•P>e RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 1, 1920 
894 
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, hence unsigned let¬ 
ters receive no, consideration. 
1 am interested in the Publisher's Desk. 
Could you give me any information in 
regard to the Kelley Tire & Rubber Com¬ 
pany of New Haven, a new concern, which 
is supposed to be building a new factory 
in West Ilaven? F. c. G. 
Con nweticut. 
This concern is only a prospect. Ap¬ 
parently the promoters are anxious to 
establish a factory for the manufacture 
of automobile tires, provided the public 
puts up the money. It is rarely that a 
manufacturing enterprise financed in this 
way becomes successful. The fact that 
the management is expending the money 
of others instead of their own may con¬ 
tribute to the result. The old adage per¬ 
taining to money “come easy, go easy" 
applies with particular force to this class 
of promotions. It is more a question 
whether the stock of the Kelley Tire & 
Rubber Company becomes valuable in 
the future. It has no value now. 
I had a similar experience with Pomona 
Nurseries. Dansville. X. Y.. to that of F. 
H. T.. referred to in Publisher’s Desk. 
All of the peach trees and grape vines, 
six to 10. came so late last Spring that 
they died soon after planting them, half 
dead as they were on arrival. MRS. D. c. 
New York. 
One complaint usually brings another, 
and a house establishing a record of this 
kind is a good one to pass by when plac- 
ing orders. 
Can you tell me anything about the 
Keystone Pecan Company of Mauheim, 
I’a.. which claims to be developing some 
6.000 acres of pecan orchards in Dough¬ 
erty County, Georgia. They are offering 
to sell units of one acre of growing pecan 
trees, giving clear title to the buyer, and 
promising to care for the orchards and 
later on market the nuts. As I am in¬ 
terested in pecan nuts, I shall appreciate 
any information you can give regarding 
this company. Their offer seems a little 
too good to be true. w. M. G. 
New Jersey. 
This promotion has been going the 
rounds for several years. It is another 
attempt to develop a pecan orchard on the 
“unit plan.” The road is strewn with 
wreckage of similar enterprises. It is 
practically the same plan as the “hog- 
ranch" schemes which have been so pop¬ 
ular during the past few years, which 
have resulted only in disappointment and 
loss to those who have put their money 
into them—plus a penitentiary sentence 
for a few of the promoters. The pro¬ 
moters of the Keystone Pecan Company 
may be entirely sincere in the belief that 
such a development, can be successfully 
carried on in this way. These develop¬ 
ments always figure out beautifully on 
paper, and you cannot pick a flaw in the 
logic presented—but in practice all such 
plans spell disaster sooner or later. The 
overhead charge and cost of development 
is more than any agricultural proposition 
can bear for any length of time and live. 
In .one day we received seventeen in¬ 
quiries about purely speculative concerns. 
In the same mail were inquiries about the 
advisability of investing in the following 
companies: 
Texas Crescent Oil Co. 
Harvey Crude Oil Co. 
Universal Petroleum Corp. 
Powhatan Petroleum Co. 
Producers Oil and Refining Co. 
They are all Texas oil companies, seek¬ 
ing investors for stocks that have not 
yet shown any value, but the promoters 
are staking their claims on possibilities, 
based on what producing oil wells in the 
vicinity have yielded. The country is 
being flooded with literature of this kind ; 
and many of the leases so glowingly 
lauded exist only in an office or under 
the hat of some enterprising individual, 
and oftentimes far removed from the oil 
field. This is not investment but pure 
gambling with all the chances against 
you. 
Have you had any dealing with Poultry 
8 it coons, Springfield, Ohio, published by 
A. I). Hosterman Co.? The reason I 
ask is that at the poultry show in Mad¬ 
ison Square Garden in January I paid 
for a year’s subscription to this paper 
and have not received any word from 
them, though I have written them three 
times and asked the reason of the non- 
appearance of the paper. I have the re¬ 
ceipt given by the agent, at. the show, and 
it is stamped “Trout Brook Farm. Clark’s 
Corners. Conn., D. D. Cavanaugh, Mgr.” 
New York. WM. R. T. 
We have known this publishing house 
for many years. We have had an occa¬ 
sional complaint of this kind, and have 
had considerable difficulty in getting re¬ 
sponse to our letters. Our latest com¬ 
munication from this publisher was in 
effect that such complaints were none of 
our business, anyhow. We are therefore 
reluctant to intercede further in behalf 
of our subscribers, and perhaps this pub¬ 
lic notice may accomplish the desired re¬ 
sult. We, however, give Hosterman Pub¬ 
lishing Co. credit for good faith in con¬ 
nection with the subscription of W. R. T. 
Most publishers have had difficulty this 
past season to keep up with the subscrip¬ 
tion work and keep records straight, but 
those publishers who have been embar¬ 
rassed should welcome an opportunity to 
rectify any mistake or oversight. 
Investigation by Fverett 8. Owens, re¬ 
ceiver. into affairs of the Little Motor 
Kar Company disclosed a condition of 
affairs that indicates the company was 
organized to sell stock and that it.’ never 
intended to manufacture cars in paying 
quantities, attorneys for the plaintiff 
stockholders declare. 
A salary of $5,000 a month was voted 
to the president of the company, R. M. 
Liveze.v, and George Strieker, secretary, 
and R. L. McCoy were voted $2,800 a 
month each, according to the minutes of 
the company. 
Advertising put out by the company 
offered returns of 1.000 to one on an in¬ 
vestment. claiming the company would 
make $10,000,000 a year, and the Ad¬ 
vertising League of America today began 
an investigation of the company in order 
to determine whether or not to bar its 
advertising from qualified newspapers. 
Among the papers seized by Receiver 
Owens is a letter from a farmer in New 
York State. It follows : 
“Gents: T am sending you a clipping 
from The Rural New-Yorker (which 
intimated the Little Motor Kar Company 
was fraudulent). I got 40 shares in your 
company which cost me $80. I want to 
know if it is the truth what they say 
about you ; if it is then I won’t get noth¬ 
ing for my money I put in your company. 
I am a working man and can’t afford to 
lose my money to swindlers. 
“ALFRED ANDERSON', 
“453 Willard St., Jamestown, N. Y.” 
The reply in part is: 
“There are always people finding fault 
and hate to see other succeed. Don’t for¬ 
get. the Savior was crucified by such peo¬ 
ple. I can refer you to .T. II. Wimberly 
and the Fort Worth Star-Teleyram. We 
will certainly pay a dividend this year.”— 
Dallas (Tex.) Dispatch. 
This promotion scheme was widely ad- 
vertised during the Winter season and 
we had a number of inquiries about it. 
The proposition bore all the “earmarks” 
of a swindle and we said so in the article 
referred to in the subscriber's letter. We 
try to issue a warning regarding all these 
dangerous promotions as soon as we hear 
of them. The courts or the Postoffice De¬ 
partment cannot act until many people 
have been swindled. How plausibly the 
swindler replied to Tue R. N.-Y.’s criti¬ 
cism ! It is their trademark to make 
truth appear false and falsehoods truth. 
Wo are not publishing the above item 
with any spirit of “we told you so,” but 
for the benefit of our readers when ap¬ 
proached with similar investment swin¬ 
dles promising to make them rich over 
night. The mails are flooded with in¬ 
vestment literature of just such schemes, 
and the roads lined with agents selling 
the stock of them. 
How does this look to you? The Spen¬ 
cer Farm Agency, 34S West 41st St., 
New l r ork City, has written me about 
listing my farm. Following is a copy of 
their offer: 
“I hereby inclose $2 fee for listing my 
farm, and to help Spencer Farm Agency 
for his advertising and will pay him 2% 
per cent commission after he sells my 
farm, and in case I or any other agency 
sells my farm, then I am in no obligation 
to him whatsoever, or I do not owe him 
any commission.” A. A. b. 
New York. 
The Spencer Farm Agency is a “piker.” 
D. B. Cornell & Co. get $20 or $25 on 
the same scheme and get away with it. 
We can only repeat the advice many times 
given not to pay advance fees for the 
sale of a farm or anything else, no matter 
what or how plausible the pretext in ask¬ 
ing for it. 
Millions of Stored Sparks 
Batteries look more or 
less alike—outside. It’s 
the inside that counts. 
That is why French 
Dry Batteries have 
come to be universally 
accepted as standard 
for every ignition need. 
Millions of sparks 
wait patiently for you 
in every French Dry 
Battery. Everything 
entering into the con¬ 
struction of these 
batteries is scientifically 
selected for this one 
specific purpose — to 
give fat , hot sparks for 
the longest time. 
As a result, they 
uniformly deliver a 
service superior to that 
customarily had from 
a battery of this type. 
French Dry Batteries 
benefit by having long 
“shelf life.” They can 
be left unused for a 
lengthy period without 
noticeable deteriora¬ 
tion. They do not 
grow’ old and feeble. 
Always they are fresh, 
full-powered, pack¬ 
aged electricity, ready 
to serve. Because this 
long life is built into them. 
Ray-O-Spark 
Multiple Battery 
For tractors, gas engines, and every 
ignition work where you need four or 
more dry ccll3. Ray-O-Spark Multi¬ 
ple Batteries are made up of four 
French Dry Batteries, properly con¬ 
nected, producing six volts; packed 
firmly and sealed tight. Convenient 
to handle; economical to use; only two 
connections to wire up; moisture- 
proof. Avoid all the common battery 
troubles. Most leading dealers have 
them. Or write us. 
FRENCH BATTERY & CARBON COMPANY 
2335 Winnebago St., Madison, Wis. 71-73 Murray St., New York 
Branches: Chicago, Kansas City, Dallas, Minneapolis, Atlanta 
Factories: Madison, Wis., and Newark, N. J. 
Deliveries can uow be made from our Eastern office, 71-73 Murray St.. New York 
RAY-O-LITES 
and 
DRY BATTERIES 
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