Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-16
RIG CONFIDENCE GAME.

The AngIO-AfrIcan Trading, Building
and Farming COmp1ny-HOW Col
Ored People Have Been FAeeced-HOw
the Race was Improved"
The sudden change in the status of the
colored race Of the South has brought into
existence more societies, perhaps, than any
other event in the history of the world.
And the invariable popularity of every
one of the societies thus originating, is its
philanthropic objects, and the happi-
ness and blessings it promises to bring to
the lowly homes of the unfortunate freed
men. One of these organizations, styling
itself the Anglo-African Trading, Building
and Farming Company, came into existence
here last year. Who started the thing il
would be difficult TO say, though its Anglo
African title would seem to indicate that
some of that interesting party who think
they can vote the coloTed men this fall
had finger in the pie.
r. Y. Traynor was President, G. w.
Johns, Secretary, and Jim Brooks, Treas
urer, of the concern-all of them colored,
we believe No charter was ever granted
il. TraynoT, as an agent, went about among
the ignorant negroes, with an air of BUSH
ness, and with big book under his arm,
from which he read to his credulous dupes
the ostensible objects and designs of the
society, saying that it was for the organiza-
ton and elevation of the colored race gen
orally, and that a share N it would cost
only twenty-five dollars, while the divi-
dends would be astonishing when they
should be declared.
OF course every colored man who had
managed to save from his hard earned
wages an amount large enough, took at
least one share, and some of the more
prosperous even went so far as to invest a
hundred dollars in elevation and improve
ment. Large amounts of money were picked
up in this way, and every stakeholder
deemed his investment all that it should
have been.
The failure of the crops, however,
brought hard times, and this summer
a number Of the shareholders went to
the office of the company to see what
could be done towards Withdrawing
some of their savings. To their aston
ishment and modification, they found
that the books had mysteriously disap-
peared, and not an officer of the Anglo
African concern could give any informa-
ton as to their whereabouts. They have
not yet, and never will come to light, and
every man who bonght shares has lost every
cent of his investment.
The following is verbatim copy of one
of the,certi6cates of stock issued by the
defunct company. The blanks Were filled
and the signatures made in the same hand
writing:
No. --Shares -- Anglo-African
Trading, Building and Farming Company,
Capital stock $4,000. Shares SIS each
This is to certify that Tones johnson is
the holder of one shear in the capital stock
ofthe Anglo-African Trading, Building and
Farming Company of Nashville on which
the sum Of S25 dollars per share has been
paid in money. Transferable only on the
books of the company, at their Office in the
city of Nashville, Tennessee, on surrender
of this certificate.
In witness whereof the President and
Secretary of said Company have hereunto
set their names, this % day of dec. 1866.
r. Y. TRAYEoR, Pres't.
q. n. JOINS, Sec'y.
A few more such Shear-ings, and the
colored people viii be pretty we'll Aeeced.
These AnglO-African institutions, they will
find, are not always the safest.