1598 
The RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
< 'ctolier 9, 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 of printing 
inquiry and answer, hence unsigned let¬ 
ters receive no consideration. 
Six stockbrokers and three curb broker¬ 
age houses were indicted last week under 
an accusation of using the mails to de¬ 
fraud in the sale of stock in the Tuxpam 
Star Oil Corporation. They are said to 
have sold $20,000,000 worth of stock. 
The indictment alleges that the corpora¬ 
tion claimed to own certain oil-producing 
lands in Mexico, which was untrue, and 
they knew it to be false. They are fur¬ 
ther charged with selling the stock by 
fraudulent representations and promises 
of “future magnificence.” 
I received your letter regarding L. P. 
Gunson & Co., Rochester. N. Y. I showed 
it to my neighbor and his agent friend, 
and it created some consternation. I 
made them agree to cancel every order 
(about 90) which they had taken in this 
vicinity, and the agent agreed to get out 
of town by Saturday night. I am post¬ 
master at this town, and consider The 
R. N.-Y. the best farm paper that comes 
through this office. I also own and oper¬ 
ate a 120-acre farm, but can spare a little 
time to talk Rurai. New-Yorker. I 
consider “Publisher’s Desk” and “Hope 
Farm Notes” the best part of the paper, 
although it is all so good there is little 
room for comparison. a. d. s. 
Ohio. 
Here is efficient work on the part of 
a public-spirited citizen. We published 
A. D. S.’s letter a few weeks ago, asking 
advice as to the standing and record of 
the above seed company. The result of 
the advice given is contained in the above 
letter and needs no comment. No farmer 
should be induced to sign an order for 
seed oats or any other seeds on the 
strength of claims made by a salesman. 
In this case the agent resorted to the old 
trick of getting some man well known in 
the community to go around with him 
and introduce him to farmers. This, of 
course, had the desired effect of removing 
suspicion, and made it easy for the agent 
in question to work his game. While 
this community has been spared, the 
agent has no doubt departed to pastures 
new to duplicate the performance. 
I am sending a clipping from our local 
paper giving an account of a change of 
management of the Farmers’ Standard 
Carbide Company. Has our friend G. A. 
Stromblad got enough of other people’s 
money and got out? J. R. D. 
New York. 
The report from the Plattsburg (N. Y.) 
paper states that Samuel Null, who is or 
was a member of a stock brokerage firm 
w r hieh some time ago undertook to sell a 
block of the stock of the Farmers’ Stand¬ 
ard Carbide Company, is the new presi¬ 
dent of the company, instead of Geo. A. 
Stromblad, who organized the company 
originally at Canastot-a, N. Y. The only 
thing the new president has apparently 
to commend him for the position is his ex¬ 
perience as a stock salesman or promoter. 
We do not know what the consideration 
or inducement which caused Mr. Strom¬ 
blad to step down and out—or whether 
the step was voluntary on his part. We 
still advise our readers against invest¬ 
ment in the stock until we see some evi¬ 
dence of putting the company on a sound 
manufacturing basis, instead of exploiting 
it for stock selling purposes, as has been 
done since its inception. 
Some years ago I bought $1,700 of pre¬ 
ferred stock in the Staley Manufacturing 
Company of Baltimore, Md., and also had 
$1,000 of common stock as a bonus in 
same concern. Staley Manufacturing 
Company got in financial difficulties at 
about the beginning of the war and ceased 
to pay their semi-annual dividends. I 
was in military service, and last Spring 
while I was away M. P. Fries, now locat¬ 
ed at 1639 Broadway, New York City, 
came to my home and persuaded my fath¬ 
er, who at the time also owned some 
Staley stock, to exchange his Staley stock 
for Shasta National Copper Company 
stock, which Mr. Fries sold, causing my 
father to believe his stock was much 
more valuable than what he then had. 
Not content with what my father had, 
Mr. Fries also induced him to sign and 
let him take my $1,700 preferred and 
what common Staley certificates I had, 
for which he left a certificate of his min¬ 
ing stock, with the understanding if this 
was not satisfactory to me he should be 
notified and my stock would be returned 
at once. I was then stationed at Camp 
Dee, .Va. On receiving word of what had 
been done I immediately wrote my father 
to notify Mr. Fries to return my stock, 
as I wanted nothing to do with him. I 
paid no more attention to it and returned 
home the first of June and was then told 
that it had not been returned. Father 
had written a couple of times and had 
not even received a reply. I at once 
wrote Mr. Fries, stating that I wanted my 
stock returned, and received an answer 
after a time acknowledging that the stock 
was due me if I did not want to exchange, 
and if I insisted on having it returned it 
would take about six weeks to get it 
transferred back in my name. I immedi¬ 
ately wrote that I wanted it returned as 
he agreed. In the meantime Staley Com¬ 
pany paid a dividend on July 1. I have 
been informed. The six weeks were up 
the latter part of September, and I have 
never heard anything from him since. I 
have his letter acknowledging that he 
agreed to return it if not satisfactory: 
my father also has witness to that effect. 
I would appreciate it very much if you 
could help me in any way. C. I. s. 
Pennsylvania. 
The record of this transaction came to 
us nearly a year ago. and we have made 
constant and repeated efforts to induce 
Mr. Fries to live up to the agreement 
made with this young man’s father. Mr. 
Fries has never denied the contentions of 
C. I. S. in the matter, but on the con¬ 
trary has several times promised to secure 
other shares of the Staley stock in the 
market and deliver them to our subscrib¬ 
er. To take advantage of an old man and 
his son who was at the time in the service 
in the defense of the nation in this way 
cannot be too severely condemned. But 
the promoters of stocks of questionable 
value rarely show much consideration for 
the condition of ’their victims. The wid¬ 
ow’s mite is as acceptable to this class of 
stock brokers as money received from any 
other source. We have exhausted otir 
efforts to secure the stock which rightfully 
belongs to this young man, but as M. P. 
Fries Company is actively engaged in 
promoting stocks of doubtful value in 
country districts at the present time. C. 
I. S.’s experience may prove valuable for 
the guidance of others. 
My mother sent $50 to Fisher & Co.. 
Third Avenue. New York, for a box of 
food to be forwarded to Germany. They 
promised to advise us as soon as goods 
arrived, but we can get no response. 
Will you look them up and see if they 
sent it, or are they a fake? f. r. w. 
New York. 
Fisher & Co. make no effort to explain 
the failure to send goods. Our attorney 
now reports that they left the address 
given some time back, and he is unable to 
trace them. People in the neighborhood 
report that they evidently made a practice 
of doing business in this way, as a num¬ 
ber of people are loking for them. It is 
a case for the Post Office Department 
Can you tell me anything about the 
Jones Oil Engine Corporation, with offices 
at 301-302 Herald Building, Syracuse? 
They are offering 6toek for sale. Would 
you advise one to invest in their com¬ 
pany? H. c. 
New York. 
We could not advise the investment. 
The engine, as well as the company, are 
comparatively new. Whether the engine 
will prove as satisfactory as the gasoline 
engine is yet to be demonstrated, and 
even granting that it should, there is re¬ 
maining the question of the ability of 
this company to manufacture and sell the 
engines on a profitable basis. This method 
of financing the company is a big handi¬ 
cap to start with, and it seems reasonable 
that if the company had any glowing 
prospects it ought to be able to interest 
Syracuse capital, obviating the necessity 
of peddling the stock around to country 
people, incurring the big expense of main¬ 
taining stock salesmen. 
Find enclosed pamphlet and letter from 
the Correct Hatcher Co. of Leesville, 
Ohio. I ordered one of the “Correct” 
oil-burning hovers No. 1 (price $15.85) 
April 5, to be shipped at once by express. 
I did not receive it. so wrote again, telling 
them to ship at once or return my check. 
I got letter enclosed for an answer. I 
have written twice «>nce to them to can¬ 
cel order and refund money. I have not 
received hover, and my letters have been 
ignored. I would like to have you collect 
this account. N. J. B. 
Ohio.. 
We get no response to our letters in 
the subscriber’s behalf, and we therefore 
conclude Correct Hatcher Co. is far from 
“correct” in its manner of treating cus¬ 
tomers. and a very good house for poul- 
tryinen to avoid. 
Makers of Boilers, Furnaces 
and Onepipe Heaters 
6-26 Monroe St. 
UTICA, N.Y. 
E/TTER 
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The scientific, correct design of 
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Send for International Chart and 
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InTERn/mon/iL He/tter 
Company 
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10 
THE UBIKO MILLING CO., d cp ur Cincinnati, Ohio 
UNION CRAINS 
L 
When you write advertisers mention The R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a 
quick reply and a “square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
