1058 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
.(line 5, 192C. 
Add Miles to Your Rides 
Extra Tested quality is built into Racine 
Multi-Mile Cord and Country Road 
Fabric Tires. That means every Racine 
Tire is perfect in workmanship—each 
manufacturing step guarded by 
Extra Tests 
Racine Tires have an exclusive development, 
the Racine Absorbing Shock Strip—an extra 
strip of blended rubber graduated in resiliency 
—welding tread and carcass perfectly. 
As a car owner you will quickly realize the im¬ 
portance of this great feature. Racine Tires offer 
you real service and mileage economy. 
Be sure every tire you buy bears the name 
RACINE RUBBER COMPANY, Racine, Wis. 
CINE 
MULTI-MILE 
D TIRES 
PUBLISHER'S DESK 
All letters to Publisher’s Desk depart¬ 
ment must be signed with writer’s full 
name and address pi veil. Many inquiries 
are answered by mail instead of printing 
inquiry and answer, lienee unsigned let- 
tors receive no consideration. 
The Rural New-Yorker is the best 
farm magazine I ever read. I have one 
of your sample copies of April 24, and 
have read eery page, something I never 
did in any farm paper or magazine. 
New York S. S. 
Tiie Rural New-Yorker was first 
taken by my grandfather. __ We have two 
bound volumes, one of 1854 and one of 
1855. It was calk'd them Moore’s Rural 
Xew-Yorker, published in Rochester. The 
paper has been coming to the family 
continuously ever .since. F. s. 
New York. 
In the above paragraphs we have the 
extremes of new and old friends, one 
basing his judgment on a single copy of 
the paper, the other expressing a senti¬ 
ment that has grown up during three 
generations. Both letters came in the 
same mail. In some ways it is a greater 
compliment for the paper that a farmer 
finds so much to approve in a single copy, 
because he has no tradition or sentiment 
to influence him. The paper must ap¬ 
peal to him on its merits alone. When 
associated with memories of three gen¬ 
erations in the family, the real service 
of the paper in itself may be observed in 
a worthy sentiment; but admitting that 
the practical side may be more compli¬ 
mentary and fully appreciating the good 
will of new friends, somehow three gener¬ 
ations of old friends takes the transaction 
out of the realm of business and clothes 
it with a sentiment of kinship. After 
all, sentiment is the greatest moving force 
in the world. 
The Gardner Nursery Company, of 
Osage. Ia.. invites me to join their “Straw¬ 
berry Shortcake Club.” They have a new 
variety, “No. 999. Giant Everbearing.” 
said to “measure up tp as large as 5^ 
inches, with a wonderful flavor, blending 
the aroma of tbe pineapple, sweetness of 
the fig. luscious juiciness of a well- 
ripened peach, the spicy flavor of a fancy 
cantaloupe, all stirred and mixed up with 
that delightful wild strawberry flavor.” 
They will sell me for $10 enough of these 
plants to set out a square rod (9 1-6 doz.), 
make me a “charter member of the Short¬ 
cake Club” and eligible to compete for 
$150 cash prizes for best yield from the 
square rod of ground. 
Do you know anything about this won¬ 
derful berry, or the prospect of winning a 
prize from a square rod planted to it? 
They claim that their regular price for 
these plants is $5 per dozen, or nearly $50 
for the quantity they give Shortcake Club 
members in this $10 square rod offer. 
New Jersey. w. w. H. 
We know nothing of this marvelous 
strawberry, “No. 999 Giaut Everbearing.” 
Its virtues, or shortcomings, as the case 
may be, are all the secret of Mr. Gard¬ 
ner. of Osage, Ia. Standard varieties are 
quoted by good reliable growers at from 
$1 to $2.50 per 100. This unknown 
variety, with nothing to commend it but 
the Gardner variety of hot air, you are 
offered as a great favor and only by join¬ 
ing the “Strawberry Shortcake Club” at 
$10 for 110 plants. The photographs of 
the berry, natural size, do not show it to 
be larger than the Marshall. Another 
photograph in the circular is supposed to 
show the plants two months after plant¬ 
ing. with blossoms and ripe berries. The 
reproduction does not show the berries or 
blossoms, but Mr. Gardner apparently 
wants the public to believe that this won¬ 
derful variety will produce a crop two 
months after planting. Any variety will, 
of course, produce a few berries during 
the first season. 
The regular price of the plants, Mr. 
Gardner says, is $45.83. Or, in other 
words, the “Strawberry Shortcake Club,” 
which exists only in Mr. Gardner’s 
imagination, saves the purchaser $“5.85. 
If anyone has ever seen a better sample 
of simon pure “sucker bait” we should 
like to have him trot it out! You stand 
about as much chance of winning a $lo0 
prize as the man in the moon. Gardner 
Nursery Company has beeu attempting to 
bunco the public ou schemes of this kind 
for 20 years or more. And the firm ap¬ 
pears to be a member in good standing 
in the American Association of Nursery¬ 
men ! 
I have a tale of woe—Adams Express 
Company! It concerns egg claims * I 
should have let you collect for me, but 
I was at that time too simple to under¬ 
stand the character of this company. 
Being the simpleton I was. they “did” 
me, in this fashion : 
July 30. 1917, I sent two cases of No. 
1 white eggs. One case was so badly 
smashed that the consignee refused to 
accept it, advising me to put in claim for 
complete loss. For the other case he gave 
me 47 cents net per dozen, or $14.10 net 
for the case. Through the Adams Ex¬ 
press local agent (since dead) I sent in 
a claim August 27, 1917. Like a fool. I 
gave up all the original papers, keeping 
not even copies. So great at that time 
was my faith in human nature. Dec. 5, 
1917. I sent to the same person one case 
of eggs, aggregating $19.05 net in value. 
This case also was so badly smashed that 
it was refused. At an unknown date, 
but before April 4, 1918. I sent, in a claim 
in the same manner as before. For a long 
time, perhaps months, I heard nothing 
from these claims. Then I not only began 
writing to their Claim Bureau iu Boston, 
but I also kept urging- their agent here 
to prod the company. I got either uo 
replies at all, or else ouly perfunctory re¬ 
plies to investigate. Finally April 19, 
1919, I wrote to the American Railway 
Express Company in Washington. They 
referred my letter to their Newark, New 
Jersey office, and a man called on me 
personally. lie was very courteous, and 
I understood him to say he would in¬ 
vestigate and push things on to a settle¬ 
ment. Later, however, I received a letter 
from Newark saying that all data had 
been turned over to C. W. Stockton, 
General Counsel of the Adams Express 
Company, to whom I was to look for 
further advices. No word from Stockton, 
so I wrote him. Then began again the 
cat-and-mouse policy. I wrote several 
times. Sometimes no reply, sometimes 
replies apparently designed simply to play 
with me. Three or four times I was 
asked to give my data over again. 
Finally I wrote to the president of the 
Adams Express Company. I had a letter 
from the chief clerk, declining my claim on 
account of the two-years-and-a-day clause. 
I was simply thunderstruck. I at once 
wrote to the Interstate Commerce Com¬ 
mission at Washington, and received re¬ 
ply that it was not too late to proceed 
against the company. So I started get¬ 
ting papers together again. I got copies 
of the original shipping receipts at the 
office here. I enclose them. But when 
I wrote to New Ilaven I got the letter 
stating that he has no record himself, 
nor can he find records of those dates in 
the New ITaven office of the Adams Ex¬ 
press Company, as they had been re¬ 
moved or destroyed (perhaps purposely, 
to my thinking). So you see I have 
almost nothing in the way of proofs. I 
But I cannot throw the thing over with- ' 
out at least presenting- the problem to I 
you. If nothing can he done, there is no \ 
use returning the papers to me. as they 
would be of no value. sr. n. 
Connecticut. 
Wc publish the above letter in full be¬ 
cause it outlines the policy of the Adams 
Express Company. Our correspondence 
department followed up all claims per¬ 
sistently every 10 or 15 days, and in view 
of unusual conditions during the war 
period extended every opportunity to the 
express company for the investigation. 
We believed ultimately the claims would 
be paid, but as they piled up and ran into 
thousands of dollars the express company < 
took advantage of a heretofore unused 
law and outlawed the claims. They in¬ 
sist that all the old companies were tak¬ 
ing advantage of this time limitation, but 
we have not found it so. The American 
and Wells Fargo claim bureaus have paid 
old claims where the evidence showed 
they were at fault. The Adams Express 
Company is in bad repute all over the 
country. Their treatment of shippers, 
whose revenue paid their dividends, would 
make interesting reading and* indicate I 
how to finance business on other people’s 
money. Our indignation might not he so 
great if they did not assume au attitude 
of virtuous generosity ’to shippers because 
of the payment of some few claims. The 
two-year time limit expired simply be¬ 
cause claimants believed the assurances 
that “claims will have prompt attention” 
would be lived up to, and granted their 
requests for further indulgence and time 
to make full investigation. The attorney, 
C. W. Stockton, promised to give a de¬ 
clination in ample time to bring suit. The 
promise was never kept. A 60 per cent 
adjustment was offered, but would not 
cover any claim not fully supported by 
evidence to show it had beeu entered 
within the time limit, and this evidence 
had been lost e or mislaid in their own 
claim bureaus, but the shipper received 
no benefit of the doubt, lie must assume 
all risk, suffer all loss. It is rumored 
they will go into business again under a 
new name. If so, our advice is to make 
no use of service offered by a company 
whose officers conducted the policy of the 
old company. 
Delivered prices quoted on 
request. 
THE E. BIGL0W CO., New London, 0. 
f—WOOD PIPES!! 
Why not use Wood Pipe for carrying' Spr‘ n * 
Water to your house and barn. It can be in¬ 
stalled for one-half the cost of iron pipe. It will 
not rust, cIok or taint. If the water becomes 
frozen it will not burst. Bored from White 
Pine Timber, the water is delivered as sweet 
and pure as at the source of supply. . 
Write for Catalogue and Frices. 
A. WYCK0FF & SON COMPANY. Elmira. N. Y. 
WbenCaiH 
Give them 
fresh, pure water right 
from the well. It pays, and pays 
big—not only in the hot summer days, but 
all through the entire year. With a 
Fuller & Johnson 
FARM PUMP ENGINE 
you are always sure of water, at any time and regardless of 
any and all weather conditions. Prominent dairymen and 
farmers recommend the FULLER & JOHNSON Farm Pump 
Engine as the most satisfactory outfit. 
The FarmPump Enginecomesallcomplete—engineandpunip-jack combined 
ready toattachtoany pump—doesnot interfere with windmill, setson any well platform. 
Profit by the experience of others and get a FULLER & JOHNSON FarmPump Engine. 
For valuable information on pumping equipment send for special Catalog No. 17-A. 
FULLER & JOHNSON MFG. CO. 
Established 1840 Builders of Farm Engint s 
61 Rowe Street Madison, Wisconsin 
m 
FITS ANT 
PUMP- - 
