The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-02-22
pailp Argus.


"Macauley," the New York correspondent
of the Rochester Democrat, makes very
serious charges against some New York
merchants. "Macauley," for thirty years
and more was engaged in the mercantile
business in that city,
The business men of this city are very
dishonest. This | know from close X peri
ence. They have certain tricks of trade
IS they are called, which are nothing less
than absolute stealing Boxes of CASTLE
sope and similar goods are sold to country
customers, who little think that they pay for
box and all at full price. The cheating on
tare is outrageous. Tea in chests is est
mated at 20 pounds tsre, which is always
allowed by the importer, but country deal
er seldom gets more than Is pounds. On
half chests II pounds is allowed, while al
the same time the dealer marks the chest
up pound or two. This making up o;
weights corresponds to the marking down
OF sares. Casks of sugar, which for country
merchants can weigh, are often marked up
20 pounds, and sometimes 80 pounds. They
tell good story of old H h, q
we'll known grocer on the North side, who
was notorious for his boldness in this line.
The old man became at one time somewhat
pious, aud when 10 such a frame was asked
BY a clerk who had sold cask Of sugar, if
he should 90 it 20 pounds" "No johnny"
was the reply, 'don' u go even ten. for I'm
under concern OF mind" Mossses, spirits
turpentine, and other liquids guaged up,
which is very easily done. An original guage
mark of say 81 gallons, can be easily AFTER
ed into "a ~ using a guagers seuoe
in a rast manner IF that Is not enough,
a turs of the scube can change the 81 into
IS. Asa general rule. with many dealers,
from ore to three GALLONS are made in each
cssk Provision dealers steal in different
manner. Barrels of mackerel are opened in
the bottom head, aud from twenty to thirty
pounds are removed, and the space filed up
with salt. When the retailer opens the bar
rels he always takes the top head, and here
Gil looks right, but when he gets to the bot
tom he finds half bushel more of salt than
he expected. Pork and beef are also thus
stolen, and hence our government supplies
are often Short and men suffer severely in
consequence. | have referred to but a few
OF the different branches of robbery perpe
trsted among what are called honora BILE
men, for complete statement would fill a
volume. One further instance may be cited
and this is the fraud in essential oils. 1t is
next to impossible for any country druggist
TO buy pure article of oil lemon, oil berg o
mont,oil orgsnum, or any similar oils. The
reason of this il that spirits OF turpentins
mixes so naturally with these articles that
detection is almost impossible. In these
oils our wholesale druggists make enormous
profits. Carrying out this idea, a bold drug
gist coutrived aot only to cheat the country
customers, hut also to fleece the trade a
large. To do this he employed a mschinis
TO initiate the matahc seals which tn,
manufacturers put upon the cans Thes
cans he would unsolder and steal about on
tenth of the oil. and fill il up with spirits 0
turpentiue, and then apply the counterfeit
seal. These cans would 90 into the hand
of drug broker, and would be sold to tn
trade as pure from the distilers hand
This operator | know well. He is nothin
but thief, and yet in society he is ger
tlemsn." He has fine house, and lives il
style, but retrbution may vet reach him, az
though SLOW, 1t may be sure.