, 1876-11-05
A STITCH IN TIME.
ltSaves Nine--And Misstatements
Promptly Denied Save Their
Repetition.
The Victor Sewing-Machine Un-
excelled as to Merit and
Popularity.
1t Has Met with the Highest Approval
Abroad, and Is Unanimously
Ind0rsed at Home.
Interesting Facts Gathered by a
Tribune Representative.

Interesting Facts Gathered by {
Tribune Representative.
Seeing that an attack was made on that well
known Chicago institution, the Victor Sewing
Maehlne Company, bya city paper in a rccen
Issue, he representative of THE TRIBUNE res
terday visited the Company's Office at 3Sl Wes
Madison street, to ascertain how much or hoy
little truth there was in the article. Mr.. Riggs
the western manager of the Company, wa!
found III bis private Office with suct
an array Of letters aud documents arouut
him as led to the belief that = CON
pany doing sucn an unusually thrifty
business must certainly have some claim to fail
dea1lng, and SO the writer was prepared to heal
from MIR. Riggs, in answer to questions, that a.
lar as his knowledge extended the article was
based upon only small grain Of truth, II in
deed the seed could be found at-all. Mr.. R,
here handed us letters received from parties
whose names had been used IS complaining.
We publish those OF P. Hammer, 266 North
Halsted, and Mrs. Victoria Pingl, 10 Kansas
street, as fair samples Of their reply:
This certihes that purchased Victor sewing
machine something upwards OF three years ago,
which Was to be paid in eight months. 1 did not
pay for It within the time mentioned and after
wards removed 20 Muskegon. Mich: taking the
machine with INC by the consent Of the Company.
That four months.after reached Muskegon, Mich. j,
having failed to make payment. the Company re-
Ing it up whenever s6ould be able. Tue ma
fane aSs heFe e rass asey the ysa t6 not
paying Tor it. afterward moved to chicago and
called upon the Company, and they kindly gave me
back The machine ai upon paying the balance, only
shipping the machine by express to Chicago. They
charged me not farthing for interest on the long
deferred payments; The machine has always
pany claim for it, and was much surprised to read
In last Sundays Times the statement pnrported to
be made by me, without my consent
.tNo. 73 KAxsAssrREEr, CHICAGO, ILL.,, Nov. ..
- To erhoDs It may concern: Having seen IN arti-
Gle in the Chicago Times OF. Sunday. Oct. 20, in
which my name appears as having been defrauded
by the Victor Sewing Machine Company in the pur-
chase of one Of their sewing machines thereby, Of
part, make the following statement: have never
purchased any mochine Of the Victor Sewing Ma
chine Company, or their agent, and never had .
any business relations whatever with said
Company. or their agent I never authorized
the u my in the article referred to in the
to is grossly false To correct, far lay in
my power, the false impression Of the Times ar
ticle have Of my own accord called at the Office Of
the TIMES and asked them to Tetract such portion
t'V1croR1A P1So1."
Reporter-From these afidavits it would seem
that the paper was mfstnformed IS to the facts.
Do you think it possible that the statement
ponents at the unparalleled success OF your
machine in the city in the last two years?
Mr. Rggs-From facts that hive come to my
knowledge in the past few days am inclined to
think there is ground for such charge, but pre-
fer to believe not as long as IT is possible to do
Of that class OF individuals that cannot under
stand why the laws OF trade cannot be revolu-
tionized that they with impunity may pirate
upon the property and funds Of corporations:
R.-What is the plan you employ in disposing
of your maehines2
Mr., R--It is the same as is employed by most
other companies. Some are not doing it, how
ever, as they believe the profit to the company
will not justify the trouble and expense Of col
1ecting In the manaer We are called upon to do.
honesty have machine aud make small month
~ payments upon it, and so long as they mani
fest disposition OF even trying to pay for it
there is no trouble las we have the reputation OF
being very lcnicnt with those that though poor
are honest), and never refuse to allow all that
has been paid on contract that we have for
feited for nou-payment, even should the request
not be made to us for over year after the for
feiturc; and in such cases the party gets new
machine instead Of the old which ne received
and which VIC had to dispose OF as secondhand
affair.
R.-What about the Misrepresentation Of
agents,-do you never have any complaint =.
Mr.. R-Thcre may be some real causes Of
complaint by some Some parties claiming to
act as our agents may misreprescnt, but it is
impossible to control large corps Of men some
Of whom are what are termed prospect agents,
rho+a from ff in hn inf
of no particular machine or business, and when
they find party that they can induce to trade
or lease, give the name to the agent Of what
ever company the party expresses preference
for; These men the Company z, never see, neither
control theme To prevent any chance for
We have printed in large bold
letters in red ink across the face Of OUR contract
these words:
''Any contract made with any canyasser or
agent differing in any respect from the terms
u this lease will not BE- binding unon the Victor
Sewing Machine Company under any circum-
Stances"
Several days since had IN additional caution
n large blue letters printed across the lease:
stDo not sign this lease without reading it
:arcfully, ant. particularly the red printing"
We never accept OF a lease unless sigued by
he party personally. II signed by mark, We
;end some one to interview the party promptly.
believe that We do more than any other
]Q5l1ESS uQu6e III Nt1lGdAu III C1oEHutIc 10 uAfE !
1ur customers understand what they arc doing. |
R-What about promises of work? Do you |
urnish sewing to customers! ]
Mr.. r Within the last month we have ar
angcd with firm carrying on the manufacture |
# ovcralls, shirts, and other rough work, to |
upply our customers with work ut current |
market prices to assist them in paying OH |
heir contract. In this way many can be |
supplied with machine who would not be able
0 do so without. When it is remembered that
H.. 4 l. = ft-.r R..f1
rice even on the first aud second dozens, which
re usually bunglingly done, aud which have to
'e sold at q loss. aud when it is<4lso re1ncm-
ered that in many cases we>take and bring
ack work. and still allow tef the same class Of
ford to giye-tlfen~ it wilI-~be conceded,