The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-03-16
A FRANK Fr11ow' FonEp-Yosterday

A FRANK FEtIow FonRp.-Yestetday
ct noon very progressing stranger en-.
tered the wholesale dry goods store OF L.
S. DelRplain, Son & Co., on Main street,
and, accosting Colonel r. NJ. Delaplain,
asked him TO grant him O moment. The
Colonel rather brusquely replied that he
was not then Of leisure, but the stranger
replied, II represent the firm Of Harper &
Bros, New York, and moment will dis.
patch my business" The Colonel then
paused q moment, and theman proceeded to
explain that he was soliciting advertising
for awork TO be issued shortly by Harper
& Bros. OF New York; that this work was
10 circulate immensely, TO reach millions
Of copies, as they had obtained
unusually favorable facilities from the Uni
ted States Government In consideration OF
the gratuitous publication by this firm OF
coast survey last year, the facilities be.
ing none other than the. granting Of the
ranking privilege TO this firm by the gov.
ernment and they were thus enabled TO
Transmit their publications at no charge
through the malls for the term OF one year.
Harper 4 Bros. had Immediately taken q
large number OF men out OF their home
office and commissioned them to solicit
from large wholesale firms throughout the
country advertising In O crude form, that
Is an idea ofthe wants OF advertisers would
be furnished the firm in New York, and it
would assume tangible form under q
skillful advertising writer in the house
and take Its proper place in the monthly
edition OF the volume about 10 be publish
ed. These advertisements were susceptible
Of change or changes once month, should
the firm desire to give special attention to
any one article In their house. All that
was necessary would be TO give Harper
and Bros. notice and fascinating adver-
tisement would be the result. To render
the scheme still more attractive, only one
branch of business in each city was to be
advertised; for instance, he stated that he
had been instructed to solicit the notice Of
the Delaplain's in this city, in the dry
goods line, and II they refused he must
telegraph 10 his house for further instruc-
ti6hs. Thus the iron and nail trade Of one
mill only was to be noticed, one glass
house only, &c. Fifty thousand copies OF the
work were to be sent TO this city for local
distribution, merely to be given pro rata
10 subscribers, thus II there were ten per-
sons subscribing there would be 5000
copies each 10 be distributed. In addition
to these the works should circulate 10 O
wonderful extent in all the cities and
towns in the Union. -
The STORY was very plausible and the
members OF the firm aforesaid listened 10
1t interestedly. He was then asked as to
the terms and he gave them, with the
aHnnIantAnt0l atatdHaart hal tkns.
cash In advance. This statement at once
excited the suspicion Of Col. Delaplain,
who was aware that all firms preferred o
draft to paying cash 10 agents and and he
semitic following telegram to the Harpers:
WHEELING, March 10, 1880.
Harper & Bros, Eqnklin Square, N T.:
Stranger here giving name OF Graham
represents himself your authorized agent
to canvass for an advertising work and
collect partially in advance. Is he
genuine?
L. S. DRLApLAIN, Son & Co. 3
It was some time before the following
answer was receivedi
NEW York, March Is, 1880.
L. S. Delaplain, Son Co., Wheeling:
/ No such person has any connection with
US. ~. HARPER 4 BRos.
We forgot to state that COL. Delaplain
asked the fellow his name, which, after an
embarrassing hesitation, he said was Ora.
ham. He then left the store, saying be
would return at 8 p. NJ, hut he did not.
About 4 $50 p. NJ. Mr.. Hull Quarter was in
]. s, Rhodes & Co.'s store, when the fel-
low came in after shawl, said tobe worth
$1,000, which he had left on exhibition at
this store in the morning. lie took the
shawl in great hurry and lett, saying he
wished TO eatch'the western train leaving
this city at 4:57 Pm.
When the above dispatches were re-
ceiyed the police were at once notified OF
the affair, butt 1t was then after 4 O'Clock,
and Lieptenapt MeOully arrived at the
depot only in time ID see Graham leave
In company with woman.
Graham arrived in this city Sunday
night In company with lady and regis.
tered at the Stamm House as F. Graham
and wife, San Francisco, CAL, at the same
time exhibiting or saying that he had a
shawl that had been purchased at the
Paris Exposition for 5000. This shawl
was displayed in Rhodes window yester-
day for tho purpose OF selling It, he said ,
as It had nearly been stolen from him on
several occasions. The price asked was
$4,000, although It had cost 5000.
Col. Delaplain Is Of the opinion that the
man is either thief or Is engaged in
sounding" for gang Of thieves or bur
CLARA. In support OF the first theory he
exhibits very fine shawl. He had with
him two large trunks which might have
contained much other valuable property.
We have heard Of no other firms having
been approached by him.