The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1885-06-13
ADVERTISING FRAUDS.
Brooklyn Eagle.l


terms: San elegantly designed
casket, containing one hundred
presents sent to any address on
receipt of ten postage stamps.
Apply to H., Chicago" II. is GER
tainly the inventor of q very in
genious device, for in return for
your ten stamps he sent you a
box of pins.
Perhaps the best of all the pret.
ty cheats effected by means of ad-
vertising was announced to the
public in the following advertise
ment, some ten years ago:
"Watches. Fifty Cents.-This
article is a true, genuine time
piece for the pocket, of ordinary
watch size, in highly finished silver
case, white enameled face, gilt let
tered, brass movement, horizontal
construction, neat and fiat, with
key complete; all manufactured
of the best material. Free by
mail, securely packed. Each one
is warranted for two years, and is
adjusted and cleaned at the end
of the first year without charge.
We allow three months trial, and
il by then the most complete sat
isfaction is not given, the money
will be returned.n
The outside is q time.piece, for
it is a sun-dial. 1t is a highly gilt
case, i. e., in an envelope of gilt
paper. 1t is neat and fat, and it
has a white enameled face, with
gilt letters, tor ii is merely white
card, with gilt letters printed on
it, and the key is small paper of
instructions. Lastly, 1t may safely
be warranted for two years, ify you
do not burn it in two days. There
were great many vendors of
these watches, all using the same
advertisement; but after they had
somewhat exhausted the demand,
one Of their number, a man of
striking genius, put out an adver-
tisement to this effect:
"Why give fifty cents for q
wretched construction Of string
and cardboard, when for two dol
lars you can have genuine time
keeper in gilt case, with fiat, white
gilt lettered dial, horizontal move.
ment and keyp
He had an immense number OF
replies, and he sent to the appli'
cants precisely the same article
that he and the others had beer
previously sending out for fifty
cents.
The frauds which are perpetra
ted at mock auctions are too wei
known to need any notice here
but there is an analogous clas
of frauds which have scarcely rt
ceived the attention due to thei
merits. You may constantly Sc
advertisements of this kind:
"A bonus of 300 will be give
by the advertiser to any one VIII
; will advance him 5000 for 81
months. A piano worth $500 wi
: be deposited as security for I'll
payment of the advance"
Well, on q first glance of sue
advertisement you take 1t to mea
that a distressed mortal is G
: much in the want of money as
be ready to borrow 1t at very e
!, orbitant rate of interest; but
does not mean anything of II
u kind. Itmeans that he wants
sell a piano, and that If he can &,
= two hundred dollars from you !
will make very good bargain |
leaving that valuable article
your hands.
: Some time ago an advertisemel
7 appeared in a London paper whit
ran as follows:
"How to make ten dollars p,
! week by the outlay of two dolla
;, and a half"
The plan to secure this pro-
! was promised on the receipt
thirty postage stamps. The rep
9 ran thus
"First purchase one hundrt
weight of large sized potatoe
which may be obtained for Il
: sum of one dollar, then purchai
a large basket, which will cost 81
another dollar; then buy fif
cents worth of flannel blanketin
and this will comprise your stOC
If in trade, of which the total cost
/. $3.50. A large-sized pota
/. weigs about half a pound, cons
G quently there are two hundrt
9. and twenty-fouf potatoes in q hu
d dred weight. Take half Il
g above quantity of potatoes ea'
,. evening to a bakers and ha'
i. them baked. When proper
o cooked put them into your baske