Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-04-01
stupendous Swindllng Schcme'

which are now 80 much in vogue, feel that
ought to make 1t public as a warning to others.
On the 9th day Of December, 1879, received
rom George b. Hodge & Co., Of Chicago, Ill.,
IN outfit to canvass for Dry Goods. luse their
own words "The Union Furnishing Company
is established under tho United States laws,
and repeating their fourth grand sale Of over
half million dollars Of staple goods, such as
you need In your families this fall and winter.
Over one million dollars worth sold and de-
livcred to the people in our last three sales"
ETC., eto. The business was to be done by
agents, selling certificates for twenty-6yeicents
each, and sending the firm twenty cents, to
ensure the sending Of goods the agent to re
tain Eve cents, to run the machine, and the re-
mainder to be paid the agent, for his services,
in goods, at the rate Of twenty per cent.
With these inducements, and the entreaties
of friends, began work the sth Of December,
1873. From that time up to January %, 1874,
| sold one hundred and twenty certificates,
amounting to $50. Seventy OF these certiii-
ing. | sent S9i, in six p. o. money orders, |
aud received prompt receipts for all but the
last order, sent January %. Waiting till
February 9Th, wrote TO the postmaster at
Chicago enclosing stamp for reply, asking If
the order had been paid-if there was such q
firm, and if so, as to its responsibility. No
rPiy came. Waiting till February 90, ! then
wrote II. N. f. Lewis, Esq Of tho Western
Rural stating the case, and asking the desired
information. Still no answer After reason
able delay, | called upon the postmaster at
Montpelier, and laid my case before him. Ile
wrote as follows
PosrNAsrgR, CHICAGO, ILL.i
Deg SIR On the I'D Of January $. II. Holt sent
money order for 81 40 10 Geo. y. Hodge Co. Has
the order been paid hlr Holt has written to them
and to you, and receiving answer wants Us TO
j ". cLAnK, NJ.
To this, the following reply was received
Paid January 25th, 1874.
JAMES HoorsR p. NJ.
Perhaps | should have stated earlier that
have eight letters in my possession, written by
g. D. Hodge * Co, filled with fair promises.
The last, written on the 10th Of January, reads
as follows
&. II. Hotr-Dear SIR We arc in receipt Of yours
Of the 18th inst, containing $3.50 for certificates sold
Your orders are entered and VIII have our immedi-
A'' ''''"'''' 0. b Hopos Co.
All the letters contain the assurance that the
goods | had sold for them should be shipped
on or before January Is, 1874.
Tho main roos,r oe r,,, bin, ,t,;s ,,rI,Iie
LUG n"i" i''aou VI my "a@.us '",a P""i'o
expose is the fact that this same Union Furnish
ing Company published, in their monthly pa
pers for December and January, that similar
ilrms were arising ana would ARISE ail over the
land, and that they should establish branch
stores in nil the cities of the United States |
nave reason 70 Auo" 'na' many o.ne's na'e
oeen ',o.'u,lAeu US wen u, my se,'' "' WIZ"
oi Tue ia'e W ii''i' VI 'on'pel'er' nas ~ ne'
POSSESSION letters 'rom H's. Io"a'u ou'i'n'
last ueors''' anu M's' o. L. i''n'lu' i''s
neiu' ~, H. VINO u'u receive sOous rom sAiu
u'ui' "il SH''s'"0'o'y' D." "''' so''"''0u iH''u
sac LUIS sno"s 'ua' 'n' nap was "o'i
0",s w. III V's '"'1"'
i"'S was ,ue why VIC sa0VeVu'u u, u''es''Hs
.,e "oi, VI us s"e'p ei',"'Ps' ine N,s' u
Maron recei'eu 'io'n hr' As"lS' o' Ne va"
! ern Rural, a slip, cut from his paper Of OctO-
-. % .;.,;,. 49,, r.tt.,,;,,,.
Several weeks since we received an order 10 insert
! an ad yertsement OF the Union Furnishing COMPANY
a. b Hodge 4 60. mainagers' state street Chicago
soon satisfied that the thing was an embryo swindl,
S sn S,m aSs SU Sa pc '
Ing public to enrich few ane9nsonSele shaIpeIs
cost and at the right moment to iail, the prneipa
az saynE oSy on Sosss Ta
gather IN the scattering receipts By mail from outly
iic oi,ssIyat,on