The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-06-28
A WINDEE.

The number OF people who like to be
swindlsd is always large, and the number
who like to accommodate them does not
seem to be small Tt is no matter of sur
prise when a new method Of quilting the
unwary is exposed, but the remarkable
thing is how often the old tricks are
played over again, aud with what per,
sistence a system Of roguery that has been
thoroughly laid open is adhered to, aud
what success it meets with. Last year,
for instance, the certificate jewery busi-
uess>was SO completely unmasked in these
columns that the enterprise of its con
ductors was a good deal discouraged.
But this year we find them again at work
under another and more ambitious name.
then II was as the individual firm of
Brown, Jones & Robinson they did bust.
ness. Now, in Boston and Washington,
swinding has become joint stock en-.
telprise, rascality gets itself incorporated,
ADD under the name of the New York
jewelers. Manufacturing Association,
volunteers to relieve the public of its
superfuous cash.
This concern advertises gold and silver
watches, jewelry, silver ware, gold pens,
and many other articles of great value,
to be sold for 81 each. Not an article in
the list is valued at less than So, yet none
is to cost more than a dollar, aud there
are no blanks 10 this lottery, but all prizes.
So that it Is seen at once to be an enter
prise Of the purest beneVolence. That
everybody who wants q gold watch for
dollar may know how TO get it. we copy
} the following extract from the advertise.
ment-without charge, on this occasion ::
Cone millior certificates, bearing upon their
face the names Of the articles as above emu
!. merated, are each inclosed in plain envelopes
and sealed, undistinguiskable one from an
!, other, mixed and placed in repository
from which they are drawn as ordered, with
Iout choice. The sealed envelopes containing
certificates marked with the name of the ar
ticle, descriptions, and marked price it enti-
= ties the holder TO, will be sent by mail TO any
address at 25 cents each on receipt of the
, certificates, the purchaser ascertains the ex-
act article be is entitled to, which he can
obtain upon the return of the certificate and
81 to the Office Of the Association"
Not wishing, however, to encourage too
sanguine hopes, We copy also our former
? account of the success Of an experiment
2 made last year by an incredplcus indi
vidual who was so curious as TO wish to
; find out how it was these people made
money by selling gold watches for dol
lar. He spcut hundred dollars for the
D certificates" above referred to, and found
2 himself the lucky possessor Of a lot OF
paper tickets purporting to represcn'
property to the value Of s., 1853, aud this
property he was entitled to receive on
the further payment Of $l58. Not wish
ing, however, 10 impoyerish these ra>hly
r BENEVOLENT Sameritans, and refcctiog,
perhaps, that he had already spent SlOO
for which lie had as yet received nothing
but Certificates" he selected hundred
of those that promised the most valuable
articles, and sent them fer redemption-
! paying another 500 for the articles. He
received a lot of watches, jewelry, gold
pens. &C., of which the nominal value
+ was S590.
i Very good investment of $500, was it
. not? But stop minute. We said NOM
inuI value. As the articles were all gold
J. and sjyer-at any rate, professed to be
d it was easy to ascertain their actual
). value; so they were sent 20 the United
d States Assay Office, melted up, and .
;, certificate OF the net proceeds returned,
b And how much doep the ingenious read
# er suppose this $500 of gold and silver
S proved to be worth ? JUst nire dollars
:. and sirty tro cents (S9,62)? That was
what our friend got for tie Two Hundred
q Dollars cash he had invested. And that
is about what anybody will get who
: chooses to invest money in the New
. York jewelers. Manufacturing Associa
= tIon.
= Our attention is just now drawn tc
this subject by remarkIng that the police
of Washington interfered last week t.
% stop the operations of the concern, and
s. even showed themselves so hard hearted
e. and nsensible to generous impulses as t
Is arrest the principal and assistants or
D. charge of Swinding. evidence va:
10 produced" says the Telegram, 'to show
that the gift concern partook of the char
acter of a gambling institution. Tht
E parties were held to bail before the Grim
ual court" In Boston also, they me
t, with discouragement from the police, 81
: that 10 two cities at least their facilities
e for swindling have met with serious
r check.
>, The certificate jewelry business is, il
fact, under whatever name carried on
:, nothing but gigantic fraud, extending
: far and wide over the country, aud caus
, ing many innocent but rather green Peo
pie losses they can i'll afford. During