950 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
June 28, 1924 
PUBLISHER’S DESK 
S. F. It., Weedsport, N. Y., writes 
under date of June 13, making inquiry 
about an investment, but fails to sign his 
name. All letters to Publisher’s Desk de¬ 
partment are considered confidential, and 
only initials are used if the inquiry and 
answer is published. All letters must be 
signed with the writer’s full name to re¬ 
ceive attention. 
Some time ago I sent you a circular 
sent to me by S. W. Cochran & Co., 29 
South La Salle St., Chicago, Ill. They 
wanted me to take stock in their automa¬ 
tic type-setting and type-distributing ma¬ 
chine. Have you looked into the matter 
as yet? I am quite anxious to know if 
it is worth while. O. K. w. 
New York. 
Those we have interviewed in the 
printing trade know nothing of this type¬ 
setting machine. Furthermore if the ma¬ 
chine promised to be more efficient than 
•those now on the market the promoters 
would not need to peddle it around to 
country people who are not familiar with 
the printing trades. The proposition has 
the “earmarks” of a stock-selling scheme. 
If I had subscribed for your paper 
several years earlier I would probably 
not be obliged to write you now. I hold 
a mine note of $500 of E. G. Lewis, 
Atascadero, Cal., dated March 31, 1921, 
which expired March 31, 1924. I have 
received no interest for the three years. 
It was to pay 8 per cent. I have written 
several times about interest, but they 
have had some excuse each time. I have 
asked for it now it is due, and I am in¬ 
closing the answer, asking your advice 
whether I should wait a while longer, 
or if I should send you the note and see 
if you can collect it for me. I saw in 
Publisher’s Desk a short time ago that 
you collected some for others. I have 
use for the money on improvements on 
my place if I can get it. We lost $1,080 
on his St. Louis bank, but by his slick 
writing, about paying it all back he got 
the extra $500. I have made up my 
mind that you have the right opinion of 
him. A. A. c. 
Rhode Island. 
Most people are satisfied when stung 
the first time, but this party returned 
for a second “skinning” at the hands of 
E. G. Lewis. The explanation of Mr. 
Lewis’s failure to meet his obligations 
is characteristic of him—change the form 
of notes for stock in his business enter¬ 
prises, which always have such a bright 
future according to Lewis. Iiis pros¬ 
perity is always only a little way off, but 
we have yet to find him ready to meet 
his obligations in cash. Mr. Lewis has 
ignored our efforts to secure redemption 
of this subscriber’s note and interest which 
are past due. 
Your letter, in answer to my question 
concerning the L. R. Steel enterprise, re¬ 
ceived. I thank you very much for the 
information and the prompt answer. 
You may rest assured I shall never invest 
in any stock without first asking your ad¬ 
vice. 
A friend and I were ready to invest in 
one of the “Home Knitters” before we 
read your advice to others. 
It is a wonderful thing to have some¬ 
one to turn to. E. c. H. 
New York. 
There is a satisfaction to us that is 
beyond price and that cannot be meas¬ 
ured by any means, in reading appre¬ 
ciative letters of this kind on the Pub¬ 
lisher’s Desk service. There is a grave 
responsibility in it, too. We can only 
give our best judgment, based on an ex¬ 
perience of more than 30 years in the 
problems as referred to above. The rec¬ 
ords will show rare instances where time 
has proved the advice given subscribers 
not to be in their best interests. 
Will you kindly let me have your opin¬ 
ion of the inclosed letter of Federal Food 
Stores, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y. ? It sounds 
“fishy” to me, but I seem to be alone in 
my opinion. I owe you a debt of grati¬ 
tude for your exposure of the Duplex 
Motion Picture scheme. M. M. s. 
New York. 
Federal Food Stores, Inc., is a “chain 
store grocers” proposition, and the pur¬ 
pose of the letter forwarded by this sub¬ 
scriber is to induce the recipient of it to 
invest money in the enterprise. The first 
sentence in the letter reads: “Do you 
know a single organization of chain 
stores that is not strikingly prosperous?” 
Perhaps this promoter never heard of 
the Piggly Wiggly Chqin Stqres fiasco, 
and the L. R. Steel-Chain Store get-rich- 
quick investment scheme. The public 
has good reason to remember them, any¬ 
how. Our files contain the record of a 
dozen other chain store failures. The 
failures were not because they were 
chain stores enterprises, but because they 
were promoted as easymaoney investment 
schemes. The reader’s suspicions regard¬ 
ing the Federal Food Stores we consider 
well justified. 
We saw an advertisement in your pa¬ 
per of Stark Bros. We ordered goods 
from them; everything arrived all right 
but one parcel, which was delayed on the 
road, and was not very good. We wrote 
Starks about it, and they returned the 
money, which was very nice of them. 
New York. w. j. G. 
This is the sort of nursery concerns 
that there is satisfaction in doing busi¬ 
ness with. We believe any of the nur¬ 
sery houses advertising in The R. N.-Y. 
would have treated the customer the same 
way ; the other class of houses cannot ad¬ 
vertise in The R. N.-Y. 
This morning one of your subscribers 
gave me a copy of your paper, and sug¬ 
gested I ask your advice on a recent deal. 
On April 3 I sent to Geo. H. Scott, Ork¬ 
ney and Cambria Sts., Philadelphia, Pa., 
creamery firm, 10 metal cheese molds, 
with sticks, price $8.50 each ($85), crat¬ 
ed and shipped by express, terms cash. 
I have written two or three times, receiv¬ 
ing no reply; the last letter sent telling 
them to remit amount or return molds, 
as they were sent on approval. I have 
heard nothing. Have you an attorney in 
that vicinity, or are you in a position to 
help me in any way? 1. w. G. 
New York. 
The record above is practically dupli¬ 
cated by several other subscribers, and 
we think it will be sufficient warning for 
our readers to refrain from making any 
shipments to Mr. Scott. Our attorney 
had the claims in hand and was unable to 
get any adjustment whatever. Checks 
sent to subscribers have been protested, 
and the entire amount lost by them. 
There is nothing to indicate that suits 
against him would be collectable. Keep 
his name on the list of undesirable par¬ 
ties. 
I am a subscriber for several farm 
papers, but prize The R. N.-Y. above all, 
as I can absolutely depend upon it. In 
the Publisher’s Desk I find much valu¬ 
able information. I have been receiving 
cards from the Orange Produce Company, 
26G Main St., Orange, N. J., in which 
they offer to pay 2 cents above the mar¬ 
ket price for eggs. Have you any com¬ 
plaints against them, and do you con¬ 
sider them a responsible firm? h. o. S. 
New York. 
The Orange Produce Company is flood¬ 
ing the country districts with their quota¬ 
tion postal cards offering to pay prospec¬ 
tive shippers a premium of 2 cents over 
the market price on poultry and eggs. 
This is exactly similar to the methods 
used by the Newark Produce Com¬ 
pany, New Jersey Produce Company, 
and the Lakewood Hotel and Supply 
Company, all of Newark, N. J., who re¬ 
ceived the shipments and then beat their 
shippers out of their legitimate returns. 
These cases were placed in the hands of 
the postal authorities for investigation as 
to fraudulent use of the government 
mails. The owner of the Orange Produce 
Company was connected with another 
market business which failed, and only 
recently, in April, a suit was filed against 
him in connection with his new business. 
With the prevailing facts which we have 
at hand covering a recent investigation 
w r e would advise our readers to use only 
the reliable houses instead of falling for 
these “gold-brick prices.” 
The National Association of Automo- 
bilists, Jersey City, N. J., protests that 
the item in the May 17 issue of- The R. 
N.-Y - . is unfair and misleading in refer¬ 
ring to the association as selling a “ser¬ 
vice contract.” What the concern is sell¬ 
ing is a “membership” containing many 
of the features of the notorious “service 
contracts”—towing, legal advice and de¬ 
fence, etc. In addition, the membership 
includes a $1,500 accident policy which 
simply covers death and loss of limb or 
sight only, and only when traveling. 
There is no weekly indemnity provision. 
Such a policy is not regarded in insur¬ 
ance circles as having a very high value. 
We desires to give this concern full credit 
for all that the membership incjj^e^b^t. 
“membership schemes” are in our estima¬ 
tion no more desirable than the “service 
contracts.” The very name adopted by 
this concern is a delusion, intended to 
lead the public to believe that it is an as¬ 
sociation of automobile owners instead of 
a promotion of a few individuals for pri¬ 
vate gain. 
The Farm Woman and Her Money 
I have not been a more successful 
financier than the average farm woman 
might be, nor have I been surrounded by 
more or better opportunities for earning 
my own spending money than are offered 
every wideawake farm woman living in 
the rural districts. Yet when I look 
about and find so many of my friends ask¬ 
ing for ways and means of earning money 
with which to buy the many small ar¬ 
ticles dear to every woman, yet beyond 
reach of the family purse, I feel that 
while perhaps no better situated, I prob¬ 
ably have been able to grasp opportunities 
which many have failed to see. For al¬ 
most 35 vears I have been in my own 
home. During that time we have lived in 
different sections of country, in a village 
and also a small town, each place being 
possessed with its own varying surround¬ 
ings, and each holding out different finan¬ 
cial possibilities. Yet in all these I have 
been able to find a way, or make one, for 
earning not only my own spending money 
but many dollars extra. 
Our beginning was in a section where 
many colored people lived, consequently 
there was plenty of sewing to do, espe¬ 
cially dressmaking. Having been at the 
sewing game since a child, and trained in 
the art of copying patterns, also bringing 
out neat, attractive garments from plain, 
every-day fabrics, my sewing machine 
helped me to earn a substantial income. 
Again, when black sateen shirts for men 
were all the rage, I purchased goods by 
the bolt, made shirts by the dozen and 
sold them through our country mer¬ 
chants at a good profit. I also handled 
an attractive line of ready-to-wear mil¬ 
linery in the same way, thus helping out 
my friends and making a profit for my¬ 
self. 
Then when we came West and settled 
in a sparsely populated section of the 
Indian country, but on a much-traveled 
highway, our home became a sort of way- 
side inn, accommodating many weary 
travelers and making warm friends, as 
well as easy dollars for myself. Our 
place, being abundantly watered, afford¬ 
ed excellent camping facilities for trav¬ 
elers, and my sales of milk, butter, poul¬ 
try products and vegetables brought in a 
nice sum each week. 
Later on, when my husband's work 
made it necessary that we live in a vil¬ 
lage for one year, I made both friends 
and money keeping the village hotel. 
The work was not strenuous, as many 
suppose, and how I enjoyed meeting with 
the better class of people from various 
places! 
Back on the farm, I gave much atten¬ 
tion to live stock, and have raised and 
t sold several hundred dollars’ worth of 
hogs, some calves and much poultry. I 
have bought calves in the Fall, kept them 
until the next Fall and sold at good 
profits. Hogs, purebred poultry and my 
typewriter have been my best sources of 
income. With proper feed and care, hogs 
are always profitable in a small way. A 
flock of pu ebred Leghorns have always 
proved money makers. My typewriter 
has enabled me to write neat, business¬ 
like letters in my correspondence. Then 
I sell many short articles to farm jour¬ 
nals, household publications and such, 
dealing with that line of work which I 
have actually carried out on the farm, 
among the live stock, in the garden, can¬ 
ning. cooking, artificial hatching and 
brooding, etc. No matter what my work 
may be I use my best efforts, and when 
once accomplished I know just how and 
why my success or failure, and can pass 
it on to others. 
At present the educational problem 
makes it necessary that we leave the 
farm, for a few years at least, and live 
in a town noted for its fine schools and 
colleges. Here I find more time for writ¬ 
ing, also other work which was crowded 
out in the midst of so many farm duties. 
These are some of the ways by which I 
have found it possible to earn my own 
spending money, also many dollars be¬ 
sides, with which to keep the children in 
school, help improve the farm and buy 
special articles which the general fund, 
always very limited, was never able to 
reach. 
Every locality offers, its own opportu¬ 
nity, often several of them, for the wom¬ 
an or girl who is alert for a chance to 
improve her businesslike ability for turn¬ 
ing little things ,into Ifqpestly eaxqptl^dqj- 
lars. The farm perhaps offers more 
chances than does the average town. The 
growing of pigs, chickens, turkeys, geese, 
or the making of superior pickles, jellies, 
etc., the growing of some special field 
crop, have all brought prosperity and in¬ 
dependence to farm women, and always 
will. One has only to look about her, 
select that opportunity best suited to her 
surroundings, and persevere. Learn to 
do that one thing better than someone 
else, and once begun do not give up a 
venture until well tried out. 
LILY REED YORK. 
Now That Eggs Are Plentiful 
If you have just an ordinary flock of 
farm hens, you usually have few fresh 
eggs during the Winter. These few are 
eagerly sought after to boil or poach for 
the family’s breakfast, and the “water- 
glass’’ 'eggs that lyou [put down last 
Spring must be used sparingly so that 
they will be sure to last until eggs are 
plentiful again. And that time of plenty 
is at hand! The egg basket is nearly 
full every day, and as the market reports 
show a lower price each week for these 
eggs, the family come into their own, and 
eggs should be served to them in many 
and various ways. 
You aren’t interested in being told how 
to serve eggs boiled and fried, or even 
scrambled. You have done that always, 
but new ways are diffei’ent, for then the 
family will eat more eggs, and there will 
be a saving in buying other foods. 
Almost everyone likes an omelet, and 
there are so many delicious variations to 
the plain omelet that it is possible to find 
one for breakfast, one for dinner, one for 
supper, and even one for dessert. The 
following is a very satisfactory omelet 
recipe: Beat the yolks and whites of four 
eggs separately. Add to the yolks V 2 tea¬ 
spoon salt, a few grains of pepper, y 2 
teaspoon flour and four tablespoons wa¬ 
ter. Stir until smooth. Then mix the 
whites lightly with this and pour into a 
hot, well-buttered frying pan. Place on 
stove where it will cook slowly. When 
well puffed and nicely browned under¬ 
neath, remove to the oven to finish cook¬ 
ing the top. The omelet is cooked enough 
when a knife blade comes out clean. 
When you have a good recipe for a 
plain omelet, then you can use your inge¬ 
nuity to vary it in dozens of ways. If 
you add a ripe tomato cut in small pieces 
to the plain mixture before putting it in 
the frying pan you will have a tomato 
omelet. Chopped cooked oysters, parsley, 
corn, minced ham and asparagus tips 
will suggest other recipes. Dessert ome¬ 
lets have the same foundation as break¬ 
fast omelets. As a suggestion, try an or¬ 
ange omelet: To the plain recipe add 
juice and grated rind of one-half a small 
orange and two tablespoons powdered 
sugar. Cook as usual and sift powdered 
sugar over it before serving. Jams, jel¬ 
lies and marmalades may be spread over 
a plain omelet before folding. 
Eggs Aurora.—Eggs may be used as 
the foundation for the main dish at lunch 
or supper. You will need four eggs, 1*4 
cups white sauce, % cup grated cheese, 
salt and pepper, butter and bread crumbs. 
Boil the eggs 10 minutes. Make the 
white sauce, adding salt, pepper and 
cheese. While sauce is thickening, cut 
eggs in half lengthwise. Place in baking 
dish, pour over the sauce, a little more 
grated cheese, bread crumbs, and, lastly, 
bits of butter. Bake in a hot oven until 
the crumbs are brown. 
Egg Vermicelli.—You will need three 
eggs, four slices of bread, one cup cream 
or rich milk, one teaspoon butter, one 
teaspoon flour, y 2 teaspoon salt, a little 
pepper. Make a sauce of milk,butter, flour, 
salt and pepper. Boil the eggs 20 minutes, 
separate the yolks and chop the whites 
fine. Toast the bread; cut half into 
small squares and half into triangles. Add 
the whites of the eggs to the sauce, and 
when hot pour it over the squares of 
toast. Rub the yolks through a fine 
strainer over the whole and garnish with 
a border of toast points and parsley. 
Hot Deviled Eggs.—You will need six 
eggs, one teaspoon mustard, Vi teaspoon 
salt, four tablespoons cream and one cup 
thin white sauce. Cook the eggs hard, 
remove shells, cut through lengthwise 
and remove yolks. Mash the yolks and 
add the mustard, cream, salt and a little 
pepper. Fill the cavities in the whites 
with this mixture, making them level full, 
taking the remainder of the mixture and 
stirring it in the cream sauce. Now 
pour the hot cream sauce on a well- 
warmed platter, arrange the egg halves 
on it and garnish with parsley. 
The desserts that can be made delicious 
with eggs are many. Any good recipe 
book will tell you how to make them, but 
I do want to tell you about one, for it is 
truly delicious. To make it you will need 
one quart of milk, four eggs, one cup 
very fine dry bread crumbs, y 2 cup straw¬ 
berry jam and y 2 cup sugar. Butter a 
pudding dish, sprinkle the bottom with 
bread crumbs, pour over these the straw¬ 
berry jam and cover well with the rest 
of the crumbs; wet with a very little 
milk. Scald the quart of milk; add it 
gradually to the beaten yolks and sugar, 
stirring in the beaten whites at the last. 
Heat this slowly until it begins to thick¬ 
en ; put in spoonful by spoonful upon the 
layer of bread crumbs, taking care not to 
disturb these, and when all is in, bake 
until well “set” and very slightly browned. 
Serve with cold cream. 
MRS. E. WM. STILLMAN. , A 
