Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-06-22
A DEAD swINDLE.
The "Apex Sewing Machiue''-How Poor
Woman was "Best''by the Company

A GENTS wANTED-$75 to $500 per month every
"a werere, by male female agents to sell newly
invented and elegantly constructed$ $40 Sewing Ma
chlhe noiseiess In operation uses the straight needle
seWs with double single thread makes the running
nahd sntcn VIII gather hem ruff shir tuck run IN
breadths &c. require no ubricaton or change stjte
cannot get out of order and will last a lifetime Il
IaSorte efeIymnere and great mechanical success
limitations or hri ngements will be vigorously prose-
cuted. Illustrated circulars with Testimonials
single Nm e expressed TO any address
Broadway, New York.
The above is an exact copy of an
advertisement that has appeared
several times in the columns of the
Tribnne within the past few weeks.
and it is reproduced in this place,
not for the purpose of aiding to its
publicity and consequent value to
the "Apex Sewing Machine Conn
pany = the design is quite the con-
trary, and we give the matter this
extra insertion in order that the pub
lie may know it and act accordingly
Something more than two weeks ago
the wife of a hard working mechanic
of Chicago, and a man Of moderate
circumstances, noticing in the Tribune
the above advertisement, was struck
by the wonderful things of which the
"Apex Sewing Machine" was therein
represented to be capable, but, above
all, by its wonderful oheapness.-
Such machine, argued the care
worn matron, was certainly worth
ten dollars, in house where so many
fst In N aI
of the needle; and so, consulting her
husband and obtaining his assent the
woman forwarded the requisite sum
and awaited the arrival ofthe treasure.
1t came day or two ago, in an ex-
press package with $3.50 charges
thereon, which were paid of course.
Upon opening the box a curious con-
trivance was brought to light. A
trimmed iron plate, about five inches
long and three inches wide, lacquerea
ever with brass wash, of rough un-
couth finish, with set of small cog
wheels which were operated by O
short crank, and an iron screw clamp
such as is used to fasten quilting bars
together, comprised the apex Sew
ing Machine" and all for eleven doll
lars and a half There is neither
shuttle, bobbin, nor other receptacle
fo~ thread nothing in fact, which
enters into The composition of sew
ing machine, save a "straight needle;'
simply an ugly, uningenious toy OF
no practical use, with which a child
could scarcely amuse itself by turn,
ing the crank. The whole affair
could not cost twenty-five cents, land
is of no possible service to any one,
1t is simply cruel swindle, designed
to defraud poor people, they being
the only ones whose enforced econ
omy would prompt the investment
Of money for so cheap an article
La view of the utter worthiessness
Of the machine it would seera strange
that the operators sh ould not content
themselves with quietly pocketing
the money they receive, without pre-
tending to render any equivalent
for the swindle would be no more
barefaced and INSCRIPTIONS than il
is now. We are not aware of the
extent to which the public, in ant
out of Chicago, have been victimizeC
by the "Apex Sewing Machine" but
have thought it but justice that peo'
pie should be advised of the facts in
the case. The advertisement has
appeared in the Tribune just as any
other fair-seeming advertisement
might do, and the utmost PREPARATION
possible to be made is full exposure
of the villainous scheme Chicago
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