The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-11-20
= - wsrg,
"A p,A.at wassr Hs8s1y ysfSs.. fOsr
October ~ describes u Gsefior rasies-
s.. s.s ana J workinesa one ofH spaional

Il -. ~ - - -
First calling upon a yolIcc uhgistrate
with whom I sad acquaIuted, aud obtain.
|: tp4 his signature across "a back Of one OF
my cards VI Proceeded forthwith to the of:
-ffce OF. Bark, Bite q Co. I found Il ,as
designated Ia, their advertisements and
tclrculars. vlocatsd In the lower part OF
sBroadwdS surroanded by offices OF bank
-crs, brokers, insurance. companies, etc.
Their roons were handsomely fitted up,
IN the manner usual to brokers and bank.
yrs. An iron railing, behind,whlch were
several deskA separated tho pAnipulators
q the "Garr6ters' and ROBBERS Grand
Presentation Enterprise" from the ordina-
~ mortals having business with them.
At each Of The six or seven desks sat q
q kickly looking clerk, engaged
in entering names In ledgers, adj
dressing circulars to confdlng victims, or
preparing fresh. announcements 20 catch
new ones. A brisk young Engllshmau,
who spoke with u true Disregard for his
s"h's", and who pronounced ''go like *, /"
bnstled upt2 tho counter and said:
b Scan III az anything for you sirY'
us Mr.. Bark Ia 2" asked.
mo, SIR" was the reply, ices gone to
Washington"
as Mr.. Bite imp
mo, sir; 'ee's gone to Boston, and
won't be back till Chewsday week. Can't
! attend you sirr pressed the young gen.
"Is Mr.. Co. ?" continued I.
'Mr. 200, sirr' =.
"Mr. Co., the other partner, or any
other partner or agent or manager. l
wish to see some responsible person."
'Oh, no, SIR" said the clerk, "therc's
none of the partners seldom ere, you
know-the business 'ero Is hal done by
manager"
Igave the young men my card and said
I should be happy to see the manager ut
my Office at his earliest convenience. The
clerk looked at my name and then ut the
signature Of the police magistrate, with
which he seemed particularly Impressed.
His manner changed Instantly, and drop
ping his half lmpudent, self-imp0rtant.
''chafllng" tone, he said respectfully, That
the manager would be sure to call on me
ut once.
may here remark that have since
called at the Office several times, and have
never been able as yet to see any one OF
tho gentlemen who arc announced as the
directors of the scheme. The business Is
always transacted through the medium of
cheap and impudent clerks, who are eni-
ployed principally OIL account Of the rea,ll-
ness with which they can badger, black
guard apd bully persons who, Ike myself,
call To obtain satisfaction. In nine cases
out OF ten they will so abuse the seeker for
information that he would rather abandon
his claims than to run that gauntlet Of
profanity and obscenlty. Bark, Bite & Co.
may probably exist bodily In the flesh,
I,,,t an tl,ax, hmm fharn salvas sn pOn-
pletely In the background that one Is led
to believe that "tliere amt 10 such per-
son."
In accordance with the promises made
to me, q person styling himself ''thc New
York manager for the GarrOters' and Rob-
bers' Enterprise" called to sec me. He
was a sharp, sllrewd, business-llke, loqua-
cious young man, and We soon got into q
general conversation regarding the gilt
enterprise business, during which he gave
me some information regarding that par
.ticular branch of swindling, which deem
is worth while to repeat.
The name of my friend the magistrate,
was undoubtedly the key which unlocked
Mr.. Managers tongue.
These gilt enterprise swlndlers conduct
their business so as to be within the law,
and the attempt to punish them has
never succeeded. They have been arrested
by the police authorities, their place of bus
iness entered, their mails, consisting Of
hundreds of money letters, have been
seized, yet In every Instance the rascals
have escaped punishment, and In the end
succeeded In compelling the authorities to
restore all the property seized. The rea.
son Is this-every ticket which they sell
claims to be ticket Of admission to q
'grand concert" and that Is held to be u
valuable consideration for the money
paid, and hence perfectly legitimate
transaction-a simple case Of buying and
selling goods.
"YOu pay your money for that" said
the New York manager to me. "lt
promises nothing and you get what 1t
promises. You may be notified that you
have drawn prize valued ut $500. and
you send us the five per cent. asked for
we send you watch valued ut $500, but
worth $50. What are you going to do
about It? You have 10 claims oil us be-
yond an admission to Irving Hall-cOme
to Irving Hall and we'll admit you-when
we agree to-we haven't fixed the time
yet"
When the New York manager (whom
I afterwards asccrtalned was but an Ordl-
nary clerk) had learned from me that I
held a number of tickets which were said
to have drawn prizes, he did not hesitate
to inform me that they never Intended to
give prizes of any value, and justified such
course by saying that every person who
bought ticket did so In the hope Of get.
ting m advantage over some one else-of
getting prize worth five, ten, or fifty
times the amount he Invested. TO use
the expressive language of the manager
''thcy hope to beat us, 80 we make sure
of beating them-thcy want ten dollars
for one, while we take one for nothing
where's the difference between us? They
try to overrcach us aud We do ovcrreach
thcm-morally considered which Is the
wOrstg"