Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-14
TRlCko Or TRADES.
AclTY OEkL=a W+o HAS S)M SIN
SiBLE VIEWS
The Farmer Who HID u Stone In the
Fleece May Have Been No More
Dishonest Than Some Other
People.
fChi ago Hera' IL

fChi ago Hera'Ll
"A little thing occurred the other day
that set me thiukin :, remarked Water
street merchant 10 the reporter We
buy considerable wool. and in one OF ouI
consignmenIs the other day We not ccd
number of tieeces that were unusually
heavy. Investigation showed that con
cealed within each one was a good
sized stone We reported tle matter
back to the country merchant
from whom we had received the wool.
and hs was abe to identify the farmer
who had sold it TO him. That farmer
was arrested and on the evidence Of one
of our hired men was found guilty OF
attempting fraud and was fined % aud
the cost Now, Of curse the farmer had
no bus ness to put those stones in the
wool The stones were of no benefit to
the wool, and the whole purpose was to
make it weigh heavier.
ANOTHER VIEW.
@But have often thought since of the
other end of the matter. suppose that
farmer had gone into q store In his town
and bought a piece of cloth The mer.
chant had purchased it in Chicago for all
wool. and therefore, of course, sold II to
the farmer for the same Then suppose
the farmer after getting home. had dis.
covered that the cloth was q cotton
mix, what could he have done about
itg Would he have had the mer-
chant arrestedg Would he have
had any redressY Certainly not And
yet the proportion Of stone weight In the
wagon load of wool he sold to the mer-
chant may have been no greater than the
proportion of cotton In the cloth the mer-
chant sold him The stone did the wool
no good, nor did the cotton do the cloth
any good Both would have been better
if all wool The stone and the cotton
were put in on purpose 10 cheat One
was as bad as the other.
That little incident set me to thinking
very strongly that adulterstion Is fraud,
he continued "A little cotton in all
wool cloth is likely to deceive even the
smartest. Beech. horse chestnut and will
low leaves ground up with tea would fool
the farmer or any of US Pepper Is sold
for pepper. and yet it may be largely
composed of linseed meal. mustard husk,
wheat flour. pea flour. sago, rice flour. or
sawdust These things are put into the
pepper to cheat US, and how can
help ourselvesf Even the mustard
which the farmer buys may be
partly made of whea: flour grown on his
own farm. colored with yellow ochre.
and sharpened with cayenne pepper and
ginger. This pepper may be made of
ground rice. turmeric and the mustard
husk, and colored with red lead. and the
ginger may be made Of sago meal,
tapiocs, ground rice, and plaster of taris.
These things the farmer buys at the
grocery for genuine, and he is defrauded
Just the same as he tried to defraud some
body else BY putting stones in his wool,
only he was arrested and fined, and
tother fellows amt
IL THE TRUTH WERE KNOWN.
Il shouldn't be surprised, il the truth
were known. that that farmer had been
imposed upon by cotton all wool cloth
or willow leaf tea or something of that
lind, and. disco .ering the fraud. had
determined to have revenge. One decep-
ton usually brings on several more. Or.
perhaps, the farmer was mad at the
coffee Maybe he had been buying
ground coffee and on findng that he was
being swindled at that made up his mind
to buy safe in future by taking his coffee
only in the berry. Then if he got home
some night aud his sharp wife picked up
some of the coffee berries and cutting
them. found that they were chicory, cui
out of the root by machine made fol-
that purpose. don't blame him if he got
mad and went out to the barn and hid
some stones in the WOOL
-AduiterAtion is fraud, and IL should
not be permitted except the manufacturer
stamps the character of the article OF the
package, There is no Oh. .ection to cotton
in wooden cloth. if the article be labeled
and sold for cotton mix. Nor Is there any
objection to chicory IN coffee. If people
know 1t is there. and are willing to buy
it We should have some strict laws in
this country against swindling adultera-
ton, and heavy penalties for their viola.
ton If q man can't be punished for
chopping coffee berries out of chlcory a
farmer shouldn't be fined for putting
stones in his wool
LAWS ABROAD.
@Over In England they have good
law. under whi, b government analysts
are appointed in nearly every town, and
it is their duty on application to snalyze
for small fee any article the purity Of
which is suspected He Is required to
make record Of this analysis, and to
take all precautions against injustice to
either seller or buyer. In Germany the
inspection service is thorough and search
ing and when merchant Is caught hand
ling impure goods he must either tell
where he purchased them or have his
shop closed up
I'VE need some such laws in this coun-
try, he added. -and until We get them
and punish alike all who commit adulter-
alton l shall feel little guilty for having
been SO severe on the farmer who in
creased the weight of his wool with con.
yenient dornicks