Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-02-20
Humbugging Farmers.

If every farmer in the land could
read, and profit by, the accounts given
in the American Agriculturist during
the past year only, of the various spec
ial frauds.upOn farmers, it would, in
the aggregate, be saving of hundreds
of thousands Of dollars to the farming
community. There Is a set of sW indlers
whose operations are especially direct
ed towards farmers.
1t i, no reflection upon the intelli-
genee of farmers that this is so. These
rascals know that ell kinds OF fish are
not to be caught with one bait; hence
they operate upon clergymen, doctors,
merchants, and farmers, each in q diff
ferent manner. 1t is safe to predict
that there Is new set OF traps ready
this spring to catch farmers. OF late
years the 'agency" dodge has beer
played successfully, and it has already
been started thus early in the season.
These swindlers are. TALL after one pat
tern. A glib-tongued chap, No. 1.
wishes to establish an agency for
some crinkom. 1t may be stump
puller, a machine for grinding the
knives of moving machine, it may be
ehurn power, or spring bed. What
ever it is, chap No. L, somehow, or in
some way, contrives to get the signature
of the farmer. Here ia where the trou-
BILE begins. We have cautioned and
reiterated the caution: Farmers be
careful i0bat 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. So we say to
farmers-dont act as agents for any,
thing, but if you aOM not heed this, and
the temptation ss to profit Is too great
to resist, and you ,0M disregard warn
ings. 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, 80 that the sample
machine, to be sent free, will come sll
right; you may be asked for merely
your post.ofice address. Take our sd'
vice-which is the same as Punch's ad'
vice to young people about to marry
Don't Dont!!
Don't, do not-pray refrain from
signing your name to anything tchGteuer.
Observe this and you are safe. Sign
your name on any pretence to anything
,0sateUer, and you open the way for the
visit OF chap No. 2. He Is not smooth;
tongued or persuasive. He has come
to collect his bill. You have ordered so
and 30. The goods are at the depot,
here is the bill, and he wants the
money, as he must take the next train.
You can't say you never ordered the
goods for there is your sfgnatttrel You
can't deny 1t, but you signed it as an
agreement to act as agent, or signed 1t
as your address-No. 2 knows nothing
about this-cares nothing about 1t, but
wants bis money. Here we say again,
don't. Don't be bullied into paying 1t,
but let him do his worst. Show him the
door, and let him appeal to the courts
If he dares. The game has already be-
gun, and hundreds of farmers, toavoid
trouble, will throw away thousands of
dollars the coming season. DoN'r BE
BULLIED into paying dollar on any
such claim. AT most, 1t can only go to
a jury of your neighbors to decide, but
not one case In @ hundred will ever
come to that. One correspondent In
writing from Massachusetts,, says that
some of his neighbors think that an
paper can teach them moth
ing, yet one OF these very conceited
farmers had to pay $50, which he would
have saved, had he read our humbue
articles, as the very swindle was ex.
posed here. From the American Ag'
for Feb.
The two Democratic members Of
Congress from the South who are under
indictment for participation In the 1
= - ID nafIil