Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-02-26
Farmers, "Don't Sign"

The American Agrtculturast, IL ats
notes on swindlers, gives the following
timely warning to farmers:
There is set of swindlers whose
operations are especially directed to-
wards farmers. 1t is no reflection upon
the intelligence of farmers that this is
so. These rascaly know that all kinds
of fish are not to be caught with one
bait; hence :hcy operate upon clergy
men, doctors. merchants and farmers,
each in different manner. It is safe
to predict that there is new set of
traps ready this Spring to catch farm
ers. OF late years the ''agency" dodge
has been played successfully, and it
has already 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 it may be
stump puller, machine for grinding
the knives of moving machines, it may
be churn.power or springfield. What
ever it is, chap No. |, somehow, or in
some way, contrives to get the sigma
ture of the farmer. Here is where the
trouble begins. We have cautioned
end reiterated the caution: "Farmers,
be careful what you sign" but this
does not seem to be enough; no matter
how much care is exercised, the smooth
tungued chap, No. l, is usually too
much for the farmer. So we say to
farmers, don't act as agents to any
thing, but if you will not heed this,
and the temptation as to profit is too
great to resist, aud you will disregard
warnings, We beg OF you, farmers, don't
sign anything.
You may be asked to agree to be-
come an agent, you may be asked to give
your address, so that the sample ma
chine, to be sent free, will come all
right; you may be asked for merely
your Post Office address. Take our
advice-which is the same as Punch S
advice to young people about to marry !:
Don't! don'tl! DON'T. do not-pray, re-
frain from signing your name to any,
thing whatever, Observe this and you
are safe. Sign your name on any pre-
tense to anything whatever, aud you
open the way for the visit Of chap No.
2 He is not smooth -tongued or per-
suasive.. lie has come to collect his
bill. You have ordered 80 aud so.
The goods are at the depot, here is the
bill, and he ANTS the money, as he
must take tAe next train. Don't say
that you never ordered the goods, fol-
there is your signature! You can't
deny it, bat you signed it as an agree
ment to act as agent, or signed it as
your address 2 knows nothing
about this-cares nothing about it, but
wants his money Here We say again,
don't Don't be bullied into paying it,
but let him do his worst. Show bin
the door and let him appeal to the
courts if he dares. The game has al
ready begun, and hundreds of farmers,
to avoid trouble, will throw away thou
sands of dollars the Coming season.
Don't be bullied into paying dollar
On any such claim. At the most it
can only 60 to jury Of your neighbors
to decide. but not one case in hun
dred will ever come to that.
MURDERoUs RED-SKINs.-DEAD-
WOOD, D. t., Feb. 19.-Couriers ar
rived at Fort Mead. this morning, from
Rapid City, with the news that two
freighters have been killed by the
Indians, on the Fort Pere route, on
the 18th inst, so miles from Rapid
City; the freightcrs' names were James
Brady and Frank Haonan, who were
on their way to Rapid City, loaded
with grain. The Indians killed Brady
instantly; Haunau was mortally wound.
ed, succeeded 10 reaching a rancho two
miles distant from the scene of the at
tack, and died few hours later. The
Indians that committed this outrage
are supposed to have been the same
ones that attacked party Of hunters,
a few days since, in the vicinity of
Rapid City.
8 e.9Ga
The END OF A PROPOSED ELopE-
MENr -MAGBEE, Mich, February
l9.-Orria Lamkin and wife went to
Monroe to raise money on a mortgage.
Having succeeded, Mrs. Lamkin took
the pocketbeok ) containing the money.
and went to the store, her husband
waiting for her. She did not return,
and could not be found. and he came
home disconsolate. Late at night
Mrs L. returned. took dose of bed
bug poison, aud lies at the point OF
death. She says she had engaged to
eIope with David Lake, of the Cass
House, Detroit; that she saw him, and
he stole her money and left.
San FRANCISCO, Feb. IA WAL
la Walla dispatch says that when Capt