1490 
December 24, 1021 
7ht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
PUBLISHER’S DESK 
Publisher’s Desk desires at this time to 
express a word of greeting and fellowship 
to the friends who have followed it 
through the year. At all times we all 
regret-the necessity of much of the work 
done here. It is always a pleasure to be 
able to say a kind word and do a kindly 
act for friend or stranger. There is 
nothing truer than the rule that what we 
give out comes back, and it would be a 
hardened character who would invite 
abuse instead of kindness. We confess 
that we have no particular scruples about 
the feelings of crooks, and when it comes 
to a choice between their abuse and the 
interest of our friends we can only pro¬ 
ceed to the protection of our friends. If 
the occasion for criticism of any of them 
should disappear we would be happy. We 
sincerely hope that the tendency may be 
that way for the year to come, and in the 
meantime this message carries to you 
greeting, friendship and best wishes for 
Christmas. 
United States District Court. Richard 
W. Wagner of North port. L. I.. jointly 
indicted with Wood, was acquitted. 
The companies were formed to con¬ 
duct piggeries at Northport. L. I. In the 
stock-selling campaign Wood made false 
representations to investors. Peter B. 
Gluey. Assistant United States Attorney, 
prosecuted the case for the Government- 
Daily paper. 
We think this is about the last of the 
hog-ranch schemes promoted during the 
time of inflated prices. Several of these 
promoters have been prosecuted and con¬ 
victed. Two years at Atlanta will give 
Mr. Wood time to hatch up some other 
swindle. It has been our experience that 
this class of promoters rarelv reform. 
John Leo. recent Street Cleaning Com¬ 
missioner of New York City, bought two 
scows, called dumpers, on September 1 to 
carry sweepings out to sea. The price 
was $25,000 each. Recently the Mayor 
ordered an investigation of complaints 
made against the Commissioner of the 
Street Cleaning Department. Mr. Leo 
refused access to the records, relieved 
his mind on the investigators and finally 
resigned in a long, indignant letter to the 
Mayor. The investigation goes on. and 
experts now testify that the scows were 
not seaworthy when bought, and that 
$4,000 for one and $7,000 for the other 
was the value of them when bought. The 
difference between cost to the city and 
actual value was on the estimates 
$30,000. Every dollar spent by an official 
should be checked by an independent 
agent. The honest official will not ob¬ 
ject and the other ought not be allowed 
to get away with any pretense of in¬ 
dignant sensibilities. 
I note with interest your comment in 
Publisher’s L>esk on John Black, so-called 
real estate operator of Chippewa Falls, 
Wis., as I. too. answered an advertise¬ 
ment of his in a local paper, and was 
invited to list my farm with him for a 
fee of $10. Remembering the numerous 
admonitions of The R. N.-Y., I did not 
waste any more postage on him. believing 
that if the commission was worth getting 
it was worth working for, the same as 
any legitimate business man would work 
for it. The latest circulars, of which there 
have been many, only ask for a fee of 
$2.50. or one-fourth of original amount. 
I fail to see why such people are allowed 
to ply their trade through the United 
States mails. Yours, from a constant 
and satisfied subscriber. N. H. 
New York. 
Following is statement of a predica¬ 
ment a friend finds himself in. and I 
would appreciate your advice. This man. 
while in Texas, signed an agreement with 
the La Salle Extension University. Chi¬ 
cago, Ill., to take one of their correspond¬ 
ence courses. The total cost of the course 
was to be $140. After paying $30 and 
taking part of the course, he decided that 
it was not what he wanted or thought it 
to be. He wrote to them and offered 
to return all books and correspondence 
sent him and forfeit the $30. providing 
they cancel the contract. This they re¬ 
fuse to do and have put the balance of 
$110 into the hands of an attorney for 
collection. This man has since moved to 
New Jersey. Could the La Salle Exten¬ 
sion T niversity bring action against him 
in New Jersey ? If so. could they force 
payment? What could they do if he has 
no attachable property in his name? 
What would you advise? As the course 
is of no use whatever to him. he does not 
feel justified in paying the $110 balance. 
New Jersey. mrs. e. h. 
The above letter outlines the regular 
program of the correspondence school con¬ 
cerns. They never accept cancellation of 
an order or contract. They are in the 
same class with the nursery and seed 
houses selling through agents, in this re¬ 
spect. Yes. the concern can take action 
against this man in the State of New Jer¬ 
sey. but it is a question whether the 
court would issue judgment where no 
“value received” can be shown. Rut the 
way to keep out of such difficulties is not 
to sign orders with correspondence schools. 
At best it is like buying a “pig in a bag.” 
Those signing for the courses cannot know 
what the courses contain until the first 
lessons and books are received, and then 
the student is bound to pay whether the 
course comes up to his expectations or 
not. The other alternative is to defend a 
lawsuit. 
1922 Will Be This State’s 
Greatest Land-Clearing Year 
Hundreds of thousands of acres of waste stump land were 
cleared and farmed in this state during 1921. But the stump 
enemy must be beaten back still further. Most farmers are 
planning to increase their incomes in 1922 by clearing even 
more land than last year. 
I am writing yoy in regard to the fail¬ 
ure of the Pettijohn Company of Minne¬ 
apolis. Minn. There is some $50,000 of 
the stock held in this county. Some of 
the stockholders have requested me to 
write you to see whether the stockholders 
are getting a square deal. We would like 
to have you take this up with the Petti¬ 
john Company and see if you can do any¬ 
thing for us in this matter. G. P. Y. 
New York. 
FARM DYNAMITE 
Make your plans now. Take an inventory of your land. Resolve 
to put just as many idle waste acres to work for you in 1922 as you 
can clear. 
This state has cleared more land with Du Pont Farm Dynamile than 
by any other explosive, because its uniformity makes it the most reliable 
and its strength makes it the cheapest. 
You can buy Du Pont Farm Dynamite from your hardware dealer 
or general store. For complete instructions for using explosives for 
land-clearing, drainage and tree-planting, write for free copy of Farmers’ 
Handbook of Explosives. 
E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS & CO., Inc. 
Equitable Building NEW YORK 
That’s the game of the faker always; 
if he cannot get his first price he will re¬ 
duce the amount. As he gives no value 
or service in return, any amount which 
he gets is “velvet.” It is surprising, at 
first thought, how these petty swindles 
can be conducted through the United 
States mails, but their plans are so care¬ 
fully made and their literature so worded 
that it is difficult to prove an intent to 
defraud. And postcffice inspectors must 
be very sure of their grounds, from a legal 
standpoint, before taking action against 
houses or individuals. 
What can you do in the following trans* 
action? Several months ago I ordered a 
three-section Mammoth incubator from 
the Lancaster Manufacturing Company. 
Lancaster, Pa. They advised me they 
had this machine at Millersburg. Pa., 
slightly used, but good as new. price $350. 
less 10 per cent. I sent them $315. but 
have since written them several times and 
cannot get any answer from them. Can 
you get the money for me? d. \v. g. 
Pennsylvania. 
The Lancaster Manufacturing Com¬ 
pany is in the hands of a receiver. There¬ 
fore the only hope of redress for 
D. W. G. is to file his claim in legal form 
with the receiver, J. H. Nissley. Lancas¬ 
ter. Pa. He will fare the same as all 
other creditors of the company. 
Bernard M. Wood was found guilty yes¬ 
terday of using the mails to defraud in¬ 
vestors in the stock of the Chester White 
and Berkshire Live Stock Companies, cap¬ 
italized at $1,200,000. and was sentenced 
to two years in the Federal penitentiary 
at Atlanta bv Judge A. N. Hand in the 
As stated a few weeks ago, the Petti¬ 
john Company is in the hands of receiv¬ 
ers. The stockholders are virtually part¬ 
ners in the business, and the creditors 
will have first claim on the assets of the 
company. When the receiver has satisfied 
all claimants, including his own fees al¬ 
lowed by the court, there is little likeli¬ 
hood that there will be anything left for 
the stockholders. The proposition had 
all the “earmarks” of a wildcat promo¬ 
tion. and Publisher’s Desk advised against 
putting money into it many times. We 
cannot secure return of money so invest¬ 
ed. either before or after receivership is 
appointed. We try our best to keep 
farmers out of such unstable enterprises. 
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound 
of cure”—if the “prevention” advice is 
heeded. 
eAb: 
Tite 
Remington Phonograph Corporation.— 
Judge Knox yesterday appointed Louis 
Jersawit receiver in equity for the Rem¬ 
ington Phonograph Corporation of 1664 
Broadway, under $3,000 bond, in an ac¬ 
tion filed by James S. Holmes, vice-presi¬ 
dent and director of the debtor corpora¬ 
tion. who claims to be a creditor for 
$3,136. The liabilities are stated to be 
$22,500 and the assets about $100,000, 
but the company is said to be unable to 
raise capital to operate the business. The 
corporation operates a factory in the 
Bush Terminal Building.—Daily Paper. 
A number of our readers who made in¬ 
quiry regarding investment in the stock of 
the above company will be interested in 
receivership. Assuming that our advice 
was taken, the inquirers have no financial 
interest in the affairs of the company. 
B 
a 
THE RIGHT SILO AT THE RIGHT PRICE 
NAPPANEE SEAL-TITE SILOS are the 
most widely used silos in America because— 
They are built of wood, the best silo material. 
1 hey will cure your silage perfectly. 
They are guaranteed not to blow down. 
I hey cost much less than silos of other materials. 
Sixteen thousand farmers in the United Stales use and endorse 
the Nappanee Silo. 
\xr •. ^ T , he ^ a PPanee Silo Pays for Itself 
Y\ rite Today for the Book That Explains the Plan. 
NAPPANEE LUMBER & MANUFACTURING CO. 
NAPPANEE, INDIANA 
DEPT. C-12 
THE HOPE FARM BOOK 
This attractive 234-page book has 
some of the best of the Hope Farm 
Man’s popular sketches—philos¬ 
ophy, humor, and sympathetic 
human touch. Price $1.50. 
For Sale by RURAL NEW-YORKER 
335 West 30th Street, New York 
