1594 
7ft* RURAL. NEW.YORKER 
December 27, 1924 
PUBLISHER’S DESK 
~ ■ — - 
All the workers in Publisher’s Desk 
send greetings to all its readers and 
patrons and friends, and extend to them 
best wishes for Christmas and the New 
Year. 
A short time ago I wrote to you about 
some trouble which I was having with 
the Anthony .Wayne Institute Ft. 
Wayne, Ind. I am inclosing their latest 
letter and am asking your advice as to 
just what I should do. I really do not 
see why I should be held to that contract. 
I was but 20 years old when I signed it, 
and “a contract made by a minor is 
void.” I am inclosing the contract for 
your criticism. M. H. Y. 
New York. 
Individuals under 21 years of age have 
no legal responsibility in contracts or 
orders signed. If the contract was fairly 
entered into, however, we would strongly 
advise this young woman to assume the 
responsibility, no matter at what cost to 
herself. These Ft. Wayne correspondence 
schools seem to make a specialty of tak¬ 
ing advantage of young school teachers. 
Strong-arm salesmen, by the use of mis¬ 
representation, induce young girls to sign 
orders without their parents’ consent. Not 
only is the young woman justified in re¬ 
pudiating the contract in such cases, but 
owes it t o hei-self and other young wom¬ 
en to do so. 
I have read Tiie R. N.-Y. for several 
years, and have been a booster for it ever 
since. When I first commenced reading 
it, I was taking 2G so-called farm papers 
and journals, but have reduced them to 
two. There is no paper published that 
fights so honestly for the farmer. We 
are now getting our annual amount of 
fake literature. • l~ L. 
New York. 
•We confess to a degree of pride and 
satisfaction in letters of the above type. 
We might also acknowledge the encour¬ 
agement and inspiration in them. The 
experiment we undertook 30-odd years 
ago of making a farm paper exclusively 
for the good of the farmer has not been 
without trial and adventure. The only 
hope of its success was in the confidence 
that the plain farmer would discover the 
ideal for himself, and overlooking human 
errors, approve the purpose, and that ob¬ 
jective is just what is revealed in thou¬ 
sands of notes coming in to us similar to 
this one.. We cannot answer them all 
personally, much less introduce them 
here, but we want our friends, one and 
all, to know that their interest is appre¬ 
ciated, and that we shall do our best to 
continue to merit their confidence. 
I inclose a form letter from the Allied 
Merke Institutes, Inc., of New York. Is 
this a reliable outfit or not? Wife and I 
have very bad cases of dandruff, and 
have tried many tonics (so-called) and 
other mixtures, but have obtained no re¬ 
lief. so are looking for possible relief in 
some other method. But this thing 
sounds .‘“fishy” somehow. However, if 
the firm’s guarantee is worth anything we 
would try it out; first .would like your 
opinion as to their reliability. J. H. t. 
Maryland. 
The proposition is a palpable fake. 
The circular forwarded by this subscriber 
represents thp price of the treatment to 
be $9.86, but agrees to send the remedy 
or treatment with two gifts worth $3.50, 
and all you have to do is to pay the post¬ 
man $2. This offer reads like “sucker 
bait,” and our advice to -those with dan¬ 
druff trouble or whose hair is falling out, 
is to consult some specialist in this line. 
I am inclosing an advertisement of F. 
.1. Reefer. Ninth and Spruce Sts.. Phila¬ 
delphia, Pa., and would like to know 
what you think of the claims made in this 
advertisement. f. s. G. 
Fairport, N. Y. 
Mr. Reefer’s advertisement is headed 
in big type, “53 Miles to a Gallon.' This 
result ik supposed to be accomplished by 
Mr. Reefer's “amazing invention,” the 
Reefer Vapor Carbonette, the value of 
which he claims is $5, but he will sell it 
for the very reasonable price of $1.97. 
We do not know what this “Carbon¬ 
ette” may be, but Mr. Reefer says that 
if it does not cut your gas bill in two he 
will refund the money you paid for it. 
This is the same Reefer who was making 
such loud claims for a product a few 
years ago to make hens lay. According 
to Mr. Reefer, all you had to do was to 
use his dope and you couldn't keep the 
hens off the nests. V e don t hear any¬ 
thing more of his wonderful discovery 
which made hens lay. As usual when a 
faker wears one scheme out he readily in¬ 
vents another. If his poultry product 
had merit it would not die. We predict 
that after he has fooled the public on this 
Vapor Carbonette for a time he will find 
some substitute for it also. The papers 
that carry this sort of advertising deserve 
the same degree of confidence as Reefer. 
BOYS AND GIRLS 
(Continued from page 1586) 
Mississippi River. His most famous 
books are those which deal with life on 
the Mississippi: “The Adventures of 
Tom Sawyer,” “Huckleberry Finn,” and 
“Pudd’nhead Wilson.” 
The “Immortal Alice” Mark Twain re¬ 
ferred to is the delightful child heroine of 
Lewis Carroll’s story “Alice in Wonder¬ 
land.” 
I inclose some literature which I have 
just received regarding bankers’ shares of 
the Ford Motor Company of Canada. I 
believe you have mentioned this scheme 
more than once in your columns, and it 
has received considerable exposure in the 
daily papers. Why are these people al¬ 
lowed to continue? Can't the Post Office 
Department do anything about it? 
New York. M. G. 
No, we see no way of stopping the sale 
of these so-called bankers’ shares of the 
Ford Motor Company of Cahada. The 
Ford organization has disclaimed any re¬ 
sponsibility for the sale of the stock in 
this way. Some brokers have apparently 
purchased the stock in the open market. 
The shares are selling on the market 
around $450 per share, and on the basis 
these brokers are selling the “bankers’ 
shares” they are getting $600 a share—a 
handsome profit. Of course anyone real¬ 
izing the situation would not invest under 
these conditions. There is no good rea¬ 
son why anyone should pay 33 1-3 per 
cent more than the market price for the 
stock broken up into smaller units. 
I am sorry to trouble you again in re¬ 
gard to Baker Music House, 52 North 
Pearl St., Albany, N. Y.. For one year 
this December we have not received any 
dividends on our money. Could you find 
out for me whether they are doing busi¬ 
ness still, and if there is any hope of re¬ 
ceiving anything from them? A. F. 
New ‘York. 
Baker Music House, Inc., Albany, N. 
Y., was placed in the hands of a receiver 
on September 8, 1924. This is only a 
logical sequence to the stock-selling cam¬ 
paign inaugurated by the company a year 
ago. When we hear of stock salesmen 
canvassing country districts, selling the 
stock of a business enterprise, the next 
thing we look for is the notice of a re¬ 
ceivership for the concern in question. It 
has been aptly said that “stock selling to 
the public is the last resort of bank¬ 
rupts.” The actual assets, from our re¬ 
ports, seem to be little, if any, in excess 
of the liabilities, which does not hold out 
a’ny prospect for the stockholders. 
What do you think of the course given 
in show card writing by the American 
Show Gard System, Ltd., of Toronto, 
Canada? Is it as represented by them, 
and are they all right? H. P. s. 
Massachusetts. 
The continuous inquiry about these 
“show card writing” propositions makes 
it necessary to repeat that these mail 
courses on the subject are on a par with 
the knitting machine work-at-home 
schemes and the many others of the same 
sort. The promoters of similar schemes 
in this country have been prosecuted for 
fraudulent use of the mails. Don’t waste 
any money on such delusions. 
Batavia, N. Y.. has its Ponzi of Boston 
and its 500-per cent Miller of Brooklyn, 
with their schemes magnified in prom¬ 
ised profits, but cunning a shorter course. 
According to newspaper reports, one Earl 
Williams, an insurance agent, convinced 
some of Batavia’s well-to-do citizens that 
he could make them rich over night spec¬ 
ulating in certificates of indebtedness of 
the Dairymen’s League. His inducement 
was 35 per cent profit for a four days’ 
investment. The last report is that he is 
held after arrest for the grand jury. Ilis 
operations, if is said, did not exceed 
$300,000. It would seem that Batavia 
needs a commission to inquire into the 
sanity of some of its prosperous citizens, 
who show signs of avaricious dementia. 
“Do you think there is the slightest 
chance of winning?” asked the campaign 
manager’s wife. “None in the world.” 
replied the campaign manager. The tele¬ 
phone bell rang. “It’s a reporter froift 
the Associated Press,” said the c. m.’s 
wife. “He wants to know what you have 
to say.” “Tell him,” said the campaign 
manager, “that we are utterly confident 
of the result; that we should win by the 
biggest plurality ever accorded a candi¬ 
date.”—New York World. 
An interesting paragraph in a letter 
from Alice Belt (14) Ohio, is as follows: 
I think it was very nice of you, Mr. 
Tuttle, to tell us about your Washington 
trip. I hope to travel some day. I think 
that books on travel are so interesting. 
At our public library last Winter I got 
a book “Highways and Byways in West¬ 
ern United States,” or something like 
that. It is by Clifton Johnson. It de¬ 
scribed every incident so clearly. I wish 
some of the other girls and boys would 
suggest good books of the non-fiction 
kind. 
Florence Bender, a 13-year-old New 
York reader, said at the end of her let¬ 
ter : “I hope you will like my contribu¬ 
tions because tJ are wholly original. 
I am a Girl $ and so I will give you 
“Scout’s Ho that this statement is 
truly tru ' I ’like that. Florence! 
An 18-year-old boy remarks: “The 
children’s page certainly does draw out 
their talent. In the page they develop 
it to worthiness. The page is doing a 
great service as a raiser of ambitions.” 
Ambitions to do your best of course he 
means. 
Fine spirit is shown by Adrianna 
Mikes (11 years), New York, who 
writes: 
I am trying very hard to have a pic¬ 
ture or letter or something that I send 
you put into the Boys and Girls’ Page. 
If I succeed I will try still harder for 
January. If I don't succeed I will try 
twice as hard. 
A Wisconsin girl reader says: “I like 
Our Page better than a funny paper.” 
Now what do you think of that! 
One reader asks: “When you send 
photographs should you send the negative 
or the picture itself? I suppose I’m dumb 
to ask, but I'd like to know.” Of course 
she is not dumb. The only way we can 
leani about things is to ask questions. 
A dumb person is one who keeps asking 
the same question over and over without 
trying to learn the answer. What the 
printer uses is the picture itself. You 
keep the negative. Then you can always 
have more prints made when you want 
them. A picture must be clear and 
bright to make a good engraving, or 
“cut” from which the printing is done. 
And now goodbye! We have Our Page 
‘ more than full; it is overflowing. Once 
more a Merry Christmas and a Happy 
New Year to you all from your editor and 
friend, Edward M. Tuttle, in care The 
Rural New-Yorker, 333 West 30th St., 
New York City. 
List of December Contributors 
These are the readers who answered the No¬ 
vember page before this one went to the printer. 
The name itself indicates that a letter was re¬ 
ceived from that boy or girl. Following each 
name is the age, whenever given, and a series 
of alphabetical symbols referring to various con¬ 
tributions, according to the following key: 
b—Words for box. 
d—A drawing, 
e—An essay, 
g—A game 
k—A new book or poem puzzle. 
1—Correct answer to last book puzzle. 
m—A new nature puzzle. 
n—-Correct answer to last nature puzzle. 
o—An original poem. 
p—A photographic picture. 
r—A rhyme for drawing. 
s—A story. 
v—A memory verse. 
x—Correct answer to last puzzle. 
z—A new puzzle or riddle. 
California: Ruth Hessel (14, e), Robert 
Storms (d). 
Colorado: Ruby Altman (14, d, s). 
Connecticut: Freda Sadler (11, k, 1, n), Mar¬ 
garet Parker (11, n), Gertrude Haas (14, 1. a), 
Mildred Wilcox (13, b, d, n, o, v, x), Annie 
Wilcox (11, d, o), Alice Young (13, n), Annie 
Sibitehy (12, v), Bernice Kennett (11, n), Bar¬ 
bara Bernes (13, d), Ernest Pierce (d), Myra 
Lloyd (14. d), Marion Youmans (1, n), Ruth 
Dudley (17, s), William Frost (11, n, s, x), 
Eleanor Johnston (11, 11, Elsie Gasparino (13, 
d, n, z), Anna Beatty (12, 1), Mary Kasulis (d, 
1, v), Rodger Oren (11, 1), Norman Hallock (17, 
d), Evelyn Lawrence (n, x, z), Lillian Kved 
(1), Marguerite Quinn (13, m), Katharine Fit¬ 
ter (10, d), Elizabeth French, Gertrude Stephen¬ 
son (9. z), Anna Mayers (16, d), Margaret Lan- 
non (16, s), Augeliu Pinatello (14, n), Rosylind 
Main (9, d). 
Delaware: Edith Johnson (n), Ethel Clark 
(9. n, o). Gwendolyn Wagner (12, d), Ephraim 
Sullon (15, d). 
Illinois: Marion Allen (12, z). Anna' Graham 
(15, d, 1, n, s), Sarah Graham (9, s). 
Kentucky: Eleanor Hillenmeyer (11, x). 
Maine: Katherine Kalloek, Myrtie Hemenway 
fd, 1), Donald White (8, d), Allard Pierce (9, 
d), Edna Hurd (11, 1, n. o), Charlotte Mont¬ 
gomery (13, z), Elizabeth Jackson (11, g, 1, 
n, x). 
Maryland: William Cox (8, v), Louise Pusey 
(12, 1), -Catheryn Ross (13, x, z), Lewis King 
(9, x), Willard Botts (11), Dorothy Moorey (13, 
1, m, n, x). Maud Wilson (11, d), John Colig- 
ny (11, d), Agnes Bovey (16, d, x), May Bovey 
(17, s, v), Frank Bezeries (12, d), Pauline 
Bezerics (8, d). 
Massachusetts:. Phyllis Jones (12, o), Alfred 
Peterson (11, d), Louise Canneg (1, n), Mary 
Tracy (11, d, n), Charlotte Proctor (d), Harold 
LeDue (9, d, 1, m, n, v, x, z), George Waller 
(10), Laura Jewett (11, s), Arthur Tucker (17, 
1, x), Dorothy Lanphear (10, d, n), Marion 
Morse (12. d, n), Frances Biexham (10, d). 
Elmer Gillfetlier (n, x), Mildred Gillfether (n. 
x. z), Miriam Tilden (14, 1, n, x), Julia Buzzell 
(s), Ruth Eaton (10, x, z), Evelyn Hebert 
(15, v). 
Michigan: Donna Mead (d, s), Leon Hosier 
(11, d). Mabel Hartman (11, 1), Leon I.ande 
(12, d), Mary Daly (13, d, n), Lillian Kent 
(16, 1,6). 
New Hampshire: Rita Piper (13, d, x), Nor¬ 
man Mason (11, 1, m, n), Janet Webster (b, 1, 
n), Annette Harris (14, b, n, s, x), Edith Kel¬ 
ley (9, 1, n, v, x), Frieda Haynes (16, d). 
New Jersey: Ralph Oertel (9. d, n), Marion 
Oertel (7, d), Mary Bradach (11, 1). Eleanor 
Davis (14. 1, x), Anna Cook (13, d), Margaret 
Van Bibber (12, 1), Malcolm Mawle.v (12, d), 
Harold Alpaugh (15, d), John Rosencrantz (12, 
d), Dox-othy Bozartli (lo, d, n), Lonise Gross 
(11, b, d, m, n, v), Elizabeth Nieolayseu (9. 1), 
Virginia Smith (d), Frank Fugle (10, d), Ber¬ 
nice Fugle (13, d), Louisa Skoog (12, d, x), 
Hermia Lurk (12, d, 1, n, x, z), Bobby Billett 
(12, d), Dorothy Jeffers (10, d), Dorothea 
Schmidt (12, d. 1, n, x), Olga Dubenzie (12. d, 
n, o), Alfred Ward (11, d), Renee Proli (13. b. 
d. g. m, v). Dorothy Saussier (11, z), Constance 
Elinendorf (1). Grace Mead (12, 1, n, x), Grace 
Nichols (12, n). 
New York: Dorothy Kastner (9, n, v), Ruth 
Hollenbeck (15, b, s, x), Stanton Sabattis (8, 
s), Grace Taylor (n), Ruth Boydney (n), Agnes 
Biggs (11, k, x), Mary Mc-Crossen (13, k, n, s, 
x), Ida Welch (11, d, x), Doris Wilson (13, d), 
Dawn Wilson (12, d), Gertrude Wells (13, d), 
Marion Wells (9, d), Marion Bookhout (x), 
Charles Martin (10, k. n, x), Isabel Edgerton 
(13, d, 1), Doris Little (12, 1), Edythe Jones 
(13, x), Doris Ives (d), Edna Koenig (15, b, d, 
g, n), Elise Rapke (9, n), Ruth Oginsk.v (12. 1. 
n. s. x), Gerald McNamara (d, n), Ruth Relis 
(9. d. z), Martha Brush (13. s), Edmund Lloyd 
(12, d), Mary Jacobs (10, o). Jack Jacobs (12, 
d), Katherine Haw (12. z), Wilma Sigmund (11. 
1. n, v), Edna Small (10, x), Louis Hagen (11. 
d. x). Fred Hagen (9, d, n, r), Milton Noyes 
(12, d), Wilhelmina Rasmussen (16, d. 1. n), 
Frances Bloomer (10), Edna Smith (8, n), Ruth 
Carlsou (15, d). 'Dorothy St. John (11. d), 
Gladys Van De Mark (14, 1, n). Edith Secord 
(13, 1, n), Clara Teller (10, n), William Roske 
(11, d), Clarence Dibble (9, n), Margaret Dib¬ 
ble (12, n), Marshall Dibble (11, n), Eleanor 
Bradley (13, d, k, n), Ab.v Shapiro (18, s), 
Cecelia Revoir (14, n), Margaret Rankin (o, v, 
*), Amelia Bell (12. d, o), Philip Spicer (13. 
d), Irene Newton, (10, z), Carl Ebert (10. z), 
Olive Rikor (14, d, n, x), Marie Kalcely (14, d, 
1, n), Margaret Charlton (13, s), Sarah Charl¬ 
ton (12, s), Harriet Pisehel (14, v), Frank 
Craig (1, n, x), Dorothy Woodcock (13, v), Ber¬ 
tha Qunckenbush (14, e, 1, n), Ruth Stevens 
(m, n), Mary Niles (10, 1, n, r), Frances Alvord 
(14), Helen Koistinen (13, 1, n), Vera Krasity 
(11. d. n, s), Margaret Bacbn (14, d, s. z), 
Eleanor Welker (13, n, s, x), Harry Welker 
(10, n, x), Emma Shutts (10, n, s), Marion 
Edgett (10, o), Margaret Schlnugies (12, 1, n, 
xl, Ruth Ritter (10, d), Elsie Miller < 7 , d>, 
Mao Carroll (7, d). Jack Carroll (6, d), Onnolco 
Rouse (13. d), Genevieve Rouse (9, d), FVank- 
lin Aker (8). Frances Aker (9, o), Doris Light 
(9, d, n), Margaret Gippert (14. d, x), Blanche 
Hofert (12). Grace St. John (13, d), Amy An¬ 
derson (12, d, k), Jesse Niehols (10, m), Marion 
Nicliols (16, g, 1, n, x), Homer MeCoon (9, m, 
n), Ethel Polile (12, 1, n, x), Sylvia Finkel (12, 
d, 1, x, z), Branclie Vantrin (11, d), Tads 
Grannis (11, 1, x), Mildred Betzler (7, s), Anna 
Hoban (9, k, n), Clementin Wentzel (9, n, o, 
s), Donald Miller (7, n), Lyle Miller ,6, n), 
Fred Hagen (9, o, z), Alma Lippa (16, d), 
Steven Vamosy (12, x), Vera Chase (8, n, x), 
Frances Booth (13. n, x, z), Mary George (9, 
1, n, x>, Aubrey Gregory (14, d, n, v). Evelyn 
Underwood (14, d, s), Ruth Miller (14, 1), -Rich¬ 
ard Holmes (12, 1), Dorothy Fisher (13, k. 1, 
in. n. x), Sara Redden (12, d. 1. n, x), Milton 
Stickles (10, d), Dorothy McGeoch (14, s), 
Lydia Zimansky (13, d), Burton Hart (n), Mar¬ 
garet Irish (n, x), Anna Beecher (12, d. 1), 
Anna Kelly (13, d, 1), Helen Castin (11, d, u, 
x). Constance Edmister (11, 1, n), Laurence Ed- 
mister (12, x), Edward Valek (n), Irene Tipolt 
(13. d. 1). Charlotte Booth (16, n, s). Florence 
Bender (13, d, k, n, s), Hilda Turrell (10, d. 
x), Grace Lambert (15, s), Geraldine Wade (13, 
s), Nettie Marc.v (13, d), Charlotte Spindel (11, 
1), Evelyn Hines (10, d), Grace Schtiiner (n, x), 
Helen Rissinger (10, s, v), Brnce Tetor (d x). 
Pauline Burgess (14. e), Annette Colmer (14, 
d), Mary Polhemus (14, d. 1), Sarah Martin 
(15, v). Adrianna Mikes (11. d, g, m, n), 
Raoul Mikes (11. d. n), Harold Warren (12, 
x). Thelma Pratt (11, 1. n, x), Leora Sliaw 
(13, b, d. n, x), Esther Adams (16, s), Robert 
Lyons, Mary Dirig (12. 1, n, s, x), Bertha Bartz 
(10. d, x, z), Gwendolyn Fuller (13), Roy Berg¬ 
man (13, n, x), Ada Pierce (11, d. n, x), 
Gladys Feldberg (14, b, 1. x), Helen Gartelmun 
(9, 1. li, x, z), Anna Secor (10, d), Lillian 
Walle, Coletta Degenfelder (12, d). 
Ohio: Sylvester Penrod (d), Woodrow Cow- 
lier (11. d. n), Robert Cowher (13, d, z). Con¬ 
stance Miltner (12, n. x), Alice Belt (14, 1. n. 
s, x, z>, Martha Thompson (11, m. n, s). Eliza- 
l>etli Griffiths (13, d), Hazel Francisco (b, n, o, 
». X). 
Pennsylvania: Anna Warner (12, 1, n. r, V. 
xl, Frank Warner (1, n, x), Charles Warner 
(v), John Warner (v), Carl Click (11, d), Edna 
Spencer (9, d, n, x), Doris Spencer (11, n. o. 
x). Lois Fassett (101, Martha Eugstrand (10. 
dl. Anna Ktimpa (11), Eldred Clapper (8, v). 
Helen Clapper (13, e, n), Mary Gouldiug (o), 
Anna Torrence (13, d, 1), Martha Horst (k, m. 
n, s. x, a), Levi Crone (13, d), Annette John¬ 
son (10, d), Carenee neft (9, d, 1), Miriam 
Kacliel (d), Wilda Bisli (12, d), Helen Kauff¬ 
man (14, d, n), John Rumler (11, d), Esther 
Herr (15, d), Beatrice Arnold (9, s), Minnie 
Mayo (13), John Reekard (8, n, x), Gilbert 
Snyder (1, n). Margaret Farabaugh (v, x). 
Helen Seliirf (d), Hazel Sorg (n, x), Jeannette 
Slater (16, d, n, x),’ Evan Beers (12, d), Clair 
Beers (10, d). 
Rhode Island: Elizabeth Whitaker (11, 1, n, 
x), Eleanor House (9, n, v, x). 
Vermont: Pauline Root (12, s), Kathryn Dur- 
gin (v). Bertha Haskins (16, 1, x), Margaret 
Feeley (13, d, v), Isabel Wilson (n), Elizabeth 
Thurber (n), Dorothy Anderson (12. d), Eva 
Royee (11, d), Eulalie Powers (12, d, 1, n, x, 
/). Eugenia Powers (11, d, 1, n, v, x). 
Virginia: James Edge (16, d), Esther Wright 
(11, d, 1, n, x, z), Christine Bowman (12, n, s). 
West Virginia: Catherine Bartles (11, n). 
Wisconsin: Clyde Roe (k, 1). Hattie Bail- 
bach. Evelyn Vollmer (11, s), Frances Ellison 
(10. d). Frank Brueckel (d, 1, s). 
State Unknown: Angelo Russo (13, dl. 
