Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-10-21
cents. wanted a forchun. So / sent

cents / wanted a forchun, So I sen
| him the quarter, and / got this slip @
paper the next day. (The slip reatss
How to make fortune: Work hard
don't smoke, don't drink, don't marry,
be saving.) Now. MIR. POSTMASTER.
| General, don't you think it IL a shame
to beat poor man out of his MUM,
! this way, and can't you stop this
swindling through the males?''
A keokuk (la.) man complains as
fol- ows: Il red in paper how man
would send me currect picture of my
future. wife if / sent him the color on
my eyes and hair, and my hight and
forty cents Now, TO tell you the TRUTH
/ was just at that time doubtin whether
liked Amelia or Mary best, so
thought would get the picture and
would 60 ahead and marry her. I
.idn't get an answer for nearly two
weeks and | was beginning to think I
mail one day. When L opened it there
was nothen but piece Of pasteboar6
with face drawn on it WITH lead pen
ell, Just like the boys draw in school,.
1t didn't look like anybody ia partickler
meath. correct picture of your future
wife-her eyes, nose, mouth, chin and
other teachers, as shown above |
wasn't the only one that got left.
though, nearly all the fellows that red
the paper got caut, and you oughter
stop this swindlin. -
A third contribution to this scrap book
reads this way: II saw in the paper
that missionary who had travelled
through India had discovered remedy
for consumption and will send it free to
any one who suffered from the disease.
My wife was consumptive, SO [ wrote TO
the missionary. In answer l received a
candid, sympathetic letter. such as some
philanthropic old gentleman might
write. and with it prescription. In a
postscript twas suggested that if could
not get the prescription filled in town
might apply to the missionary and he
would get the drugs and put up the
medicine for any trifie that | should
consider suitable. found on going TO
the village drug store that the apotiie-
cary had never heard of some of the
articles ment; toned in the prescription,
so / wrote to the missionary, inclosing
two dollars, which amount | judged
sufficient for the purpose. A box of pills
came soon afterward with a letter
filled with religious iniunctions
to my wife to have faith. take
the medicine regularly and trust
in God for results. After my
wife had taken about half the pills with
out any apparent benefit, our druggist
dropped in one day and asked to see
the wonderful medicine that / had to
send to Boston for. Breaking one of
the pills open he commenced laughing
heartily. When 1 asked what was the
matter, he said: Taken in. Nothing
but dough, and so they were. The
pretended missionary had swindled me
out of two dollars. I write this so
that you can guard the mails against
swindlers of the same sort"
The swindles recorded in this book
are but a small portion of those prac-
ticed daily" said the official in charge.
Most people who are taken in prefer
to let the matter pass rather than
take the trouble of writing here,
especially since they know that writing
will not restore their losses. There are
many, too. who are swindled in such a
way that any exposure would show
themselves up in a bad light, as well
as the swindlers. The Treasury plate
| trick is one of the commonest, and one
into which gullible people fall daily,
yet no complaint is ever made. The
reason is on the surface. The swindler
in this case chooses his victims and
writes to them that he has come into
possession of Treasury plate from
| which he can strike off any number OF
greenbacks In order to get the notes
into circulation and avoid the suspicion
that might arise from constant use of
the same issue of bills. he offers to ex-
change any amount for bills of other
denominat ons and allow a large dis
| count. A specimen note is always in
closed. which is, of course, a good
greenback. The victim aseertains from
his banker if the Enclosure is genuine.
and finding it to be so generally falls
| into the trap. Whatever he sends is. OF
course. unheard of again, and he keeps
very quiet about the matter you may be
sure. National Tribune.