The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-04-30
Populua Vult peelni.


( who are pHiHHiaisd in the mysterious ways
by which tho adroit Major Induces them 10
part with their dollars, will give the pro-
cess In delail--but 70 lhoss who have brsa
initiated there ia no need Of comment, for
they have learned the lesson a. on expense
Of cash and at sasidee Of common sense
and sagaoity which will secure them against
such sofpsoap operators In future.
The Major draws large audiences hy adj
yertisIug a .Iree lecture, and 10 them die,
courses IN motley miKtufe Of serio-comlc
grandiloquenee, of the hardsbips Of his youth
ful eareer--in which there Is much df tru0
10 enlist the sympathIes Of any promlscuous
gathering especially Of youths In their
teens (mnle and femuIel who arc inevper,
eneed 10 the art and cunning pursued by
sofl-soaping losses and Bauums, to Glch
dollars from the uuwary
The lecture hos plot, as all we'll arrang-
cd dlseourses should have, but the ingenuity
Of THE ono Is Of character In perfect keen
ing with -ibo fraudulent sale Of 10 cents
worth Of soap Tor sl--and Of watches, breast
pins, tops and dCops, rREors Sc, at prices IN
the same ratio % to their relative value 10
which the lecture very sdroiIy prepares the
way,
His magdlin recital Of the sudsrings Of hs
boyhood exeites the COMMUNICATION Of tho
crowd 10 that degree that they feel "a II do
ing q charitable act In exchanging hard,
earned dollar for 10 cents worth Of soap.
Add to ttis the eSeitaNrnt he gives to the
eupidity (Which oil possess iaIome dcgrecj
by pretending to give the possible chance Of
drawing watch worth (as he elaims) $500,
and the secret Of his dollar contributions Is
explained,
/ There ia scarcely one In q hundred, In such
crowd, who ever investigate, The ma,s,
only look at the glipering scheme, a, paint
ed by the party whose interest X was TO de.
oeiyc them.
The scheme, diyesIed Of all the rubbish
with which the Major endcayou to obscure
H. by his hand-bills and lecture, j. simply
this-ifyou purchase wha, he call. 80 cent,
worth Of soap Il coll It | o eeqts' WORTH and
give dollar for Il, you are entitled 10 the
splendid privilege or one chance So thirty.
-iol. .t-..-z-A - l--,-i-a ---.-L .--..l
sixteen dollars by paying twenty for H.,
To be sure the Major prizes the watch at
S32o-but others who have examined IL, Gx
itS real value nt sixteen. So you do not es
cape the Majors clutches BY giving him 90
ccuts on the soap trado-hc taxes your sym
pgthy further than that-for Il YOU should be
50 unfortunate a. to draw the watch YOU are
mueted in four dollars more, clean profit, by
way Of paying your admission fee to a free
lecture,
The above statement as TO the watch and
soap discovers all the machinery Of the Ma
j6F,s 6BgTHttUHE UUd there ~ HdThiBg mr.
thcr connected with his mission through the
rural districts Of Vermont and New .-IIamp-
shire that will further illustrate his ingenious
deyice-but will do him the justice to pub.
lish the remainder Of his lottery scheme,
which, though "all of the same piece" is not
quite as severe tax upon the sympathy and
pockets Of the people, as the case Of the
watch named above. Every person who
gives 90 cents for chance (by way Of profit
on the sonp) has a sure chance of drawing
somethiRg-and an equally sure chance Of
being obliged to pay profit on that some
thing in the same relative proportion TO its
value as $50 is to $40, as in the case Of the
watch.
The whole thing is most transparent
cheat, and far more Objectionable than com
mon lotteries, which all good people con-
denim For in these you draw moro than
your ticket costs If you draw at all-while in
Major Ross lottery you must not only give
90 cents Cor the chance but pay onc.fi0h
more than thc value Of whatever you are un-
fortunate enough to draw.
The Major is supposed to have carried
away from Danvillo ncur two hundred dol
lars, received there in his gin enterprise
and il is believed by candid people that al
the goods he left as n pretended equivalent
therefor, would not amount TO twenty-five
dollars Mt a fair valuation.
There was n genuine touch of the ludi'
crous to the locker on, in observing the chop
fallen appearance of the vcrdant youths, as
their worthless prizes were delivered to them.
One young lady drew a razor, worth perhaps
York shilling,for which she was required to
pay 90 cents. Having no use for the article
the doughty Major very generously extended
to her the privilege of returning tho razor
and drawing again from the same class. Ac-
ceptng this kind offer. with many express
sions of thanks for the Majors mugnonimity
in making it, she handed back this TO herr
needless implement Of cutlery, when prestoF
rado !! quicker than you could say Jack
(let alone the Robinson) she drew again
aud was presented with a raEor-sirop! II
old Mr. Hudibras the poick, could have wit
messed as did the expression Of that young
lddy's couutenance when she received four
cent razor-strop in exchange for shilling
razor think he would have made "some
dram Of scrnple. or indeed q seruple itself,"