The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-05-05
From the Boston Traveller.
CURiOSiTiES OF SWINDLiNG.

Business is business. Business men who
pay a strict attention to business generally
succeed. The red flag of the Sheriff has no
fears for the attentive business man. Busi-
ness men have their streaks of magnanimity
and parsimony. The business man who re-
vels IN printers ink is made happy; the
man of business who don't advertise, don't
know how to do business successfully.
Legitimate business is always to be honor
ed, but men who deliberately swindle, who
do not give quid pro quo, and operate in
the dark, with Uncle Sans circumlocution
office to assist them in their nefarious busi-
ness deserve exposure, if not prosecution.
A new phase Of swindling has Just come
to light, and quiet young man who does
not live thousand miles from Federal street
is numbered among the victims Of the new
device to raise the wind.
New York city is prolific in swindles, and
stretching out from it, in all directions, are
| invisible wires which communicate with the
pockets of greenhorns who are everlastingly
believing that they can get a good deal Of a
good thing for almost nothing.
About month ago, young man in town
received letter from ''John W. Ames, I'm
porter of Diamonds and Fine Gold Watches,
No. 6S4 Broadway, New York. Factory al
Geneva, Switzerland' The letter was not q
lithograph, but had all the ear marks of a
genuine business letter, with the name and
business of the firm printed in real mercan-
tile style. The letter read as follows:
New YORK, Feb &c. 1870.
"Sir-MeSsrS. Read & Co.. the managers of the
Riverside Enterprise that was inaugurated in
Philadelphia, in 1867, had a drawing Of unclaimed
prizes in this city in 1868. In that drawing your
ticket, No. 65.663, drew solid gold Geneva watch
and gold chain, together valued at 5000. which
amount Read e. Co., paid to us with instructions to
send you the watch and chain as soon as the SIC
percentage was received. We have written to you
several times in reference to the matter, and on ac
count OF your long delay in answering, we were
last month compelled to pay So taxes on the watch
and chain. The fifteen cents is for paper, postage
etc.
1--WE wish to close our account with Read & Co.
by the Goth of March, so if you will let us know by
what express to send you the watch and chain, We
vii DO 50, and you will call at the express office
and pay the S15.l charges, to receive the watcl
and chain. VERY respectfully,
JOHN W. AMEs."
The person to whom this letter was sent
wrote in reply that he was not aware tha
John w. Ames had any watch and chain be-
longing to him, but as he was always ready
to get everything that belonged to him, the
young man told John w. Ames to send the
property by Adams Express
The watch and chain were duly sent to the
young man of Boston, and the following let
ter was received by mail
New YORK, March "a, 1870.
Mr.. - -, Your order was received thi
day, and in accordance with your request for
ward your gold watch and chain by Adams Ey:
press, G. o. d. $13.15, amount due upon them
The watch is a patent lever, with gold hunting
cases, and warrant it to be perfect time keeper
Any respectable jeWeer will inform YOU as sool
he examines it, and with the chain they are full!
"'l'" e very '''p':elHs s'JoHS W. AMns."
Enclosed please find express receipt"
The young man who now probably put or
airs at the idea of sporting a 5000 gold watch
repaired in almost breathless haste to thu
Express Co. and producing the receipt of thu
company received in exchange for the sun
of $13.l5 the coveted property, and congrat
ulated himself that the article had got along
on time. Upon opening the package hi
found gold looking case, marked 'chronom
eter.' but when he . opened it he was no
ttchled at the sight which assaulted his aston
ished vision
He found he had become the happy posses
sor of patent (brass) marine watch, made
in London, valued by the bushel at S. each
Tile thought then burst upon the young mai
that this sort of a watch was devised fo
marines Indignant and disappointed. h,
proceeded to the office of Major Jones TO
relief-but there was none for him in thi
case 1t is unnecessary to add that "Johl
w. Ames" is myth, although the origina
is on the watch for greenhorns.
An Illinois girl OF twenty has had bad luc
with husbands, Her first was frozen t
} death, and the two others drank so hard tina
she was obliged to get divorced from them
This is said to be the style of invitation
now used to WOO young men in ways the en-
whereof is matrimony:
/, "Comc over and see me, we have ne,
lamp at our house, that we can turn dowr
down until there is scarcely bit of light i