The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-12-06
COLUMN.


A brand New SwindIe.
A few days ago, all at once as It were, there
came to us II sudden influx of miscellaneous
papers and of letters; the one having a large
advertisement marked to call attention to it,
and the other enclosing the same advertise
ment cut from various city and country pa
pers, including the leading New York Week
ly Journals. The advertisement in question
is Of the width Of two Of these columns and
six inches in length, and must have brought
u the "6rst-class papers that published it, a
very large sum. The advertisement bears
picture ofan Opera House, a Mint, High
School, and Church displayed one at each
corner, while in the centre,
"CITY LOTS FREE"
in large display type, attract the eye at once,
and in smaller type we read that the lots are
"situated in North Denver;" every Other
Lot Absolutely Erce," and "Warrantee Deed
Without Reserve" Then follows a glowing
DESCRIPTION of the City of Denver Then
there is much more talk, all Of Which
amounts in substance to:
"sEND IN YOUR DOLLAR AND GET YOUR DEED
and hurry too, for there are but 60 days to
do it in" This deed would make one the
owner Of lot "in North Denver, situated in
Weld county, State ofColofatcan in im7tc-
diatc Uiec, of this beautiful clty"-meaning
Denver We had not read far before the
whole thing seemed very ianilar-we had
read something like it before and there
came to mind that prcciousTexas land swim
die a few years ago, which the AD,cricanAq-
ricaituiist was the first to expose. The say
ing,
"HIsTORY REPEATS ITSELF"
here had new illustration. Thinking to
have our share of the repeating, here, as in
the Texas case-we at once wrote to parties
near by the place for direct information-in
this case to the "Denver Tribune" giving
particulars and asking for an immediate tel
egraphc reply. Here is the response
"Dcnuer, Colorado.
To the Editor Of american Agr,cWtwiSt,
New York:
Denver Land Company huge swindlc.
Will mail full particulars tonight.
CHARLES A. RAYMOND.
Mr.. Raymond's Letter has not arrived at
this writing, but the Associated Press has
sent on despatch that the citizens of Den
yer were aroused. M doubt jealous of the
good name of their city, and indignant that
it should be made the field of such fraud,
they at once took the matter up, and the
movers in the swindle
WERE At ONCE ARRESTED,
on the charge of using the mails for fraudu-
lent purposes. 1t comes out that this scheme
was concocted, and elaborated, like thatoth-
er--the eTexan-inCincinnati. More repeti
ton of history. The managers give the
names: Sidney A. Grant aud A. F. Wilson.
These persons had bought tract of land
and called it t"North Denver" And very
much North" it is being some 40 miles
away! that these ge tlemen should not be
accused of misrepresenting anything, when
they speak Of their lots as being in Gimme
diate view" Of Denver, we may say that such
sis the transparency Of the atmosphere in
those regions, that one can easily sec city
that is 40 miles off. The career of Grant
and Wilson was brief at Denver, yet it is
said that in this shoV Vttimo--onIy about
eight days-there came to them through the
mail,
"a PERFECT AVALANCHE OF LETTERS"
as their advertisements bad begun to meet
with responses. But the thing is "nipped in
the bud," and no thanks TO those papers who
published the observation-disclosures 500 it
is said The public is saved hundreds Of
thousands of dollars. Many may wonder
how Grant and Wilson were to make much
out of the scheme. That" "Avalanche Of Let
ters," tells the story. The scheme was a
shrewd one, and shows much knowledge of
human nature. Large sales and small
profits" was their motto. The chance for a
"lree lot" would be open for "sixty days"
1t would cost but a dollar to try it-just for
the fun of the thing-and, as in the Texas
scheme, thousands and hundreds of thous-
ands would hurry to inclose their dollar,
and swell the "avalanche of letters" If
Gran: and Wilson had sent deeds, and no
doubt they would have sent some at first, to
create confidence, the whole cost would be
less than 25c for each deed as we showed
the Texas case, leaving profit of 10 cents
ON each, which, if repeated enough times,
will be Giving profit" The land they of
fered, instead of being worth 81 for 25xl75
feet-plots, would probably be dear at 25 cents
an acre unless it eau be reached by irriga-
tol.-We are glad to report that many Of
our Exchanges who received the advertise
mcnt, delayed inserting it until they could
write or telegraph to this office as to its char
actcr, and they, at least, were saved The NOR
tfcation of publishing a fraud.-Americaa
AgricuitTiSt for DeccpJCr /.