The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-05-31
The Art Of SNindling.


day is becoming to be as much a nui-
sance and as injurious to youth DIS the
dime novels which we're all the rage
among the poorer and least.informed
persons some years ago. For instance,
the number of trashy and blood and.
thunder, and improbable love stories,
publ ished in the sd. called literary week:
lies, under o caption of SO true story"
are often found to be as demOralizing as
they are nonsensical, and it is really no
wonder that there are SO many idiots to
be found in the world when grown peo-
pie and children indulge in the light lit
erature of the day in preference to that
which would entertain and instruct. 1t
is just such papers as we have here made
reference to which confidence people
seize upon and patrUnize in order to
make dupes.
In a recent number of a Boston lit
erary production, published weekly arc
fully half q dozen columns of advertise
ments $50 cents per line each insertiOn),
and they are intended chiefly To catch the
eyes and the dollars of the foolish people
who delight in reading stupid stories of
fiction instead of familiarizirg them
selves with the study of literature and
history, which is combination of sot1e-
thing useful to the student, the pursuit of
which is source OF knowledge as we'll
as pleasure. In the literary weekly we
have before mentioned-it is not neces.
sary to name the paper-some of the ad-
vertiscments are novelties in their way.
For instance: One advertiser, signing
himself the g. Importing Company,
- Broadway, New York." agrees to
oonA half a /lCon,, A,rn 1,ov,, oAs%o1,~<1 1~o~A
kerchiefs, "worth, and usually sold for
IS per DOZEN to every subscriber of a
CHEAP literary weekly for Is cents. The
weekly is blind inducement. Read the
order:
Cur THIS oUT-aooD FOR HALF DOZEN HAND
KERcH1EFs.-The - Importing Company. Ne.
- Broadway, New York: This il to certify
that am a subscriber Of this paper, and am en-
hemstitched handkerchief, with my monograph
initial on each. Iinclose rs cents to pay cost
of initiating and express charges.
On receipt of this order and Is cents to pay
cost of initiating and express and packing
charges, we agree to send, free of charge, half
dozen hemstitched handkerchiefs, and which we
guarantee will be the same as we sell to the trade
at Sc per dozen,
ISignedl MANUFACTURING CO.,
- Broadway, New York.
Any sensible person must know after
reading such an advertisement that the
scheme is q swindle. The advertisers
agree to seH the handkerchiefs as a
premium to the subscribers of any paper
in which the advertisement appears. No
doubt the recipient could purchase the
handkerchiefs ut any Cincinnati store for
q nickel each, or twenty five cents for q
ho1 T1,oxv could IN 1oI 70 ovn,,
part of the United States for three cents.
The - Importing Company is no doubt
q myth. They sail under false colors and
should be avoided.
The other day the Commercial contained
in its local columns complaint about the
dealings of the Cincinnati Monitor
Manufacturing company" Here is the
advertisement the company Utilities in
these cheap literary weeklies to trap the
unwary:
WANTED TO TRAVEL AND SELL
w goods to dealers. No peddling; $50 a
month, hotel and travelling expenses paid. Gin.
cinnati, O.
These are very hard times, and many a
young fellow with no experience, who sees
the advertisement, would hasten to reply
to it. The advertisers have invited him,
like the spider did the fly, to walk into q
net. He gets fleeced before he knows it.
So do thousands. Only the wise beware.
Any sensible person can read fraud on the
very face of such an advertisement. Here
is another:
eco A WEEK-MALE OR FEMALE. NC
WVV capital. We give steady work that will
bring you $240 month at home, day or even.
ing. NY.
Others advertise that their agents can
make from eight to twenty. five dollars q
day selling some article which the adver.
tisement does not state, and the idiot who
answers such an inducement" of course
finds that all he gets for his pains are q
few mysterious circulars, which cost him
a dollar or SO; but he obtains the worth of
his money in experience and wisdom.
Then there is the bankrupt Milton gold
jewelry swindle, where the advertisers. in
Philadelphia, agree for fifty cents to sell
enough jewelry to open small retail es-
tablishment. The Milton gold is repre-.
sented as pure as virgin gold. Here is an
inducement, certainly.
One pair elegant sleeve-buttons, with In
dependence Hall engraved, retail price. 81 90
One yet spiral shirt studs, retail price. Is
One beautiful coral scarf-pin, retail price. Is
OVo eAeSaus SSHto W0sCAl-ChdAus Asste1t Pestc
tern, retail price. l 80
One collar-button, retail price. .......... SO
One elegant wedding-ring, very heavy, re-
tail price. ....................... VU
T,taI Observation-Disclosures. sc SO
Remember We will send you the above-named
six articles, which we have retailed for $3.50, by
mail, postpaid, for fifty cents, or four sample
lots for $1.tO.
:" What a wonderful bargain!' someone
Will s1claim, and then e I. Immediately send i
find that his investment is brass on its ar-
rival, and turns in few days to resemble
the color of the coal we burn in Cincin-
mott fnnndrioQ Tor ono Gnl1or envn ohOdD