The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1868-11-05


York manager for the Garroters & Rob
bers' Enterprise called to see me- He
was sharp, shrewd, business-like, loqua-
cious young man. and we soon got into a
general conversation regarding the Gift
Enterprise, during which he gave. me
some information regarding that particular
branch of swindling which deem it worth
while to repeat.
The name of my friend, the magistrate,
was undoubtedly the key which unlocked
Mr. Managers tongue.
Although the gift enterprise business
has been in existence for many years, it
was never more successful than at the
:5esept time. The many ''gift concerts"
SfrzGentation festivals = etc., which we're
conducted during the war by patriotic
ladies and gentlemen, for the benefit Of
sick and wounded soldiers, or for the wild
ows and orphans of those who had nobly
perished on the battle field, in defence of
their country, served to popularize such
schemes, and apparent y to rob them of
that gambling element which would other
wise have rendered them obnoxious to the
public. The holy and patriotic purpose
to be served caused people to overlook the
means by which good WAS to be DONE
And even those who did stop to consider,
thought in such cause it was we'll o,'Fdo
little evil that good might come" -
While these truly honest, charitable
schemes were really the means of gather
ing in many dollars that otherwise would
never have reached the soldier, they crea-
ted sort Of lottery mania throughout the
country, and opened wide the door to
sWindlers and rascals. There was not
city, town Or village in the land that did
not present some scheme to raise money
for the benefit of the soldier, and the prin-
cipal attraction of all Of them, was a lottery
whereby some fortunate ticket-holder was
to be made wealthy for life by the simple
turn of the wheel. Elegant and valuable
prizes were often distributed fairly ard to
the satisfaction of the ticket-holders.
/ Those who won were of course reioiced,
while those who lost snapped their fingers
and consoled themselves with the idea
that their contributions had done some
good to the soldiers.
But these honorable managers of char
table gambling schemes we're speedily
pushed from their stools by speculative
sharnerS who hastenad To cater -thail,
/ own fashion to thaG dcpraved public appe-
/ tita which had been unwittingiy aroused
/ by those patriotic pioneers. These swim
dlers initiated their predecessors in an
/ nouncng their gift concerts, ''distribu
/ tion enterprises" etc, for the benefit OF
soldiers, soldiers widows, and orphans and
I the like. but followed no further III their
footsteps. For valuable prizes they sub
stituted in some instances galvanized Jew
elry. fictitious petroleum stock, or some
thing equally as worthless, but far more
frequently absconded entirely, after having
sold as many tickets (and as many people,
as possiblo. Notwithstanding all the ex-
posures which have been made Of these
swinding concerns, and the large sums OF
which the public have been robbed by
gift enterprise sharpers, they still flourish
and thrive in our land, receiving thous-
ands of dollars daily, for which they give
no equivalent whatever. The gift enter
prise business has come to be recognized
as an ordinary calling, and the men who
are principally engaged in it are recogniz-
ed in Wall street as are other business
men, and hold their heads aloft according
as they have money in their pockets
Their nefarious transactions have been
exposed and denounced time and again by
the press, they themselves have been tre-
ouently arrested and confined in iails but
still the business goes on, the number OF
dunes Is the same, and the money still
flows into their purses. The gambling
spirit invoked by the war is still abroad
in the land, and any scheme which prom
ises to give fortune to some one who has
not earned it, or offers two dollars for one
''new lamps for cid ones, is sure to find
fslszls.y people eredulous enough to invest
their money in it-as did my exceedingly
proper aunt.
The manner Of conducting these swim,
ding schemes is pretty well Indicated by
, The letters received by my aunt The con
, cocters of the Enterprise" by literally
advertising in the rural papers, and send
ing circulars to every person whose name
can be found in the Directory Of every
: city and town in the country, find purcha
seIs for their tickets. An individual hav-
} ing bought one ticket, various means are
sought to make him or her purchase stll
: more Promises Of presents are unspa
[ ringly made, and not unfrequently tho
2 individual is quietly informed that the
S managers have so arranged matters that
5 they can control tie droactng Of the prizes
l and if the individual addressed will bestl
e himself and sell one, two or three hundret
e tickets, he shall not only have a liberia
;, commission on his receipts, but the mana
gers Will guaranty that his own ticke
a shall draw such prize named in tn
e schedule as he may most uesire. Thi
d bait takes Welt is SO natural for on
n person to wish TO have an advantage owe
: others-it is like betting on certainty
/ Ofcourse, such promises are no more kept t