Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-04-18
GIFT ENTERPRisEs.:

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Wefndrin the New York correspondents Of the
Charleston Courier the following exposition Of
these insidious humbugs ;ssrsS.-,ifi 81 .-.gJ
Another gift enterprise WAS broken up by tha
police last week / cannot urge toestsongiy upon
gotten up in this city and advertised 30, freely N
the New York papers, They thrive upon the ig.
norance and credulity Of people in ths South and
West Let any reasonable person ask himself
calmly If the close, shrewd New Yorker Is really
going to give away SteinWay; Grand Piano, or
even ten dollar set of jewelry for the dollar he
receives It seems strange that people with ordi-
nary sense walk 90 deliberately into these traps
and yet they do to the time Of millions OF dollars
annually, and no preaching seems to cure them:
The most common formula of the gift swindling
operations is this MesuH Smith & Co.. (names
fictitious, Of course advertise long and attract
i've list Of presents, valued from one TO thousand
dollars, and ranging In character from rosewood
pianos, and gold hunting watches to gents scarf
pins and silver call BELLS The name of each Of
these presents, it Is pretended Is placed In seal
ed envelope. Tfpartiesat distance viii send TWEEN
ty-fve cents, Messs Smith & Co., will draw an
envelope ,oithoa choice from the package, and for
ward it to the applicant He may open the envels
ope, and if he is satisfied with the prize named
therein he has the valuable privilege Of sending on
his dollar and getting Il. Now Mesas Smith &
Co., make it point tofl all their envelopes with
the names Of valuable jewelry,i only such as la
dies Gold Ear Drops, valued fat $3.50, and
Scents Gold Enameled Sleeve Buttons, valued
at $l075." For an apparent reason, rosewood pi.
amos, sewing machines and gold hunting watches
are never drawn. But the chance Of getting $l3:-
50 worth of jewelry for dollar is sufficient bait
for most greenhorns The dollar is forwarded, and
in return comes combination of brass and eolored
glass, of the intrinsic yalueof three four oaats.
If the bait does not take,i Of course Smith -,
make twenty five cents at any rate, And. they
probably laugh heartily at the stupidiv Of thepe9l
pie who imagine that theyIares sepgto give them
ten dollars for one. ssI..sg M
had occasion, a few weeks ago. 70 huntup one
of the gift enterprises which advertise 80 promi-
nently in the newspapers. To judgehcm the nd
vertisement, the firm was doing q tremendous bu-
siness, in one of the largest and mos magnificent
stores on Broadway. found the number, but not
covered pair Of stairs which ascendd with
careful scrutiny. The second and third floors were
terpr:se: onss- q m
small back room. scarcely wide enough . turn
in, that Smith & Co., were to be found A young
lady in fashy gown and corkscrewed rnglets an
swered the summons. Mr.. Smith had gone to
Philadelphia (of course and would not be back in
three weeks Indeed, I could find no responsible
party whatever. Neither didI discover any dol
lar rosewood pianos, and gold hunting watches ~
ing around. Instead was cheap glass case, con-
tanning about peck of ear drops, bracelets, sleeve
buttons, seal rings &c, Of the most uninpeacha-
pleborougb, Mass, at 81 373 per bushel The
lovely guardian of this trash, had been attending
to business in the shape of well thumbed, dirty,
yellow-covered dime novel, while the philanthropic
Smith was doubtless at home examining the con-
tents of the days mail Smith will wax and grow
fat, and build on Fifth Avenue, and speculate in
Wall street as long as fools answer his advertise
mentS. '..- .. .s5 ...,. Fa-' s'. - s. 80