614 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 10, IHZj, 
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. 
I cannot understand how you can give 
the service you do and keep up foi the 
price we pay for your paper. It is easily 
worth five times one dollar a year to any 
man. Let us pay a little for the service 
which we receive, and keep the paper go¬ 
ing, so we will have it for future advice 
and guidance, and to fight an honest battle 
for the farmer. n. p. c. 
New York. 
Do not fear. Any business must pay a 
lit tie profit to be successful. The R. 
N.-Y always lias, and through economical 
management and exceptional equipment 
and facilities does so even now. If con¬ 
ditions should demand it. we would not 
hesitate to make the facts known, and 
ask it little more to keep the balance on 
the right side. On no other policy could 
the quality of service be kept up. and 
both the quality and the service must be 
maintained. It is there, and not in the 
profits as such, that we feel satisfaction 
and pride. Just now the publishing 
world is going through a trial and a test 
of endurance. Many are falling by the 
wayside. The secret of our ability to 
make a paper of this kind in these times 
at a dollar a year is in the help that 
comes from the subscribers themselves. 
Without that help it could not be done, 
and we do not propose to capitalize their 
generosity and sentiment for undue 
profit. Ak long as we can with this help 
keep the price at a dollar, we propose 
to do so, and while this year makes all 
publishers anxious, we feel no alarm, and 
hope to keep on and even improve with¬ 
out a change of policy or price. 
I answered an advertisement last April 
of a firm calling themselves the Oliver 
Oil (fas & Machine Company, St. Louis, 
Mo. They sent me a lot of literature 
about their oil-gas burner, and thinking 
as it w'as a 80-da.v deal or money back, 
I decided to try a burner. I sent for the 
burner, and in four days if was delivered. 
I tried it in my stove, but it- did not do 
what they claimed it would. May 10 I 
wrote them and got no reply. When the 
80 days were up 1 sent tin* burner back 
to them. Three davs after I sent the 
burner they sent me a letter telling me 
how to adjust burner so as to get results, 
bill it was nothing more than what their 
circular told me. Now they claim (hat 
I did not wail for an answer, so they 
would not return m.v money. I do not 
condemn the burner, but it will not work 
in my stove, so it is no use for me to try 
it again. Can you do anything for me? 
New York. E. h. w. 
We have taken this man’s case up with 
the Oliver Oil-Gas Burner & Machine 
Company, St. Louis, and given the firm 
an opportunity to make good to this cus¬ 
tomer. The “money-back order blank” 
of the firm specifies that the burner may 
be returned within 30 days and money 
will be refunded if the burner does not 
work as represented in the literature. 
Now the company claims the customer 
didn’t “co-operate” with them as an ex¬ 
cuse for not living up to the “money- 
back" guarantee. It is the case with 
too many houses selling “specialties” of 
this sort that a guarantee only means 
“confidence dope” to get the order and 
remittance and not for the protection of 
the customer. This its a clear case of 
evading a fair interpretation of the print¬ 
ed guarantee in the firm’s literature. 
I have had a very unsatisfactory ex¬ 
perience with the Standard Food and 
Fur Association, 400 Broadway, New 
York City. My son saw an advertise¬ 
ment of this company in the American 
Boy, and wrote to ask if they were re¬ 
liable. The editor replied they presumed 
so, never having had any complaints. 
Then we wrote to the company and re¬ 
ceived most alluring literature and three 
fine Belgian hares for $20. Wie sent 
them a rabbit in November by express, 
aud two postals and a letter before we 
heard from them, saying they had never 
received the rabbit. The express com¬ 
pany investigated and finally sent the 
Fur Association's receipt for having re¬ 
ceived the rabbit. Last week I took the 
receipt to their office, but they said evi¬ 
dently the express company had filled in 
their name, as they had not signed it. 
We had a contract with them to buy back 
rabbits over six months old and 6 lbs. in 
weight at not less than $7 a pair. I took 
with me. to insure their safe arrival, a 
very good pair of rabbits. They acknowl¬ 
edged they were beautiful rabbits, but 
put them "on their scales and said they 
only weighed 11 lbs., and if I would leave 
them until they had fattened them up. 
they would send me the money in a month 
or so. I was afraid I would never see 
the rabbits or money, and declined to 
leave them, but,on m.v way home weighed 
'them in the tube station and they weighed 
18 lbs. I wrote to the Department of 
Agriculture for information about raising 
hares, and in the bulletin they sent is a 
warning against just each “buy-back” 
firms. a. I.. R. 
New Jersey. 
We publish the above experience of a 
New Jersey subscriber as a means of 
publicly answering the many inquiries 
regarding all this class of pet stock con¬ 
cerns which the Department of Agricul¬ 
ture refers to as “buy-back” firms. It’s a 
fake scheme on the face of it. as no con¬ 
cern could carry out such an agreement 
in good faith. Again we say, give all 
“buy-back” pet stock schemes a wide 
berth. 
I am inclosing a check given me by 
Max Straus. 34 Jay street, New York, 
for one 30-dozen case of eggs, returned 
as it was claimed he is bankrupt. I un¬ 
derstand today that he has been doing 
business without a State license. Gan 
you do anything for me to collect on this 
check ? c. F. v. 
New York. 
There is nothing that can be done to 
collect claims from bankrupts except file 
claim with the receiver in bankruptcy, 
but we fear in this case there will be lit¬ 
tle or nothing in assets to divide among 
creditors. Max Straus was typical of a 
class of dealers in the produce trade doing 
business as a “wholesale dealer or re¬ 
ceiver.” and not a commission merchant. 
This policy relieves the dealer from com¬ 
plying with the commission merchants 
law and filing a bond for the protection 
of shippers. We have repeatedly advised 
against sending produce to this class of 
houses. The commission law was en¬ 
acted for the benefit of Shippers, and 
farmers who make shipments to these so- 
called “dealers and receivers” have only 
themselves to blame when they lose their 
produce in this way. 
The Federal Stock Food Company, 
owned by the same person as the Farm¬ 
ers’ Medicated Stock Salt Company, 
namely, one Striekler. Solicited a client 
of mine having a general store on Long 
Island. They interested him in their feed 
propositions, and promised him large 
profits, as well as a Ford automobile. 
In furtherance of their plan, my client, 
a man close on to 60 years of age, was 
induced to call at the Hotel Navarre. New 
York City, where he saw Striekler, and 
was induced to sign what I afterwards 
ascertained was a check for $350, and 
three promissory notes of $350, falling 
due January, February and March of 
this year; the check, as well as the notes, 
were carried in blank form by Striekler. 
When the proposition was submitted to 
me by my client the next day. I tele¬ 
phoned Striekler and asked him to return 
all papers that my client had signed. 
Striekler told me that the papers had 
already been forwarded by him to his 
home office in Pennsylvania, and that the 
feed would be shipped immediately. I 
told him that my client repudiated any 
agreement that he was alleged to have 
made, and I followed this up by a regis¬ 
tered letter. In spite of that. Striekler 
caused the feed to be shipped. My client 
declined to receive the same, and I do 
not know what disposition has been made 
of the shipment. 
Here is the peculiar part: The prom¬ 
issory notes were claimed to have been 
discounted by Striekler with the Mifflin- 
burg Bank ; both Striekler and the bank 
wrote me that the notes were held by 
the bank as an innocent holder for value; 
both concerns threatened suit and com¬ 
municated with me through their respec- 
I have invited suit, but 
yet been done. Miffliu- 
to the directories, is. a 
and it seems inconceiv¬ 
able that the Mifflinburg Bank did not 
know of the ingenious business policies 
of the Federal Stock Food Company. 
New York. L. F. G. 
The above clear, plain statement hardly 
needs comment, as the lesson it conveys 
to beware of all such schemes is so clear 
that “all who run may read.” Wie have 
had occasion to issue warnings regarding 
the operations of the concerns named in 
the past. One of the features of the con¬ 
tract. in selling the stock food to farmers 
was an alleged insurance of all animals to 
which the preparation had been fed for a 
certain length of time, but the conditions 
virtually nullified the insurance, which, 
having no reliable firm back of it, amount¬ 
ed tq nothing anyhow. Farmers cannot 
be too careful about signing orders or 
contracts with strangers—putting your 
name on the dotted line is the beginning 
of trouble in cases where the firm behind 
the agent is unscrupulous. 
tive attorneys, 
nothing lia« as 
burg, according 
village of 1.500. 
Sold on Merit 
N O MATTER how sturdily a cultivator is built, how 
beautifully it is finished, nor what claims are 
made for it — the way it sells is a sure indica¬ 
tion of its worth. 
Cultivators that have been marketed successfully year 
after year in ever increasing numbers must do good 
work, give lasting service and genuine value. This is 
a fundamental law of business. 
International and 
P & O Cultivators 
Years ago these names were introduced to the cultivator 
users of the world. They were good cultivators then. 
Since that time every possible improvement has been 
made. They stand today at the top of the list — light in 
draft and weight, easy for man or boy to handle, and with 
a well-earned reputation for lasting dependable service. 
In the International line there are fourteen different culti¬ 
vators— walkers, riders, shovel, disk, and surface. At 
the store of your International dealer you will find 
International or P & 0 cultivators sure to please you. 
Our cultivator catalog will interest you. Get it now. 
International Harvester Company 
CHICAGO 
of America 
l|NCO**ORATCO» 
USA 
x 
m 
Preventing Lightning Losses 
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cover the loss, but it can’t bring back lives or pay for set-backs . 
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The Patented Security Water Ground Connection always 
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It’s easier to pre¬ 
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stop it after light¬ 
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SECURITY LIGHTNING ROD CO., 504 Pine St„ Burlington, Wis 
DRIED BEET PULP 
Laxative, Succulent, Palatable- - Keeps Cows Healthier 
ATTRACTIVE PRICE 
NOW IN EFFECT 
Ask Your Feed Dealer 
The Larrov/e Milling Co. 
Detroit, Mich. 
12 
