The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-03-22
Tuesday Morning, March 22, 1864.



We condense from the New York Tribune
a curious and complete account of compar-
atively new way in which credulous people
are swindled out of their money. 1t seems
that public spirited gentleman, whose We
racity the Tribune youches for, has been at
the trouble and expense of examining this
matter to the bottom and this is the result of
his experience.
The managers of these enterprises" appeal
to the public by sensation advertisements in
something like this -
"S500,000 worth of watches and iewelry, to
be sold for one dollar each without regard to
value, and not to be paid for till you know
what you are to get"
A schedule of articles and prices follows,
embracing gold watches at 500 silver watches
from SIS to $50 each, gold bracelets and
chains, brooches, diamond pins. gold pens and
numerous other articles, valued at from 81 so
TO SO. The advertisements say that the arti-
cles enumerated in the schedule will be sold
for 81 each; that certificates of all the articles
are .placed in envelopes, sealed, mixed, and
sent by mail as ordered without regard to
choice" that on receipt of the certificate ''you
will see what you can have. and then it is at
your option to send 81 aud take the article or
not" Certificates 25 cents each, five for 81,
&c. Agents allowed ten cents on every GER
tifcate. Any number of such advertisements
can be found in the illustrated weekles. and
nobody will have any difficulty in identifying
them
A letter was sent to each one of five sepa-
rate firms, who advertise in the manner above
set forth. Each letter contained an order for
certificates or goods, according to the terms
of the advertisement, and each enclosed $40.
The answer from one firm enclosed 30 certiii-
Gates, OF which we copy one, emitting names:
Son the return of 81 and this certificate,
with 10 CENTS in cash, or post-ofice stamps to
pay for packing and postage. we will send
you Gold Locket marked at So"
The certificates were for various small
amounts, in all, good on the face of them for
articles valued at S752. From another firm
were received watels- as premium. and 100
certificates of similar form to the above repre-
senting articles valued at $500. A third firm
sent a watch, aud 133 certificates calling for
articles marked at S707. From fourth came
a package of jeweiry inyoiced at 500 at
wholesale prices. From the fifth, $50 packa-
ges of stationery, and 95 certificates, repre-
senting articles of which the cash value is
marked at $21l. In all, there were received
ASS certificates for the 500 originally inves-
ted. BY the terms Of the advertisement. and
of the letters, and of the certificates them
selves, it appeared that on return of these GER
tificates, and on the further payment OF one
dollar on each, the applicant would be enti-
tied to receive goods valued at S2l53. In
other words, for a total investment of sos,
adding Is per cent, these firms promised to
return nearly four times that amount.
Having spent 800 for certificates, worth
less In themselves, and not protesting TO be
worth anything, except by further payment,
this gentleman now invested another 500 to
test their representative value. A hundred
certificates were sent for redemption-those
of the highest nominal value being selected.
They were presented at the places of business
of these firms, the money was paid, and there
were received 2l1 pieces or sets Of jewelry,
and five watches. the aggregate nominal val
ue Of which was $500. 1t was evident enough
that these articles were not worth what they
were represented to be worth. Some of the
''gold" pens had not particle of gold in them
and could not be written with at all. Some
of the "silyer" holders were scarcely washed
over, and were so weak that on pressing the
pen on the paper, the holder was Immediately
split. All the pens and pencils were of the
cheapest workmanship SO poor that they had
scarcely market value. The watches, on
being wound up, lost from seven to twenty
minutes each in three hours. The jewelry
was of an equally worthless description. But
there was one ns-of ascertaining beyond
question the value of these articles, and that
means was duOpteu. lHey were SeHb 10 Lne
United States Assay Office in this city; one
of the two or three offices whose certificate
or stamp on gold or silver is good the world
over. They passed through that Office by the
usual process; were melted and assayed.-
The 21l articles, weighing 60 ounces, and all
sold by these five firms for gold and silver,
we're worth in the aggregate according to
their representations. five hundred and nine
ty-nine dollars t$599). Their actual value,
by the certificate Of the Assay Office, was
nine dollars and sixty-two cents (S962)
The sum of the whole statements is that for
an actual cash investment of $500 with five
firms according to the terms of their adver-
tisements of watches and jewelry to be sold
for 81 each without regard TO value, and not
to be paid for till you know what you are to
get,) there were received 211 articles of jew
elry, &C., represented to be worth $500, and
actually worth in gold and silver 1902. II,
according to familiar rule. yon double the val
lie of the gold and silver so as to include the
cost Of workmanship. then for the 5000 paid,
Sl9A were received. The stationery packa-
ges received which are valued at % cents,
and represented to be worth 81 contained the
cheapest sort of paper, &C., and may probably,
at a liberal estimate, be worth five or six
cents each.
All these swindling firms the Tribune is in
formed, do or did large business with the
army. In one instance, at least, the attention
ofthe Provost-Marshal has been called to it,
and steps taken to protect the soldiers. In
all our armies similar vigilance ought to be
exercised.