The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-02-23
TEE WAYS OF THE WICKED.
Some of the Rascalittes of New York
Merchants Revealed.

A New York correspondent, who was him
self for thirty years engaged in mercantile
operations in that city, writes:
The business men of New York are very
dishonest This know from close experience
They have certain ''tricks of trade" as they
are called, which are nothing less than aoso-
lute stealing. Boxes of CASTLE soap and simi-
lar goods are sold to country customers, who
little think that they pay for box and all at full
price, Tie ccih,s.ating on tare is outrageous.
Tea in chests is estimated at twenty POUNDS
tare, which is always allowed by the Exporter,
but country dealer seldom gets smorc than
eighteen pounds. On half chests, twelve
sounds is allowed, while at the same time
the dealer marks the chests up pound or
two. This marking up of weight corresponds
to the marking down of tares. Casks fsugar.
which few country merchants can WelSn, are
.--~-hnd nm +wentv n""n"o ~" -, 80
often n,4...-.. up $780,. r...-~S, "nu sonie
times fifty pounds. They ten good story ,Sd OF
old H-H-, we'll known grocer on inc
north side, who was notorious ioe ms n one time
Somewhat pious, and when in such lEilne
Tas asked by clerk who had sold cask OF
supar ifh sishould go it 20 pounds" No, Jonn-
ny.n was the reply, "don't go over 10. tor I'm
under concern Of mind" Moasses, spirits, tur-
pentine and other liquids aregauged up, WINCH
Is yery easily done An original gauge marx OF
say 81 gallons, can be easily altered into 81, oy
ns{ng a eauger's ''scube" in neat manner. II
that ia not enough, a turn OF the scuoe can
change the 81 into 35. AS general RUE, with
many dealers, Fl ON one to three gallons are
made in eac. cc::sk. Provision dealers steal IN
a different manner. Barrels OF mackerei are
opened in. the bottom head, and from twenty
to thirty pounds are removed, and Inc space
filled up with salt. When the retailer opens
the barrel he always takes the top head, ana
here all looks right, but when he gets to the
bottom he finds half bushel more OF SAT-
than he expected. Pork and beef are also
thus stolen, and hence our government sup
plies are often short, and men suffer severely
IN consequence.
= I have referred to but few OF the different
branches of robbery perpetrated among what
are called honorable men, for complete state
ment would fill volume. One further IN
stance NAV be cited, and this Is the fraud In
essential oils. It is next to Impossible for any
country druggist to buy pure article OF OIL
lemon, oil bergamot, oil organum, or any slml.
lar oils. The reason Vi this is that spirits OF
turpentine mixes 80 naturally with these arll-
cles that detection is almost Impossible. In
these oils our wholesale druggists make enor-
nous profits. Carrying out this idea, bold
druggist coptrived not only to cheat country
customers, but also to fleece the trade at
large. To do this he employed machinist to
initiate the metallic seals which the manufac-
t11rers put upon the cans. These cans he
would unsolder, and then steal about one.
tenth of the oil, and fill 1t up with spirits OF
tilrpentine, and then apply the counterfeit
seal. These cans would then 60 into the
hands of drug broker, and would be sold 10
the trade as pure from the distiller's hands.
This operator know well. He is nothing but
thief, and yet in society he Is gentle
man." He has a fine house and lives In style,
but retribution may yet reach him, and
thc:gh slow, it may be sure.