, 1885-03-01
THE ERA or FRAUD.
A Man of the World Writes a Let
ter to His Son.
Some of the Results of the Modern
Strifes.
A Lesson From an Example, and
More Promised.

| tell you my son. the world is chang
ing. Years and years ago when your
gandlather's father was a little boy, the
affairs Of lie were conducted according 70
certain well established and clearly UNI
derstood rules. With the progress of the
times the competition of trade began to
increase, until to-day strife has taken the
place of the good old easy-going manner
fife in business and politics, and wen
in the social world. With the rush of
the times began an era Of fraud never be-
fore equalled in the history of the world.
1t may seem strange and u~naccountable
to you, my son that the railroads, and
public schools, and telegraphs, and daily
papers, and liberal religious instruction
and all the attendants of the civilization
of to-day have been steadily accompanied
by an increase in crime, and fraud, and
swindling. Business frauds. official
frauds, social frauds. frauds in high life,
and low life, in many DISCUSSES and under
many names have so increased during the
past fifty years that the later half of this
century might properly be called the
Ezra of fraud
And competition. Competition, my
boy, has changed to strife. From the
three card monte man, disguised as a
farmer. to the senator at Washington, the
great army of frauds have struggled as
hard each against the other, as they have
as a class against the laws of the lands.
This strife has in a measure given honest
people a chance and but for it fraud
would rule the land. 1t has made many
of our laws, placed in power many Of our
officials. plundered the taxpayers and al
most ruled the nation, but, my boy. the
signs of the times indicate that its days
are numbered.
At this time, my son, a glance at only
n class of frauds mus stand as a por-
trayal of many Others.
The three card monte man has almost
disappeared from railway trains, and the
confidence man is steadily disappearing
from sight. You may not understand
the methods used bv this variety of
frauds, and as nearly all of the petty
swindler belong TO the latter class, a
description of their oneratiops NAV IN
terest Won.
A confidence man Oenerallv effects tho
dress and manner Of \ business or nro-
f~essional man. or assumes tbe role IF a
p~hilantbropist. Under these disouises he
insinuates himself into the confidence Of
trusting people and obtains their money
Hence he il called a confidence man
BY long practice they become very exnert
and able to deceive the smartest neonle
1t would take volumes to describe their
tricks. Sometimes they are arrested. hut
often they cover their onerations nv a
cloak of legal sanction and so eseane
To illustrate the metods of a f,nd
A bald-headed old man finds if tbe bet.
ter part of wisdom to leave the field Of
his recent operatiops. His ..make-unu
is a close resemblance IN Vrioh Han
and his forte a ftberly manperism He
goes to a strange eity. nv SON. and
announces that he will en-
gage in a legitimate business
BY promises and schemes hedraws around
him A number of mechanics who in
vest their money and give their
labor to the business. Then
he draws up a contract. Like the frauds
who sell machinery and patent grains to
farmers. there is A catch in his contract.
II sn~oc;iies tbot no norson ;n.oro..o5 :.
tha bua;uos LII Nv peisoa interested