The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-04-23


prise on opening ones letter of morn
ing to read as follows: .. o..... 49,
DEAR SIR Tor madame): Is this your sigma
ture on the inclosed slip of paper? If So you
are entitled to a certificate of gold mining
stock valued at five hundred dollars The
money you sent in the letter from which the
slip was clipped was invested on the general
margin principle, which resulted in lawfully
securing for you the certificate of stock re-
ferred to above. Now, if you will write to us,
and return the inclosed slip, so that we can
compare it with your signature, then we
shall be sure that the proper party will re-
celVe the stock. Respectfully yours,
.u..t E, .I.. -i.f......... ...f CLARK IL Co.
Very naturally you read and reread
the letter, and narrowly examine the
signature, of whose genuineness you are
speedily convinced. How can this won
derful good fortune be accounted for?
,Assuredly you have no objection to be-
coming the owner of valuable stock.
You have heard of the fabulous dividends
paid by some of the Western mining
companies, and visions of an ample in
come dance before your eyes. But how
account for this letter. Perhaps Uncle
James or old Aunt Sarah (all Ameri-
cans being blessed or otherwise with
rich relations) has remembered you at
last. When did you write themP That
must be it! What kind of paper is the
signature onP Yes, you had some paper
like that just about the time you wrote.
Dear old soul to send such present!
"a Some similar course of reasoning you
would be pretty sure to 90 through with
if you received such letter, and such
courses of reasoning have hundreds of
people all over this broad land gone
through with on receipt of like letters,
for this is true copy of a real letter.
Of course-unless you happen to be
informed as to this particular line of
business enterprise-you answer the let
ter, expressing your surprise perhaps,
but viewing with complacency the deal
ings of fortune in your behalf, and sign
your name in full confidence of its iden-
tity with the original. l9. HN.
In due time your reply is acknowl-
edged, the identity of the signature
established, and the stock certificate.
handsomely printed and duly counter
signed by Presidents, Vice-P Presidents,
and so on, is in your hands. If you send
a letter of thanks to Uncle James or
Aunt Sarah, you may perhaps be trifle
perplexed by their denials but at any
rate the stock is yours, and you await
the first dividend with impatience.
Alas in few weeks there comes the
announcement that the stock has been
assessed for working capital, and you
must pay so much per cent. or sacrifice
your entire interest.
If you are wise you will take no notice
OF this or any other letter, for the money
you send will simply go to feather the
nest of some New York sharper.
But how did he get hold of your sig
naturep Easily enough. He purchased
it with thousand others from some
dealer in waste paper, or he bribed some
office boy to clip it from business letter,
or in some other way he came into pos
session of it, and your "good fortune -
was the result.
This is but one of the tricks whereby
bogus mining companies ply their trade,
The case cited is one of group which
we may distinguish as "Wall Street
Frauds" since they originate in and
near that great financial center, and are
more or less intimately based upon the
manners and customs which there pre-.
vail.
Another plan OF procedure is to file
with the proper authorities a certificate
of incorporation, and issue pamphlet
containing a list of trustees and giving
maps or drawings of the mining proper,
ties, all in due form, with an alleged
capital stock of a few millions, more OF
less. This is sent out to numerous adj
dresses with offers of stock at invitingly
low figures and references to the com
paratively few instances wherein indi
viduals have really made fortunes by
small bona tide investments. Perhaps il
says the paltry sum Of five dollars will
secure hundred times that amount