Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-08
Union where cuteuess is a synonym of

goodness.
Many interesting facts are developed by
the immense business done in collecting
names and addresses from all parts of the
country. Pages could be filled with true
tales of what has been the outcome in in
divldual cases of this continuous use of
such letters. 1t is pretty well established
that where an advertisement appeals
equally to males and females, at least two
thirds of the answers will be from men and
only one-third from women. 1t is char
acteristic fact that women are neither so
gullible nor avaricious as men. They may
answer an advertisement to crafty their
curiosity, but usually then only when it
costs nothing to do so. When remittance
is asked for they fight shy of the baited
hook, and are not often caught. There is,
however, one exception in this particular,
and that is in the case of medical circulars,
the women being more inclined than the
men to be experimental.
As this is the most dangerous of all ex-
periments, most serious consequences some
times follow. A lady who was very well
known in New York society circles and
whose name often appears in fashion notes,
not long since answered an advertisement
of certain lotion for the hair, which it
was claimed would produce that peculiar
shade of titian-red, which is so rare and so
much admired but which all reputable
hair-dealers frankly say can not be pro-
duced without destroying the hair The
lady made the experiment however; so
many testimonials were appended to the
circular, that she took it for granted it
must be all right. She bought the lotion
and applied it according to directions.
The result was that her hair was literally
burned off, while the color produced was
something atrocious In despair she
sought her hair dresser, who, after ex
amining her head, told her that nothing
could be done except to cut it short, and
let new crop grow. Another lady had
still mere dreadful experience in trying
some lotion said to remove blemishes from
the complexion. She has been for months
in the hands of one of New York's most
eminent oculists, who is making every
effort to save her sight, but he says the use
of the drug will disfgure her for life.
One of the most marked features of the
millions of letters collected by these
swindlers is their confidential tone. The
writers seem to have an intuitive idea that
they are going to be swindled, and evince
a very natural objection to having it
known They often ask to have their let
tiers destroyed, little dreaming that what
they write may be sold and resold to fifty
different concerns in almost as many
places, and used for years, perhaps, even
after they are dead. They have little con-
ception of the amount OF mail matter that
may thus be sent to them. Neither do
they imagine that what they write may,
in its rounds, fall into the hands of some
former townsman acquaintance, rejected
suitor, or possible relative, who may be
employed as clerk where their letters are
used. Months, perhaps years, after they
have answered an advertisement and for
gotten about it, they cannot conceive why
some matrimonial bureau" should send
them its circulars, and are astonished that
an entire stranger in some far-away place
should write to them in terms of endear
ment, and propose to take them ''for better
or worse" even after they have half dozen
future statesmen about their hearthstone.
The coed deacon in an obscure Western
town cannot suppress his establishment
and indignation that he should receive
through the nail "confdentiaP PROPOSE
ton to sell to him for small sum any
quantity of the fac-similes of Uncle Sans
promises to pay "that cannot be detected
by the best experts, and that they pass
current anywhere" The shooting in New
York of Tom Davis, the noted sawdust
swindler and confidence man, by Holland,
of Texas, appeared under startling head
lines in every paper in the country. Had
it not been for the methods in vogue for
obtaining names and sending out circulars
it is not at all probable that these two men
ever would have met. Davis would still
be alive and fleeing people, while Holland
would not have been compelled to spend
every dollar he had in defending himself
in trial for murder.
Sometimes pleasing episodes result from
this modern industry. Lost or unknown
relatives has been heard from, families re-
united, pleasant and profitable acquaint-
ances made, and, sometimes, even happy
partnerships for life have been formed.
The business had its humorous side, too
Real wit, pointed and entertaining, is
shown by some of the writers of these let
tiers, who have been swindled once and are
expecting a second dose. Sometimes let
tiers are full of professions of piety, some
write for a wife, some want property or
claims hunted up, some claim relationship
on account of similarity of names, some
are abusive, other are pathetic; in short,
every phase of character is represented,
and texts for a whole library of literature
are furnished.