The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-02-13
Humbugging Farmers.

There is a set of swindlers whose opera
tions are
ESPECIALLY DIRECTED TOWARDS FARMERS
II Is no reflection upon the intelligence
offarmers that this is so. These raseals
know that all kinds of fish are not to be
caught with one bait; hence they operate
upon elergymen, doctor, merchants, and
farmers, each in different manner It j.
safe to predict that there ia a new set Of
traps ready this spring to catch farmers.
OF late years the "aRency" dodge has been
PLAYED successfully. and it has alrerdy been
started thus early in the season. These
swindlers are all after one pattern. A glib
tongued chap, No. l, wishes to establish an
"agency" for some crinkum, II may be
stump puller q machine for grinding the
knives of moving machines, il may be q
churn power, or spring bed. Whatever it
is, chap No. l, somehow, or in some way
eontrives TO get the signature Of the farmer,
Here il whore the trouble begins. We have
cautioned and reiterated the canton:
FARMERS BE CAREFUL WHAT YoU sIGN,"
but this does not seem to be enough; no
matter how much care is exercised, the
smooth tongued chap No. 1, is usually too
much for the farmer. 30 we say TO farm
ers-don't act as agents for anything, but il
you will not heed this, and the temptation
as to profit is too great to resist, and you
UiH disregard warnings, We beg Of you
FARMERS DON'T sign ANYTHING.
4 You may be asked TO agree TO becom,
an agent. you may be asked to give you
address, so that the sample machine, to b
sent free. will come all right; you may b
asked for merely your post-ofice address
) Take our advice-which is the same 8
Puneh's advice to young people about 4
marry-DoN'T! Dcs'rH Don't do not-pra
. refrain from signing your name to any thin
whatever. Observe this and you are safe
. Sign your name on any pretence to an
\ thing .Ohateper, and you open the way 70
y the visit of chap No. 2. He is not smot
q tongued or persuasive. He has come 4
4 collect his btu. You have ordered 30 and st
9 The goods are At the depot, here Is the bill
( and he wants the money, as he must tax
D the next train. You cant say you neve
ordered the goods, for there is--your signatsr
4 You can't deny il, but you signed as q
D agreement to act as agent, or signed il q
n your addfess-No. 2 knows nothing abou
D this-cares nothing about it. but wants th
money. Here we again say, don't. Don
' be bullisd into paying it. but let him d.
his worst. Show him the door, and Il
him appear to the courts i he darss. Th
a game has already begun, and hundreds {
n farmers, to avoid trouble. will throw ava
y thousands and thousands Of dollars tt
coming season.
DON'T BE BULLIED
o into paying . dollar on any such claim. A
u the most it can only 60 to Jury Of yol
y neighbors to decide, but not one case in
!. hundred will ever come to that. One CO
= respondent in writing from Massaehusett
l. says that some of the neighbors think tn
.s an agricultural paper can teach them not
II ing, yet one of these very conceited farme
= had TO pay $50, which he would have save
~ had he read our humble article, as It
8, very swindler was exposed here From
ID American Agricalturist for Feb.