The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-10-03
BEWARE OF STRANGERS.

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number of sharps who live By preyina
ipon the ttustfui farmer. Good bush
ness men and men of character have
been caught by the hundred. and all
these cases teach emphatically that one
should nerer sign name 10 any paper in
| the hands of a stranger. l have come
into possession of the facts in so many
cases where even good business men
have been beat by these travelling sharp
ers that ! am convinced there is no
other way to be sure that you are safe.
During the past ten years have per-
sonally known OF a score or more cases
in my own county, and as some Of
them make interesting reading and
may be the neans of putting readers on
their guard | will give them
SmiYdts Nd !. Farmer A. was
called Upon by a very pleasant man
who made favorable impression by his
intelligence and gentlemanly conduct.
He stated that he had been. Introducing
patent wagon brake which was valua-
BILE; that Ne had disposed of all the State
except Butler County, and as he was
going to Michigan he would take 500
FOR the county right. although he had
sold all the Others for $500 each. On
Mr.. A. assuring him that he nevsr dealt
in patents and did rot want it, he did
| not urge Him to buy. but said: II am
! sure If you knew what good thing you
could make of it you would take it, and
as you may possibly change your mind,
here (handing a slip of paper is my
| address for the next two weeks A
week later another gentleman sharper
No 81 called on Farmer A.. and after
some preliminary talk told him he had
| canvassed several counties for the
| patent wagon-brake and found it quite
| profitable, and that he heard he had
bought Butler County and come to see
what he would take for it. Now Farmer
A. saw a chance to make money, and
| when Sharper No. 2 bid $500 for the
county he told him he would let him
know in a week, and as this was salts
factory, No. 2 rode Of, and Farmer A.
posted a letter by first NAL to the
address of No. and closed the bargain
for the county at 500, giving his note
at ninety days. | scarcely need to say
that No. did not appear again, but the
note did.
Ssoi,sdle No. 2:-Farmer B., a near
neighbor. accepted of new corn
| shelter as a present. from very gentle
| manly man who called He was giving
away one shelter in each township.
lust to Introduce them, knowing thai
they were so superior to any others that
it would create demand for them"
Farmer b. was to have the agency for
the township and to have 50 for each
| one sold Mt S15 and after he had sold
| twenty his commission was 70 be SOU
on each. 80 Farmer u: signed an
order Tor one shelter and the agent
kindly inserted the statement that ne
could buy all he wantad for $40 each.
Some weeks later Farmer b. gets notice
that there are twenty-one cornish ilers
at the railroad station for him. and the
next day lawyer calls on him for set
Element and produces an order Tor
twenty-one corn-shellers with his sig
nature and bullies him Into giving his
note for the amount. | saw the order
and had been written before the l
and that made Il.
| SDiaadte No. 3: FarmerC. is wealthy,
with 800 acres of land. He had been
manufacturing sorgo syrup for some
years, and was called on by genteel-
looking man who had made a wonder
ful improvements IN evaporators' ne
Made this very liberal oiier; he would
81 7 an esaporator 10 FARMER " colhe
and set 1t up at his own expense ana let
him use 1t year, then II IL proved IN
every respect as represented Farmer y.
was TO pay nor IT, II not ne Woula take
away. ms was SO perfectly iair on
its face that Farmer Z. agreed 10 IT, Inc
gent produced blank form IN when
he agreed 10 set up the pan ana walt
| year Tor the testing OF II. signed u ana
gave IL TO Farmer - ana paae MN gooo
bye. After reaching MS carnage ne
stood moment as II IN deeP thoughS
and then eams back and sad; 'Mr. =,
! have bound myself to ship I'd you, st
my own expense this evaporation, ana u
is only far that you should sign an
agreement to receive II. Farmer Y
read over tne form OF agreement, anu a.
1t looked all right Signed II. Need
add that the genteel man DID not come
back, that the evaporator was never
shipped, but note Tor Sloo was iouno
in the bank in a neighborlng town
which Farmer =. pa d! Inc agreemens
had been so artfuliy worded that when
one end was cut oil it left promlssory
note.
Swindle No. 4: The above swindles
were on small scale when contrasted
| with one in my immediate neighbof-
hood and which | can vouch for the
| truth of in every particular NY neigh
hor (whom will call Farmer D. wss
| solicited by lghtning-rod peddler to
allow him to rod his buildings. No,
says Farmer d., for | want to sell my
farm and it won bring dollar more
if the buildings have rods. | have a
SON law who wants to buy farm;
what do you ask for itp said Lightning
rod. Fifty dollars an acre. Do not
sell it till see you again. said Light
ningrod, as he left. The next day he
returned and said: My son-in-law has
bought farm, but | have found man
to whom believe l can sell your farm,
and if you will sign written agree
ment to give me all above $50 acre
that it will bring, | will bring you the
customer. So Farmer ID. wrote: Il
hereby agree to give. to Mr.. Lightning
rod all he can get above $50 per acre
for my farm. his commission to be paid
in the notes first falling due and gave
it to L. Now. says L., l want you to
ask for this farm $2,50 more than
am to pay YOU, and then you can fall
| 1snn -, tLo .,r;,, o,,I 1noy, mo % 0Q0