The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1872-01-04
A lightning Rod SSx ldIe.

| "A correspondent or the Rochester y
! \. smocf1,t and Chronicle, writing from
8onia, exposes new swindle, in regarc
to which country readers would do well tt
have their eyes open. He says:
! Our town has been Of late the theater,
and several of our citizens the victims, Of
a new lightning rod swindle. This is how
it is done: A smart-appearing, oily-gam
mon agent calls on 6 farmer and proposes
to put lightning rods on his building.
The farmer either has rods on his build
ings, or saws he don't wish to buy any.
But says Mr.. Oily Cannon, You will
surely buy when | tell you how cheap they
are. The season is getting late, and we
have but a few rods left and will only
charge you cost price. We will put a
complete set of rods on your buildings.
including all the fixtures, for twenty
dollars Farmer objects-says he never
has been struck by lightning, and gucsses
he will risk it little while longer. Oily
Cannon is not to be put off by any
common refusal, and offers to do it for
ten dollars, which is so "dog cheap
that tn farmer consents. Oily Cannon
produces printed blank which he proceeds
to ill out. What is that ?" asked the
farmer. "Just an order for the goods
that want you to sign, SO | can send it
to my men, and they will understand
Just what to do Farmer at first objects,
but the thing looks SO plain, and the order
so innocent, that he finally looks it hurried
ly over and puts his name to it. With IA
satisfied smile and polite good day, Oily
Cannon takes his leave and looks for a new
victim.
In day or two the teams and men
make their appearance and cover all the
farmers buildings to his entire satisfaction.
Wien the job is completed the farmer
offers to pay according to contract, and
gets out his ten dollars. "That won't do"
slys the head man, here is the contract
you made with our agent. read it your
self-your bill amounts to $375.' Our
farmer, with eager hands, grasps the
little "order'' he signed, and reads as
follows.
"This is to certify that l have this day
ordered of the United Lightning Rod
Company Cushman's cable Lightning rod,
with all the points, fixtures, ETC., sufficient
to rod my (here the description of the
various buildings is written in by Oily
Gammon) in the town Of, county of
., State of New York, for which |
hereby agree to pay the sum of twenty
dollars per set, forty feet to constitute
set"
This latter clause is an cye-opener to
the farmer. To his great confusion he
discovers that he has been deceived and
sold. lie remembers that when he signed
that paper he asked Oily Cannon why it
read twenty dollars per set, when the
bargain was for ten dollars for the whole
.liug, .,i-:-i. Q. q. .,pifou UnaU uIiar
was their regular printed price, but he
would endorse ten dollars on the back of
the order" and surely here is the endorce-
ment; "Received on the within, ten
dollars" right on the back Of that inno-
cent order which was given "just be-
cause it was their way In one instance
the farmer saw that forty-foot clause and
asked what it meant, and Mr.. Oily Gam
mon said: "Oh, nothing at all in this
case"
In this dilemma some farmers have
given their notes for the full sum claimed.
Some have compromised and given notes
for part, and a few have stood out and
to pay anything over the agree
ment as they understood it.
The result of some of the farmers re-
sisting payment has been the arrest of the
oily agent, one James ii. Rivot, Of Canas-
erage. He is held in $1,000 bail. The
dcfeuse is that it was legitimate busi-
ness transactiOu