1410 
«Z Tie  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
November  10,  1923 
PUBLISHER’S  DESK 
On  April  10  I  mailed  a  check  for  $125 
to  the  Glen  Rock  Nursery  and  Stock 
Farm,  Ridgewood,  J_.,  H.  N.  Cobb, 
manager,  to  cover  the  25  per  cent  cash 
on  an  order  of  400  12-weeks-old  pullets 
for  delivery  on  or  about  July  25.  Check 
and  order  were  both  accepted.  During 
the  latter  part  of  May  they  sent  me  a  let¬ 
ter  soliciting  the  changing  of  my  order  so 
that  they  could  sell  me  instead  some 
“fine”  three  -  months  -  old  pullets,  three 
months  on  May  24,  at  $1.50  each.  In  it 
they  mentioned  my  order  for  “early  July 
delivery.”  I  wrote  them,  correcting  the 
date  of  delivery.  On  about  June  22  I 
received  a  letter  from  them,  demanding 
the  balance  of  tl  i  money  so  that  they 
could  ship  my  order  on  time  “on  the  first 
of  July.  Again  I  corrected  the  date. 
When  July  25  came  round  I  expected 
my  pullets,  since  I  had  sent  them  a  check 
for  the  balance  of  the  money  on  July  10. 
I  grew  tired  of  waiting  and  telegraphed 
for  information.  A  letter  came  a  week 
later,  stating  that  the  pullets  would  be 
shipped  that  week,  since  the  weather^on 
July  25  was  too  hot.  On  August  17  I 
went  down  to  Ridgewood  to  see  about  it. 
I  met  Mr.  Cobb.  Then  I  first  found  out 
that  the  pullets  were  not  raised  at  Ridge¬ 
wood.  but  on  “one  of  our  farms  in  Mary¬ 
land.”  In  fact,  he  told  me  that  he  had 
just  come  from  the  “Maryland  farm,” 
where  he  had  O.  K.  chicks  (pullets)  for 
shipment  to  me,  and  that  they  were  al¬ 
ready  on  their  way.  During  our  conver¬ 
sation  he  expressed  a  very  high  regard 
for  The  R.  N.-Y. — “a  bunch  of  nosey 
bodies — they  put  their  noses  in  everyone’s 
business.”  The  pullets  shipped  from 
Maryland  had  quite  a  long  journey,  for 
they  arrived  from  Zeeland,  Mich.,  on  Au¬ 
gust  21 — the  whole  lot — no,  just  310  of 
them — “wonderful  stock,”  supposed  to  be 
at  least  3 K>  months  old,  so  Mr.  Cobb  had 
assured  me.  Some  of  them  do  not  weigh 
more  than  half  a  pound  yet — some  have 
turned  out  to  be  roosters.  They  were  a 
motley  assortment  of  all  ages  and  sizes ; 
fully  half  didn’t  weigh  even  the  %  lb. 
that  the  other  half  averaged.  More  let¬ 
ters  followed  ;  finally  I  received  GO  more. 
More  letters ;  then  I  received  20  more. 
More  letters,  and  Mr.  Cobb  replied  that 
bis  “manager”  claims  to  have  sent  me  a 
full  count  and  that  I  may  make  claim  to 
tlie  American  Express  for  any  shortage. 
As  for  expressage,  why  all  their  custom¬ 
ers  paid  the  charges.  Thus  I  remain 
with  a  cull  stock,  10  short,  paid  all  ex¬ 
pressage,  made  greater  by  the  several 
shipments — thoroughly  “done.”  I  wish 
there  were  some  way  I  could  put  this  be¬ 
fore  other  “suckers”  who  may  bite  at  his 
bait.  And  his  excuse  is  that  it  serves 
me  right,  because  I  had  refused  the  earlier 
shipment  when  they  had  the  stock.  P.  B. 
New  York. 
The  above  is  characteristic  of  Cobb 
deals.  Mr.  Cobb  is  a  poultry  “gyp,” 
whose  unsatisfactory  dealings  have  been 
reported  in  this  department  a  number  of 
times.  The  “Maryland  farm”  is  a  myth. 
Cobb  solicits  orders  for  baby  chicks  and 
poultry,  leading  the  prospective  customer 
to  believe  that  the  order  will  be  filled 
from  his  own  place.  When  he  gets  the 
customer’s  money  the  order  is  sent  to 
Michigan  or  some  other  distant  point  to 
be  filled — presumably  wherever  Mr.  Cobb 
can  get  the  stock  cheapest.  Of  course 
this  class  of  dealers  do  not  like  Tiie  R. 
N.-Y.  If  the  time  ever  comes  when  such 
pirates  approve  of  the  paper,  it  will  cease 
to  deserve  the  commendation  of  honest 
men. 
If  you  would  have  thought  a  little  be¬ 
fore  writing  the  letter  which  is  dated 
October  16,  you  would  not  have  been  in 
such  a  hurry  to  make  your  resolutions, 
because  90  publishers  out  of  100  would 
not  give  up  an  advertiser  who  spent  in 
the  neighborhood  of  $1,200  a  year,  for 
the  sake  of  a  subscriber  who  purchased 
about  $5  worth  of  merchandise,  and 
therefore  we  do  not  see  the  “good  busi¬ 
ness”  on  your  part  by  doing  so. 
STANDARD  WINDOW  SHADE  CO. 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
Perhaps  it  would  not  be  considered 
good  business  to  refuse  this  advertising 
by  99  out  of  100  publishers  as  stated,  but 
advertisers  cannot  ply  their  trade  through 
the  columns  of  The  R.  N.-Y.  unless  they 
live  up  to  their  claims  and  agreements. 
The  Standard  Window  Shade  Co.,  Brook¬ 
lyn,  N.  Y..  in  its  advertisement  guaran¬ 
teed  “satisfaction  or  money  back.”  When 
one  of  our  subscribers  complained  that 
the  goods  were  not  satisfactory,  the  ad¬ 
vertiser  flatly  refused  to  make  good  the 
guarantee.  The  company  should  not  make 
such  a  guarantee  unless  it  was  willing  to 
live  up  to  it.  The  subscriber  forwarded 
the  goods  complained  about  and  the  con¬ 
dition  of  the  shades  justified  the  com¬ 
plaint.  Tiie  R.  N.-Y.  has  refunded  the 
money  under  our  “square  deal”  of  adver¬ 
tisers. 
I  am  returning  you  the  check  I  re¬ 
ceived  in  settlement  for  the  claim  against 
Philips  Dairy  Company,  289  Greenwich 
St.,  New  Y"ork.  The  check  was  returned 
to  me  because  there  were  not  sufficient 
funds  to  the  credit  of  Philips  Dairy  Com¬ 
pany  to  cover  amount  of  check.  Please 
see  what  you  can  do  in  my  behalf. 
Pennsylvania.  J.  N.  J. 
We  have  had  a  number  of  complaints 
against  protested  checks  of  Philips 
Dairy  Company.  This  is  the  usual  result 
of  shipping  produce  to  concerns  without 
looking  up  their  standing.  The  proprietor 
of  Philips  Dairy  Company  was  Philip 
Polbsky.  He  is  now  operating  under  the 
name  of  Clover  Farms  Dairy  Company, 
1789  Broadway,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  en¬ 
deavoring  to  open  up  a  new  business.  The 
signs  are  up,  but  the  store  is  not  yet  fur 
nished,  and  it  is  alleged  that  the  firm  has 
not  been  able  to  obtain  credit.  Those  who 
ship  to  him  under  the  new  name  need  ex¬ 
pect  no  different  treatment  from  that  ex¬ 
perienced  by  the  shipper  to  Philips  Dairy 
Company. 
Accept  our  most  sincere  thanks  and  ap¬ 
preciation  for  checks  of  $22.22  and  $6.60, 
being  the  amounts  of  our  claims  against 
the  American  Railway  Express  Company 
due  us  since  June  9,  1921,  which  your 
paper  has  so  ably  pursued  and  brought 
to  a  successful  termination.  To  show  in 
some  small  measure  our  estimate  of  your 
untiring  efforts,  and  the  public-spirited 
service  you  have  rendered,  we  have  en¬ 
closed  a  subscription  'for  your  valuable 
paper  for  we  would  not  be  without  it  in 
our  home  at  ten  times  its  price.  No 
home  ought  to  be  without  Tiie  R.  N.-Y. ; 
it  is  one  of  their  best  friends  and  we 
shall  endeavor  to  have  our  friends  and 
neighbors  see  it  in  that  light,  as  they 
sooner  or  later  must,  for  they  cannot 
fail  to  realize  how  earnestly  and  dili¬ 
gently  you  are  laboring,  as  you  have  done 
in  our  case,  in  their  interest  and  behalf. 
New  Yoflt.  w.  F.  w. 
There  was  some  unexplainable  delay 
about  the  two  claims,  but  the  New  York 
office  of  the  American  Railway  Express 
Company  pushed  them  through  to  a 
prompt  conclusion  when  we  brought  them 
to  their  attention.  We  appreciate  the 
generous  response  of  the  subscriber  and 
the  gracious  sentiments  expressed.  We 
are  human  enough  to  like  such  encour¬ 
agement. 
I’m  not  investing.  Oh, dear,  no  !  I  have 
the  conviction  that  when  these  things  are 
offered  in  “the  Street”  it  is  the  “high 
sign”  that  the  insider  believes  the  time 
opportune  to  “let  go.”  But  it  is  inter¬ 
esting  to  observe  a  “net  profit”  of 
about  100  per  cent  on  the  “net  assets,” 
but  how  long  can  it  last?  a.  c. 
New  York. 
The  above  comment  on  the  underwrit¬ 
ing  of  the  Auto  Knitter  Hosiery  Com¬ 
pany,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  stock  by  J.  S. 
Bache  appeared  in  The  R.  N.-Y.  of 
March  3,  1923,  soon  after  the  campaign 
for  the  sale  of  the  stock  was  launched. 
The  price  at  which  Bache  &  Co.  offered 
the  stock  was  $22.50  per  share.  The  fact 
that  the  stock  is  selling  on  the  market 
this  week  as  low  at  $7.50  per  share  makes 
the  words  of  A.  C.  sound  almost  proph¬ 
etic.  A  stock  may  be  boomed,  or  the 
earnings  of  an  enterprise  may  be  accel¬ 
erated  by  extravagant  advertising  for  a 
time ;  but  permanently  successful  busi¬ 
ness  can  only  be  built  on  faithful  service 
and  satisfied  customers. 
I  have  been  shipping  eggs  to  W.  Morri¬ 
son  &  Co.,  Inc.,  297  Greenwich  St.,  New 
York.  Their  check  of  Sept.  IT,  1923,  for 
$14.42  was  protested  and  returned  to  me 
with  $1.40  cost.  There  is  also  one  case, 
30  dozen,  white  eggs.  -  shipped  to  them 
the  middle  of  September  from  which  I 
have  heard  nothing ;  have  written  them 
but  received  no  reply.  Will  you  look 
this  up  and  collect  if  you  can?  F.  H.  A. 
New  York. 
This  little  story  is  a  repetition  of  the 
letters  we  receive  day  after  day  regard¬ 
ing  transactions  involving  egg  shipments 
which  have  been  unsatisfactory.  Our 
representative  found  that  the  Morrison 
Company  has  discontinued  business  at  the 
above  address  and  protested  checks  have 
been  coming  in  ever  since.  If  our  read¬ 
ers  will  only  heed  our  warning  and  in¬ 
vestigate  before  they  make  these  ship¬ 
ments  much  worry  and  gray  hair  will 
be  saved  them. 
Young  Mother  (to  applicant)  :  “You 
have  had  experience  with  babies?”  Ap¬ 
plicant  :  “Yes,  ma’am.  I  sure  does  know 
how  to  nurse  ’em.  I’se  had  four  o’  my 
own.”  Young  mother  (much  pleased)  : 
“Fine.  Then  you’re  just  the  woman  I 
need.  And  how  old  are  your  kiddies?” 
Applicant:  “I’se  sorry,  ma’am,  but  they’s 
all  dead.” — New  YTork  Herald. 
Beyond  the  dreams 
of  the  Pioneers 
Of  the  mile-long,  high-level  bridge  now  being  built 
across  the  Hudson  near  Albany  on  the  New  York 
Central,  the  New  York  World  says: 
“The  great  cut-off  at  Castleton  on  the  Hudson  *  *  *  * 
will  be  a  boon  to  all  the  people  of  New  York  State 
and  to  five  times  as  many  beyond  its  borders.  *  *  *  * 
“The  Castleton  cut-off  is  a  notable  example  of  those 
modern  railway  problems  which  concern  rather  im¬ 
proving  old  lines  than  the  opening  of  new  ones,  for 
the  cheaper  movement  of  traffic  grown  vast  beyond 
the  dreams  of  the  pioneers.” 
BOSTON  &•  ALBANY-  MICHIGAN  CENTRAL  -  BIG  FOUR  -  PITTSBURGH  &LAKI  ERIE 
AND  THE  NEW  YORK  CENTRAL  AND  SUBSIDIARY  LINES 
Qeneral  Offices — 4 66  Lexington  Ave.,  New  York 
TAKE  LIFE  EASY 
Vo,?,  Car  &  Porta-Power 
Runs  Saw,  Thresher,  Silo  Filler 
Price  $25  F.  O.  B.  Factory. 
Get  Pamphlet  G-l 
B.  H.  GRAY,  Saranac  Lake,  N.  Y. 
A  ■  MAKK  A  uuLLAIt  AN  HOUR.  SELL  MEN  I>ETS 
ft  {TCfllS  a  patent  patch  for  instantly  mending  leaks 
©  in  all  utensils.  Sample  package  free. 
COLLETTE  MFC.  CO.,l>ept.  108,  Amsterdam,  N.Y, 
This  One  Engine' 
Does  Every 
Farm  Job 
!*  I  set  out  to  build  a  farm  engine 
that  would  have  every  feature 
the  farmer  wanted  and  none  he 
didn’t  want.  It  has  now  been 
on  the  market  six  years.  Thou¬ 
sands  of  satisfied  users  tell  me 
I've  succeeded.  I’m  proud  to 
have  this  engine  bear  my  name.” 
— A.  Y.  Edwards 
EDWARDS 
FARM 
ENG  I  N  E 
rkable  Engine 
There  is  no  other  farm  engine 
like  it.  Simple  in  construction 
and  easy  to  operate.  It  is  only 
one  engine,  yet  it  takes  the 
place  of  six  engines.  It  will  give 
from  1  yi  to  6  H.  P.,  yet  it  is  so 
light  that  two  men  can  carry  it 
easily.  Set  it  anywhere  and 
put  it  to  work. 
Change  Power 
as  Needed 
It  is  a  6  H.  P.  when  you  need 
6,  or  lyi  H.  P.  when  you  need 
only  1  yi,  or  any  power  in  be¬ 
tween.  Fuel  consumption  in 
proportion  to  power  used  and 
remarkably  low  at  all  times. 
Adjustment  from  one  power  to 
another  is.  instantaneous. 
Barns  Kerosene 
Operates  with  kerosene  or  gaso¬ 
line.  Easy  starting,  no  crank¬ 
ing.  The  greatest  gas  engine 
value  on  the  market.  And  you 
can  prove  all  of  these  statements 
to  your  own  satisfaction. 
What  Users  Say 
Ivan  L.  Blake,  of  Hannibal, 
New  York,  says:  “Only  engine 
economical  for  all  jobs.  I  run  a 
28-inch  cord  wood  saw,  a  24- 
inch  rip  saw,  a  washer,  a  pump, 
and  a  grinder,  and  it  sure  runs 
them  fine.  It  has  perfect  run¬ 
ning  balance,  and  it  sets  quiet 
anywhere.” 
Clarence  Rutledge,  of  Mani- 
toulan  Island,  Ontario,  says: 
!‘Have  given  my  Edwards  four 
years’  steady  work  and  like  it 
fine.  It  uses  very  little  fuel.  I 
run  a  28-inch  cord  wood  saw, 
also  a  rip  saw,  8-inch  grinder, 
ensilage  cutter,  line  shaft  for 
shop,  churn,  washer,  separator 
and  pump.  Have  had  ten  other 
engines  and  the  Edwards  beats 
them  all.” 
Frank  Foell,  of  Cologne,  New 
Jersey,  says:  “  It's  a  great  pleas¬ 
ure  to  own  an  Edwards  engine. 
I  run  a  wood  saw,  cement  mixer. 
threshing  machine,  etc.  Do 
work  for  my  neighbors.  Easy 
to  move  around  and  easy  to  run. 
I  would  not  have  any  other.” 
Free  Trial  Offer 
Now—  I  want  to  prove  my 
claims  to  you.  I  want  to  send 
you  an  Edwards  Engine  for  ab¬ 
solutely  free  trial.  Just  write 
your  name  and  address  on  cou¬ 
pon  and  mail.  I  will  send  at 
once  complete  details  about  my 
farm  engine  and  about  my  free 
trial  offer.  No  cost  or  obliga¬ 
tion.  Mail  coupon  now. 
'EDWARDS  MOTORpCO-fie, d(  ohlo 
1  718  Main  Str  £bUgation.  send 
'  Without  cost  or  on  gn 
•  offer. 
I  . * 
I  Name . 
J  Addi*** . 
