Daily Republican., 1881-05-31
SHORT MEASURE.
Strawberry Men BuyiDg and Sell
ing Fruit at the same price and
Making Money byr.

! If what is reported r true the DeOple
OF this city who patronize many of the
hucksters and fruiterers on King street
are most shanetully cheated IN their
purchases of Strawberries, potatoes, ap-
pies and other merchandise that is re-
tailed by dry measure.
1t is reported as II fact that some
strawberry dealers the last OF last week
bought Strawberries ut ten cents quart
wholesale in quart baskets, and empty
ing them out in very handsomely liked
up trays sold them for the same price
per quart and made s., IS, and as high
as $40 day by their sales.
"WhY how is this done ," asked RE-
PUBLICAN reporter of a huckstor.
"Well you see it is this way: They
have small quart measures that will
gain quart for every five quarts that
are sold. | declare it is shame" said
the REPUnLtCAN informant, 'tO see how
the people are cheated. They think
they are dealing with honest people
when in truth they are III the hands Of
berry sharks"
\ REPUBLICAN reporter WAS in
formed of lady residing not many hun
dred yards from the REPUBLICAN Office
who ON Friday evening purchased what
was said 10 be three quarts Of berries
from well known, sleek, oily tOngued
berry dealer, but on taking them home,
was somewhat surprised at the small
show they made The ideL flashed
through her mind that she was cheated
and TO see how badly she was cheated.
she rc-meaSurei them and found that
she had only two quarts and what she
could hold in the heart of her hand over.
To make sure that she WAS not deceived
she took the berries into IL neigh boring
druggists establishment and had them
measured. The druggist however only
had liquid quart measures which are
much smaller than dry quart measures
used for berries but he measured them
and they only panned out two quarts
and scant pint over.
Taking this as basis the berry mcr
chants profits are easily summed up.
He bought five quarts Of berries at ten
cents quart i'll quart boxes which uSu.
ally overrun an honest quart measure.
BY his bogus measure he made six
quarts out Of them and cleared ten cents
by til" operation.
Our disguised informant says that
these berry Sharpers are all along King
street from Second to Seventh, that
many of them are not only church mem
bers but hold high official positions in
church.
"Amd this is not all, ," says he "They
have false bottoms in their half peek
and some are made minus q
stave. The people are nearly as badly
i'll their potatoes and apples as
they are in their berries, and huCksters
who will use small quart measures aud
bogus half peckS will not hesitate to
bore an ounce out Of the bottom OF a
pound weight.
CpOn inquiry we undthat the scalpr
Jf weights and measures had not been
along King street within the recollec-
ton of the Oldest huckster on the street
md by his neglect to do his duty the
people were LETT at the mercy Of dishon-
nSt dealers.
There are honest dealers along KING
streets, but they have to sell to il very
great disadvantage, for they cannot com
pete with SCant quart measures and ho-
gus halt prcNs,
The Sealcr Of weights and measures
whose duty it is to see that they are hon
estly balanced and kept, lives in Middle
town, but his name nobody seems to
know. The law makes it his duty to
give notice i'll September and October
Of every year that he will sit at GER
tain time in each hundred to regulate
the measures and scales brought to him
for adjustment, and he is bound besides
to diligently inquire for all unstamped
weights and measures, scales and' bal |
anccS which are used within the Coun-
5y for buying or selling. Section s,
'hapter LHNl, Revised code, provides
he following punishment:
"lt any person shall use any weight, |
scale or balance not duly regu-
ated and stamped or shall make or
Use, u false stamp, or brand, for stamp
ng weights or measures, he shall for
cit and pay five dollars to any one who
will sue for the same"