The Daily Tombstone., 1885-10-23
Cheeky as We'll ns Dislionest.

some weeks ago We published @ paragraph in which we stated that A. l.. Bancroft & Co.,, of San Francisco, had swindled this office out of nearly $IOO. With cool deliberate cheek they got out circular and sent it all over Oregon in which they deny that they owe us anything. The facts in the case are just these and We can prove them: Last fall Bancroft & Co. sent an agent here to work up their school books. This agent called and made arrangements with us to publish art icles in favor of the firms books. He left no copy but stated that it would be sent from the home on copy slips The next week We received from the firm printed copy on slips making l67 lines. The next week We received more copy and so on for three more weeks till we had received from the firm all told, 4l3 lines which they rt- quired run as editorial matter for which we charged 15 cents per line. Now bear in mind that ali this copy came direct from their San Francisco house. When we sent in our bill did they deny that they authorized the publication as they now do? Not they. They wrote us that they had paid they money to Prof. Milner, County Superintendent, who would pay us" When We showed the letter to Prof. Miner he denounced them as liars. Said they had never given him a cent to pay us, but told him they would pay the bill and for him to send it to them, and he did so He further says that justly they owe him money. They never denied the iustness of our claim till after they had made many differ ent statements about the matter to us and our attorney, all of which were contradictory and false. After the Milner statement they saw they were cOrnered and so concluded to tell an other tale. We then put the case in the hands of F. NJ. Johnson, Esq, who had much corresponding with them. No two of their letters were alike. They wrote all kinds of tales to get the matter put off for while They promised that an agent should call and examine our files and if the articles were published they would pay for them. The agent came and in our office admitted the claim to be correct. But that was the last of it. Now this honest @ firm asks why we don't sue them? Aye, there's the rub, Well do We know if we sue them in San Francisco, where We will have to.
 
 they will not hesitate to swear the case off. We cant go to san Fran cisco and testify, and this they know.
 Now, the facts in the case as stated above are true. Prof. Milner and Judge Johnson stand ready to verify them. This is not the only office that has been victimized hv this firm. There are but few weekly country newspapers III Oregon and Washing ton Territory but have los: from $lO to $50 by these swell goughers
 The circular they sent out to the press trying to patch up their swindle of us is truly but bunch of flat lies and none know the fact better than A. L. Bancroft & Co. The simple truth is they went into the school book fight and having lost refused to pay their bills knowing that we can not afford to go all the way to San Francisco to collect them.
 Several papers have published parts of their circular, will they please do us the justice to publish this also. Respectfully,
 LEADER PUB. Co. Corvallis, Oregon.