1570 
Ihe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 20, 1924 
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. 
As the end of the year approaches the 
renewal subscriptions always tax our fa¬ 
cilities to take care of them. Hence we 
would like to ask our good friends kindly 
to make returns as early in the month of 
December as convenient. This courtesy 
will help to avoid occasional errors that 
sometimes creep in when all come at once 
about the first of the year. It will also 
save us time and expense, and we thank 
in advance those who can find it conveni¬ 
ent to favor us. 
I have been watching Tiie R. N.-Y. 
every week to see if you would publish 
anything about the United States Auto¬ 
motive Corporation of Connersville, Ind. 
They have been in trouble for some time. 
Every little while they write and want 
us to send on so much money according 
to what shares we have, and if we do not 
send on any money we will lose all w T e 
have in the company. Those that do send 
in their shares will still have an interest 
in the company, for with that money they 
will try to take over the mortgage and 
continue business. I would be glad to 
hear something from you about this. 
New York. E. w. 
Every stock-selling catastrophe has its 
protective committee which solicits more 
money from the victims on the hope or 
pretext that the original investment may 
be saved. We are not questioning the 
good intentions of the protective com¬ 
mittee in this or in other cases; but we 
have invariably found throwing good 
money after bad a losing game. This 
department advised the public against the 
United States Automotive Corporation 
investment when it was being exploited 
by a band of investment pirates a few 
years ago. There would seem to be still 
less prospect of reviving the industry in 
its present condition, than the prospect 
for success at the start. 
I went to the Trenton Inter-State 
Fair and in one building they were giving 
away chances on a lot in Atlantic City, 
N. J. I put my name down and was 
given a chance. About two weeks later 
I was informed that I had won the lot. 
I did not know what to do, so I gave 
it up. Now some people say I was fool¬ 
ish for giving it up, and some say I did 
right by letting it go. The firm’s name 
that gave it away is Germain-Hegeman 
Oo., Inc., 305 Segal Building, Atlantic 
City, N. J., 1311 Walnut St.. Philadel¬ 
phia, Pa. Please let me know whether 
I did right. Some say it was a scheme 
to get my money. E. B. M. 
New Jersey. 
About two months ago my family in¬ 
cluding myself went to the Food Show 
at Newark, N. J. While visiting around 
each booth, one had us write down our 
names, with no obligations (enclosed you 
will find card I signed). Later I re¬ 
ceived this letter stating I had won a 
building lot free. I did not hear any¬ 
thing mentioned about money; we only 
signed their card and walked away. Here¬ 
in they want $44. I am sending you this 
letter to s'ec if you can help me out. I 
cannot afford to lose this money. I do 
not know where the lots are located and 
live quite a distance away. I’ve read 
your paper every week and see so much 
you have helped people that I would be 
very thankful if you could get any infor¬ 
mation regarding this deal. There are 
so many of these fakes, one has to be 
mighty careful. I would be willing if 
the lots were in a good locality; they 
mention no size only on back of letter. 
Let me know what you think about this 
matter. J. F. V. 
New Jersey. 
Here are two fake schemes as like as 
two eggs to sell building lots of doubtful 
value on the pretense that the lots are 
given away. This plan to fool the pub¬ 
lic on building lots is worn threadbare. 
It has been exposed in The R. N.-Y. 
time and time again. Fortunately neither 
of these subscribers “bit.” But no doubt 
hundreds of innocent people have been 
led into this trap and induced to pay 
double what the lots are worth on the 
idea that they had “won a prize.” The 
alleged winning a lot is pure lnunbuggery. 
Will you give some information about 
“Windswept Silver Foxes.” as we are 
afraid of getting our pocketbook “wind¬ 
swept”? L. B. K. 
New York. 
Silver fox farming is a very alluring 
enterprise to the uninitiated. The for¬ 
tunes to be made in this enterprise have 
been wildly exploited by the stock pro¬ 
moters as well as the fox ranches having 
breeding animals to sell. In some cases 
a portion of bulletins issued by the Na¬ 
tional Department of Agriculture has 
been quoted in support of the radical 
claims. It is evidently unfair to quote 
a favorable portion of an article in this 
way when the bulletin as a whole takes 
a conservative view of the industry. The 
exorbitant prices at which silver fox skins 
sold when the industry of breeding the 
animals in captivity was first launched 
gave a color of truth to the claims made 
by those interested in the ranches. Rare 
specimens still bring a good price, but 
the number of animals in captivity has 
increased rapidly from year to year, with 
a corresponding decrease in the price of 
skins. The R. N.-Y. has repeatedly ad¬ 
vised its readers as to the precarious na¬ 
ture of the business, and especially for 
those who have had no experience in han¬ 
dling this class of timid, sensitive ani¬ 
mals. If not properly fed and handled 
during the breeding there is great dan¬ 
ger that the parents will destroy their 
own young. Like most of the special in¬ 
dustries, great diligence and knowledge 
from experience are essential to conduct 
a fox breeding establishment successfully. 
The large investment necessary to secure 
breeders makes the risk much greater 
than the usual venture in agricultural en¬ 
terprises. 
Recently I received a letter inclosing 
two pencils, with the request that I send 
$1 in return for them to the National 
Disabled Soldiers’ League, Washington, 
I). C. If this money is really going, to 
help some soldier I am perfectly willing 
to send it. If not, I have other uses for 
my dollar. Are we obliged to pay post¬ 
age to send the pencils back if we do not 
keep them? Please tell us what you 
would do, with the understanding that we 
are willing to help anyone in need of it. 
New York. E. c. 
We doubt that any portion of the 
money received for the pencils goes to 
benefit the disabled soldiers. The dis¬ 
abled soldiers are well cared for by the 
government, as they should be. Those 
who capitalize the misfortunes of the sol¬ 
diers for their own benefit in this way 
merit a severe rebuke. We advise those 
receiving pencils or other goods in this 
way neither to pay for them nor go to 
the trouble of returning the package. If 
this course is followed by a large num¬ 
ber the scheme would disappear as un¬ 
profitable. 
Is the inclosed letter from A. E. Hill, 
Auburn, N. Y., just a get-your-money 
scheme, or is it reliable? MRS. m. g. c. 
New York. 
The proposition is a typical work-at- 
home scheme. Presumably from the cir¬ 
cular letter A. E. Hill desires to secure 
the services of women to sew aprons. But 
the applicant for work must send $1.39 
for a sample apron, and there is no pro¬ 
vision in the letter for the return of the 
apron and the refund of the money. The 
first step in the scheme appears to be to 
sell one apron. Then no doubt the appli¬ 
cant will be asked to send further remit¬ 
tance to cover cost of material. If coun¬ 
try women ever earned and received any 
money making aprons for A. E. Hill we 
haven’t heard of it. If any woman has 
we will ask her to speak up. 
Would you inform me as to the relia¬ 
bility of the National Distributors’ Asso¬ 
ciation. Inc.. Chicago, of which literature 
is inclosed? M. G. A. 
Massachusetts. 
The National Distributors’ Association 
is another form of any easy-money 
scheme. The prospect is asked to send $5 
membership fee. Then he will be fur¬ 
nished with profitable work in the way of 
distributing advertising matter, sign tack¬ 
ing, etc. The proposition has all the ear¬ 
marks of a fake. 
According to Washington dispatches, 
post office inspectors figure that Glenn D. 
Fryer cleared $231,449 on the mail order 
concerns he operated at Fort Wayne. 
Ind., and Lima, O., the Nile Art and 
Fashion Embroideries companies, respect¬ 
ively, against both of which concerns or¬ 
ders were issued this week prohibiting the 
use of the mails. 
The two concerns, in advertising, prom¬ 
ised returns to women for painting lamp 
shades and pillow tops and for embroid¬ 
ery work.— Bluffton (Ind.) Evening 
News. 
This means that more than a quarter 
of a million dollars has been filched from 
poor women who were led to believe that 
these were legitimate enterprises, instead 
of fake work-at-home schemes. 
GRANGE 
SILOS 
Big Discounts 
for December 
Orders. 
Delivered in 
April. 
GRANGE SILO C0. Wa R y e n d e c c r o e , C N.v. 
Cal. 30 
U. S. ARMYKRAG CARBINES 
All Carbines have the new model 0, 
The barrelB, actions and parts are - 
or have been refinished by the 
Government and are equal to new.. 
Kraar Rifles .$12.50 Krag Spot ting Rifles. $14.00 
Springf’d 45 Shot Guns 4.SO Sprinsf'd 45 Carbines 3.50 
Send for Catalog 
W. STOKES KIRK, 1627-FG, N. loth St..Philadelphia. Pa. 
HaVP ab Attractive Proposition experienced 
m/iiuiu SIL0 0E implement salesmen, 
either on salary or commission. Also for farmers with 
spare time this Winter to work in their home neighbor¬ 
hoods with our block men. 
INTERNATIONAL SILO CO. MeadviUe. Pa. 
Jhnenicaru 30 
SEPARATOR trial 
Turns and cleans easily. Skims warm 
or cold milk thoroughly. Prompt ship¬ 
ments from stock nearest you. Write for 
free catalog and Easy Payment Plan. 
American Separator Co. 
Bax 1775 Bainbridge, N.Y. 
Hercules pulled stumps easier, 
better, faster, cheaper, than 
machines from all parts of the 
world in English Gov. Official 
Tests. Clear„ your stumps. 
Make Big 
Money 
clearing neighbors.Thirty days 
trial; easy terms; special low 
price offer for limited time. 
Write quick. 
„ HERCULES MFC. CO. 
Dept. 1530 , Centerville,la. 
Our New Handy Binder 
Sides are heavy Book Board, Imita¬ 
tion Leather Back and Corners, 
Cloth Sides, Two Tongues Inside. 
Inside of Cover Neat Lining Paper, 
Stamped in Gold— “Rubae New- 
Yokkeu”— on outside. 
Will hold 52 issues, or more. 
Sent prepaid upon receipt of 
price, 65c. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
333 West 30th St. New York City 
