The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-04-03
The American Agricultural

and circulars, by which many confiding
countryman and country woman is
swindled out of hard earned money
The following is from the April num-
Der:
SUNDRY HUMBUGs.-It is again
necessary to call attention to the "Muc-
ic Box Swindle." Every week some
new complaint is sent to US, seeking re-
dress. The musical instrument, prop
erly called the Music Box, is not to be
had for Sl0O anywhere, no matter of
how poor quality; and offering "mus-
ic box" for $l.00 is an attempt to
swindle. Paul & Paul, who are among
the largest advertisers in the business
just now, are not to be found at the
number given. One of our readers
sent sl0O to said firm, and got in re-
turn ten cent toy known as "French
Harp" or Harmonica." He was in
duced to send for the Music Box" by
seeing it advertised in an "agricultur-
al journal. 1t is shame that agri-
cultural journals, or any other, would
admit the advertisement Of such things.
=. Alaska Diamonds" are now
offered by INSCRIPTIONS men, who are
taking advantage of desire for tawdry
jewelrv, and flooding the country pa
pers with their advertisements of
" Alaska Diamonds" A firm in Hart
ford, Conn, and Messrs. Monroe l. Co.,
New York, are perhaps the largest deal
ers. The following, from the New
York Tribune, will show the plan of
operation pursued by Monroe & Co.:
In their advertisements they state
that, when forwarding them an order,
it is necessary to enclose them ring,
to enable them to select one of the
proper size. When they receive an Or
der containing size ring, if the ring is
of any value, they retain it, and send
the " Alaska Diamond ring, the price
of which is collected on delivery. A
case of this kind occurred a few days
since, where lady, seeing one of their
advertisements, sent the firm twelve
dollars, and gold ring for specimen
of the size wanted. She received the
diamond ring, worth, probably,
twenty-five cents, but not the one she
had sent them, which she valued at
five or six dollars, and as she did not
care to lose it, she wrote on to the
=" firm," and receiving no reply to her
communication, wrote to other and re-
sponsible parties, who, after making
diligent search and inquiry, came to the
very reasonable conclusion that
d" Messrs. Monroe & Co., Broadway"
importers Of jewelry. were a myth, as
no such firm could be found at the
place designated. No doubt they had
hired an Office at the aforementioned
number, and after this exposure has
been forgotten by the public, will turn
up in some other part of the city, and
under some other name, circulate
throughout the country advertisements,
in which they will offer tempting bats,
and those who are green enough to bite
at the hook will have the same old
story to tell us.
We advise persons who wish dia-
monds to buy them of regular dealers.
Diamonds, like gold, have fixed value;
and anything of low price, claiming to
be diamond, is false. Look out
for Land Agents advertising land in
Southern States by lottery. Lotteries
are bad at best, but lottery in which
plot of unknown land in an
unknown location is the prize seems
perfectly absurd Miller l. Co.,"
seem to have been driving quite bust
ness in this line for the past few weeks,
and we warn persons to have nothing
to do with them or their lottery.
The recipe humbugs are quite pop
ular, and call for notice. We have be-
fore us no less than four ofthese recipes.
They all consist of little POWDER"
made from some unknown plant or IN
heard-of mineral, or both. One is for
making beautiful Sugar" from Sor-
ghum Syrn. A second is for making
Italian Cheese" and in imitation to
the Butter Powder" proposes to make
pound of cheese from pint of milk.
A third is an Extract of Butter
Plant" if any body knows what that
is, and is U.s. to make bad butter good,
sweet, and fresh and the fourth for
curing cole in horses! We mention
the last-nained to call attention to the
fact, that many daily and weekly journ-
ais, that ought to do better, have pub
lished the same recipe, with no other
warrant as to its reliability or efficacy
as d remedy than the assertion of the
person giving the recipe. We have
taken pains to learn if the ingredients
named, and which the writer says may
be had at any drug store, were to be
had in New York We not only did
not find what we went after, but some
of our best chemists and pharm aceau-
fists did not know of the existence of
such Substances. We therefore think
it safe to say, that the whole thing is a
sell, )" or intended swindle. Gum
bridge & Co., New Y ork, are old offend
ers. Having tried everything, from
patent medicines up to Music Boxes
and Charmed Caskets," they have
now come out with Greenbacks ~ for
sale, at the rate of $4,000 worth for
$500, which is very good of Mr. G.,
only the trick is too old to take.
The Express Package" swindle
seems to have revived under the very
name of IN. Y. Central Ex-
press Company" z. W. Nulock, Agent.
They send a letter to the address of
any person as follows: "To your ad-
dress has been received Zone package
or box) upon which there are 1890,
$500, or $4,000 charges. Please send
the same without delay. Unless paid
within 20 days, the goods will be sold
at public auction" ETC. In some in
we have no doubt, persons are
found verdant enough to send the
money, and that is the last they hear
Of it or the Express Company. As
fashions repeat themselves after term
of years, so do the various forms of
humbug. This one turns up after
long repose. We thought we had bur
ried the old offender years ago.
LOCOMOTIVE WITHOUT STEAM.-The