Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-02-23
How Merchants Cheat.

Tile New York correspondent of the Roche =
tcT Democrat Is an experienced merchant OF the
metropolis, and thus exposes some OF the wicked
smallnesses which wholesale traders practi p:
The business men of this city are very dishone t.
They have certain "tricks of trade" As they ar
called, which are nothing less than abs0lut
stealing. Boxes of CASTLE soap 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
always allowed by the importer, but a
country dealer seldom gets more than Is
pounds ON half chests II pounds is al
marks the chests up pound or two.
This marking up of weight corresponds to the
marking down of tares. Casks of sugar, which
lew country merchants can weigh are often
marked up 81 pounds, and sometimes 80 pounds.
They tell good story of old Il H a
well known grocer on the North side, who was
notorious for his holiness in this line. The old
man became at one time somewhat pious, and
when IN such frame was asked BY a clerk who
had sold a cask of sugar. if he ''should go it y
POUNDS" "No. Johnny" was the reply, ''don't
MOlasses, spirits, turpentine, and other liquids
are gagged up. which Is very easily done. An
original gauge mark OF say 81 gallons, can be
easily altered into 81, by using a CANCERS
"scube" in a neat manner. If that is not enough
a turn Of the scube can change the 81 into s..
As a general rule with many dealers, from one
Provision dealers steal in different manner.
Barrels of mackerel are opened in the bottom
head, and from twenty To thirty pounds are re-
moved, and the space filled up with salt. When
the retailer opens the barrel he always takes the
TOP head. and here all looks right; but when he
gets TO the bottom he finds a 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 perpetrated
among what are called honorable men, for a
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 druggist to buy pure article of oil
lemon, oil bergamOt, oil Organum. or any SINH
Tar oils The reason of this is that spirits of
turpentine mixes so naturally with these articles
that detection is almost impossible. In these oils
our wholesale druggists make enormous profits.
Carrying out this idea, bold druggist contrived
not only tn cheat country customers, but also to
fleece the trade at large. To do this he employed
q machinist 10 initiate the metallic seals which
The manufacturers pUt upon the cans. These
cans he would unsOlder, and then steal about
one-tenh of the OIL and till it up with spirits of
turpentine, and then employ the counterfeit
seal These cans would then go into the hands
OF a drug broker, and would be sold to the trade
as pure from the distiller's hands. sfhe operator
knew well. He is nothing but a thief, and vet
IN society he Is a''gentleman." He has fine
house and lives in style, but retribution NAV vet
reach him, and though slow, it may be sure.