than $12.50 here. I am 
afraid some farmer will jump for this 
bait. j. H. M. 
New York. 
The letter refers to the offer of E. B. 
Marshall Co., formerly Wilbur Stock 
Food Co., to send the horse blanket “free” 
with a $12.50 order of stock food. The 
circular letter resorts to the old fake 
scheme of claiming to have a shipment 
of goods at the .railroad station near the 
party addressed, which must be moved at 
once, and this is the pretext for the “spe¬ 
cial bargain” offer. Any business house 
resorting to such deception is unworthy 
of confidence in any particular. The fake 
scheme has been worked threadbare. A 
number of cheap paint concerns in Cleve¬ 
land made it a feature of their selling 
campaign a few years ago. until the Post 
Office inspectors put a stop to it. It is 
such a palpable trick that it should fool 
no one. The schemes in which the fraud 
is more cleverly concealed are more dan¬ 
gerous. Publisher’s Desk has had occa¬ 
sion to warn its readers from year to 
year for the past dozen years of the 
methods and fake policies of Wilbur 
Stock Food Co. and its successor, E. B. 
Marshall Co. 
Enclosed is an advertisement, accord¬ 
ing to which I can get two 30x3% Good¬ 
rich tires for $26.87, or practically two 
Goodrich tires for the price of one. This 
does not look right to me. Please let me 
have your opinion on it. H. W. 
New Jersey. 
The advertisement of Manufacturers’ 
Surplus Tire Co., 789 Seventh Avenue, 
New York City, making an offer which 
even the elect would interpret as above, 
is the cleverest deception in the shape of 
an advertisement we have seen in some 
time. A counterfeit is dangerous only 
when it is a clever imitation, and so with 
an advertisement. The advertisement 
feads: 
Pay $1 more than the cost of one spe¬ 
cial tire and you get an additional brand- 
new first quality GOODRICH non-skid 
tire, guaranteed 6,000 miles by the Good¬ 
rich factory. These tires are positively 
firsts. 
Then a price of a tire (not a Good¬ 
rich) is quoted, which is $9 in excess of 
the price of standard tires of the same 
size, and for $1 additional the purchaser 
can get one Goodrich tire. One tire is 
of au unknown make, and the value of it 
is open to question. By paying $10 more 
than the price of a standard tire you can 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 20, 1920 
get this “special” tire and a Goodrich 
tire. We are reliably informed that the 
“special” tire is au inferior brand of tires 
and our prediction is that those who take 
advantage of this offer with the idea that 
they are getting something for nothing as 
usual will get stuck. 
An agent for the Chicago Portrait 
Company called at my home today and 
my wife drew the lucky coupon for $10 
that would entitle her to a picture cost¬ 
ing $20, and all she would have to pay 
would be $10 and get one picture free; 
also because she drew the $10 coupon. 
These pictures were to be redrawn from 
small pictures and to be oil painted, and 
without the coupon would cost her $40. 
I mentioned your paper to the agent and 
he said he would see what could be done 
to stop this talk about his company. Is 
this the same company you have before 
condemned? If so, please show me their 
point. H. K. P. 
Delaware. 
We have referred to the “lucky-envelope 
scheme” a number of times, and the Chi¬ 
cago Portrait Company has threatened to 
sue us for libel, but has not done so up - 
to date. We have heretofore regarded 
the scheme as a “lottery,” but we have 
been convinced that there are some es¬ 
sential elements of a “lottery” lacking. 
At any rate, the purpose of the plan is 
to lead the prospect to believe that he is 
getting something for nothing, or a $20 
picture for $10. or, according to the above 
subscriber. $40 worth for $10. At best 
it is a deception that we have yet to find 
anyone with any high ideals of business • 
ethics to defend. The Rkral New- I 
Yorker will not condone such methods 
of deceiving country people. Whether 
the pictures are not worth the price paid 
is not the question—the orders are se¬ 
cured by a trick or deception. Can a 
house resorting to such means be con¬ 
sidered worthy of confidence in any other 
respect? 
Do you “want to go a-fishin'?” En¬ 
closed is some “sucker bait." f. s. 
New York. 
The “sucker bait” referred to is a cir- | 
cular of Ideal Remedies Company, Buf- i 
falo, N. Y., promising to make those rich 
who invest in stock of the company. It 
is encouraging to se<> that readers recog¬ 
nize the “earmarks of these elusive 
schemes to get the money of country peo¬ 
ple. 
I am in trouble with the Franklin 
Paint Company of Cleveland, Ohio. They 
sent me 39 gals, for a half-barrel, same 
as they did the other fellows. After tak¬ 
ing out two gallons, we notified them that 
we were ready to return it and asked 
them for shipping instructions. They 
ignored this letter altogether, and on 
looking at their literature I notice they 
say that they will not accept goods re¬ 
turned without their orders. They evi¬ 
dently did not intend to issue any orders 
for return of goods. They have now 
placed the account in the hands of a 
lawyer here in town, and he has notified 
me to settle up. I returned the paint 
without their instructions, and have a 
copy of bill of lading. I have decided to 
stand a suit rather than pay them. 
Ohio. E. L. c. 
The above is a fair sample of the meth- 
olds of the Franklin Paint Company. 
Farmers regard a barrel as 31% gals., 
but iu the paint and oil trade a barrel 
is regarded as about 50 gals. There is, 
therefore, no excuse for shipment of 39 
gals, as a half-barrel, and if it can be 
explained in any other way than a de¬ 
liberate attempt to put a greater amount 
of paint off on the customer than he ex¬ 
pected or wanted, we shall be glad to 
know what it is. and give Franklin Paint 
Company the benefit of whatever the ex¬ 
planation may be. If there were no in¬ 
tention of taking advantage of the cus¬ 
tomer. the concern could easily explain 
in their literature how much paint would 
be shipped or the half-barrel order. 
Ringworm 
Will you let me know what is your 1 
remedy for an advanced case of ringworm | 
on cows? H. W. D. 
New York. 
Isolate affected animals and cleanse 
and whitewash the stables and all stub¬ 
bing places, as the disease is due to a 
vegetable parasite and so is contagious. 
The parasite lives on damp walls and 
woodwork as well as the skin. Scrub 
each affected spot free of crusts or scabs, 
first saturating with oil for a few days, if 
that proves necessary. When clean aud 
dry wet once a week with a solution of 
one pound of pure sulphate of copper 
(blue-stone) dissolved iu half a gallon of 
hot water. To spots on face apply tinc¬ 
ture of iodine twice daily. 
NEP0N5ETR0DFS 
Good Old Paroid 
“Good old Paroid”—That’s what farmers call the best roll 
roofing ever made. 
For more than 20 years Neponset Paroid has protected 
cattle, poultry, stock, tools, equipment, crops, and homes 
from the attacks of rain and sleet, sun and snow—at the low¬ 
est service cost per square foot per year. 
One farmer writes, ‘‘Neponset Paroid is the greatest roofing 
investment I ever made. Ten years ago 1 decided that to 
keep my prize stock warm and healthy I needed on the roof 
and siding of my barn the best roofing that money could buy. 
I bought good old Paroid. It’s still good old Paroid—it 
hasn't cost me a penny for repairs and it still looks good for 
another ten years.” 
Three Colors—Red, Green, Gray 
Paroid slate-surfaced comes in 
two colors—natural slate-red and 
slate-green. It is the most beau¬ 
tiful slate-surfaced roll roofing 
made. Just what you need for 
your house or barn—right over 
old wooden shingles. Paroid gray 
comes in two weights. Build and 
repair NOW. You owe it to 
yourself to use Paroid. There’s 
a Neponset Roofing for every 
need and every purse. If you 
do not know who is your nearest 
dealer in Neponset Roofs write 
to us. Send for full iuforma- 
tion. 
BIRD & SON, incorporated (Established 1795) East Walpole, Mass, 
SPLITDORF 
MARK 
WIND CREST FARM 
MCCOCRS Of RLGISTCRIO GuCRNSCV CATTLE 
P. O . RUTLAND. VT„ 
Doooobar s, 1919. 
Sgilltdorf Electrical Company, 
S.mrk, N. J. 
Oantleman: 
About flvo year* ago .a purchased 
an Overland Touring Car. It hi equipped 
with 9pl ltdorf Oreen Jacket Spark Pluge. 
Thle oar hae run approalaately 
30.000 nlle• and the aajne pluge are etlll 
giving good eatlefaotlon. 
Toure truly, . 
Oho plug 
yitNthZ 
Green 
Jacket! 
T HE main secret of their long life is the East 
India Ruby Mica insulation. Unlike porce¬ 
lain, this mica never breaks, cracks or chips, and 
Splitdorf Green Jacket Spark Plugs cost you no 
more than ordinary plugs. They are absolutely 
guaranteed against breakage. 
Write for booklet that will show you the correct 
plug for your car, truck or tractor engine. 
SPLITDORF ELECTRICAL COMPANY 
94 Warren Street Newark, N. J. 
Established 
1858 
