The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-02-07
! My.curiosity was next exercised by an

~ M y CuIioSIsy WOO uoAe CAV, = - :
advertisement setting forth that Tor one y,
dollar the likehess Of my future wile
or husband would be sent. consulted
with half o dozen bachelor friends on the
subject, and we unanimously resolved 10
invest one dollar each for the immense
privilege of seeing the individuals VINO
were to be our partners in this Waie OF
tears.n and who we're to double our oiess-
edness by sharing our singularlties;; l! !.
was understood that each was to eAnloit
the likeness of his predicted BRIDE LOT Tue
inspection of the company, De she lair OF
Unfair. In due time received carte de
r;site through the post-otfice. 1t bore on
! ito face the representation Of a female
form. got up in the height of the latest
fashion, regardless of expense. A spien-
did ostrich feather crowned, what, from It's
magniHcence and my ignorance, / will ven
ture to designate an 81 empire hat. a vel.
vet cloak trimmed with lace wassurmounted
with superb fur cape. A robe of black
silk was ornamented with numerous de-
vices that might have found their origin in
the brains of kaleidoscope. A foot, or
scarcely half foot, peeped out from under
white skirt, revealed by the dress being
| slightly raised. One tiny tightly gloved
! hand was just visible. The face-out
there was the trouble, it was back view
and it might as we'll have been taken from
a drvgoodman's dummy" as from the
human form divine, so far as the likeness
conveyed any idea to my mind. This was
keeping the word of promise to the ear ana
breaking it to the hope with vengeance.
I felt inclined to tear the thing up, but, re-
Numbering my promise to my friends, 1
forebore. found afterwards that we were
| all served alike. We have this consola.
I ton. that our wives are to be fashionably
dressed that is, if the present fashion
miraculously continues till we are married.
saw lately paragraph intimating that
to an anxious inquirer the advertiser OF
receipt for the prevention OF, the freezing
! of cisterns or wells had answered with this
twenty five cents worth of advice:
stake your cistern and we'll into the
house on cold nights, and keep up a good
! fire."
Cheeky enough, but no worse than the
advice I paid dollar for to an adver-
tiser who offered a remedy for frost bitten
feet and chapped hands, and which advice
was embraced in three words, almost
Shakspearean "Go to Cuba!"
| But both were excelled by the individu-
ais who in late war times offered for five
dollars to show any one ga certain and in
fallble method of escaping the draft" and
whose panacea was: "Commit suicide"
I need not say that for the outlay OF
untold postage currency and postage
stamps | have received no advice what
ever-the advertisers Of important infor-
nation having wisely considered that 1t
was needless expense trying to enlighten
me-and that often I have been invited to
invest in lotteries and petroleum compa-
MES, and in the manufacturing OF unbal-
lowed articles initiating against health
and morals. Some Of my house-hunting
friends inform me that they have been
victimized in small sums by advertisers
who have offered information of leases for
sale, and by pretended real estate agents
who have demanded bonus in advance.
Tho following curious adventure will
serve as a caution, and will also do to
wind up with.
| A friend Of mine, in some freak Of idle
ness, answered an advertisement which re-
quired the small sum Of three dollars for
information by which any one could easily
acquire fortune. My friend is a simple
looking youth, and very good living
illustration Of the deceptiveneSs of ap-
pearances. Shortly after he had written
the letter to the bestower of fortunes he
was waited on at his lodgings by a neatly
dressed young man, who produced my
friends note, and asked if he had written
it? Af1irmatively answered, the stranger
began to look cautiously around the room,
and going to the door, opened it suddenly,
looked out into the hall, closed the door,
and then, with a knowing smile, came up
to my friend and asked if he was good
! Judge of money Tolerably," was the
reply.
"Then look at these" said the stranger,
producing lot of fifty-cent currency
stamps. My friend examined them, and
saw nothing wrong. The stranger then
began his tale to unfold. He would fur
nish any amount of fity-cent stamps at
twenty-five cents. Whew! The murder
was out. My friend was startled. What
should he do Call the police or kick the
fellow out?
To gain time for reflection, some qucs-
tons were asked. Suddenly there were
footsteps in the hall, and slovenly- dressed
man rushed into the room, closed the door,
seized the trembling vender Of counterfeit
currency by the coat collar, and, in ira
gical whisper, Kissed:
"Canght at last-you're wanted 20 and
then to my friend, 81 arrest you as an ac-
complete! I would give hundred dol
lars, if I were in your place, to get out OF
the affair ~
MY friend was astonisbed. In moment,
however, he regained his selfpossession.
Making bound for the window, he opened
it and shouted "Polce The strangers,
on hearing the talismanic word, made a
rush for the door and the street. The ras-
Gals went, but no police came. The
"queer" was left behind, and proved to be
mighty "queer." 1t was SO like the genu-
inc that broker declared it SO to be, and
took it for good money end my friend
made some fifty dollars by the operation.
Still, that kind of accident does not happen
often enough to make the answer of swind-
ling advertisements a profitable business.