The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-20
PROMISE OF SUDDEN RICHES,
'Bucket-Shops' of the Cities and Their
Sanguine and Hopeful Patrons.
Tempting Advertisements and the People
Who Answer Them-The Impulse to
Send Good Money After Bad
Nnm Ynrk Times.


Timothy Pitchfork was an honest tiller of the
soil unlearSed in the devious ways of worldly
temptations Born and bred on farm in one of
the southern tier counties in this State. he had
been accustomed to simplicity and economy all of
his life. He followed his pillow. MIXED his cows,
harvested his crops and fed his chickens with no
other ambition than to get enough money to
buy tempting strip of meadow land which ad-
joined the little farm left him by his dead pa
rents. The price of the strip of meadow was
$1,000 and the industrious Timothy had man
aged to put 5000 in the village bank toward the
purchase. His savings accumulated slowly but
steadily, and ne was contented. He had few
cares; and good health, and was happy.
One day specimen copy of new weekly
paper, started in neighboring village, found its
way to the Pitchfork farm. Timothy had learned
to read and write, and he took the paper eagerly
and told his widowed sister, who kept house for
him, that he believed ne would subscribe for it
If the price of butter continued to go up He
thought he YVES getting old enough to learn
something about what was going on in the out
side world He had never been away from his
native town, and had but vague idea of life in
a large city. His thoughts had turned cityward
quite frequently. however, since Farmer Bios
SONS daughter Rose, the sprightly playmate OF
Timothy's boyhood, had gone to New YORK to
seek employment more congenial to her than
the dull routine of farm.
The weekly paper was read by the young
farmer with such thoroughness that even the
advertisements were almost committed to mem
ory One adve rtisement in particular caught
Timothy's fancy and set him thinking very hard.
1t was worded as follows
FORTUNES MADE IN WEEK.
$500 profit on an investment of $50, and So 600
profit on an investment of $500. Absolute safety
guaranteed This is not stock speculation; it is SIM
ply legitimate system of investment conducted un-
der the management of veteran hnancier, whose
long experience in Wall street enables him to judge
accurately the fluctuations of the prices OF stocks
gram ana OF a p eme ps
abled to WELD a powerful influence IN advancing
prices Persons who desire to realize handsome profits
speedily, without running any risks, are invited to
send such they wish to invest to the Office of
TAKE-IT e. KEPT.
Bankers and Brokers. No. - Broadway, New York
City.
NJ B.-An transactions strictly cor idential.
Timothy pondered for several days over this
advertisement. 1t was tempting. Timothy had
never heard of the Elusive ''bucket-shop" His
5000 in the village bank was the result Of four
years saving. and at the same rate Of accumu-
Iation 1t would take him two years and a half
more to swell the sum to the required $1,000.
Why should he wait so long when here was an
opportunity to make perhaps five times what
he needed in a week Absolute safety" was
guaranteed by firm of Broadway bankers and
brokers. Timothy refrained from talking with
his sisters or any of his neighbors on the sub
ject, but made up his mind to send 800 to
Take-it q Keep-it, and see what would come of
it. He went to the village bank and got the
teller TO give him a one hundred dollar bill,
which he sent in registered letter to the adj
dress stated in the advertisement He instructed
the bankers and brokers" to send him back his
l.. C. a.. lie
the week He waited with fair degree Of calm
ness for the outcome Of his investment. At
the end of the week he received polite note
from Take-it & Keepit informing him that his
500 had been put in to make up cooperative
fund, in which twenty-fi five or thirty persons were
interested. There was already profit OF 5000
to his credit, but if the eco operative fund"
could be doubled the manager would be able to
exert powerful pressure on the stock market
and send prices up with rush. The profits
opportunity and the writer of the letter sug
gested that if Mr.. Pitchfork did not happen to
have 800 on hand it would pay him to borrow
it for a few days. But Mr.. Pitchfork did have
the $780, and he sent it on with joyful eagerness.
The days crept slowly by, and Timothy's
watchful sister began to wonder what it was that
made him nervous and absent minded. At
the end of the second week Timothy received q
telegram instead Of a letter The telegram read
New YORK MAY 10. 18S-
Timothy Pitchfork-Send another 800 at once.
The market is booming, and large majority of mem
hers of the cooperative fund have resolved to take
fullest advantage of the rise. 1t will pay you to be
prompt TAKE-IT s. kEEPIT
The young farmer was not exactly satisfied
with this second postponement of the realization
of his profits. The telegram, however was an
intimat ton that hasty action was necessary. and
he hurried to the village. drew ont third 500.
and dispatched it to New York That night he
wrote a note Take-it IL keep-it instructing them
to close out his share in the cooperative fund.-
at once, and SEND him what was due him. He
found that the anxiety was wearing on his mind,
and disturbing him in the performance of his
everyday duties. The answer to his letter came
two days afterward. 1t was telegram saying
The market has gone against Unless you send us
5000 more you viii he wiped out entirely Can get
you out with profit ifyou send 5000 TAX.
This phase of the case was severe blow to
poor Timothy. He had not calculated on losing
anything. His imagination had reveled simply
in the probable extent of his profits. Now his
only thought was to save the 5000 he had sin.
vested Still blindly confident of the integrity
of Take-it s. Keep-it. he allowed himself no rest
until he had drawn $500 more of his savings and
sent 1t to his tempters. The following two days
were given up to bitter reflections on Timothy's
part which were not lessened by the receipt of
still another telegram worded something like
this:
The Evil One seeras TO have his grip on the mar
ket Still going down. Must have $500 more or all
is lost Will not have to cali you again.
In sheer desperation Timothy telegraphed
back:
haven't got 5000 left.
Some innocent dupes, under the circumstances
might have thought Of mortgaging the farm, but
fortunately Timothy's love of money was not as
great as his reverence for the old homestead. In
a few hours after the young farmer had sent his
telegram answer came back. He tore it open
and read. with mingled feelings of sorrow, shame
and relief this terse announcement of the result
of his brief season of speculation in stocks:
You are wiped
The lesson had been a severe one, but Tim
othy was disposed to put up with it philosophy
cally. He congratulated himself that he had
got ''the consarned thing" off his mind. The
next day, however, new emotions were stirred
by the receipt of the following letter.
NEw YORK May 16 1SS-
My Dear Timothy: know that you will be surprised
and perhaps panied as what am going to say. am
gnne ask loan 81 90 and / will tell Won