The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-30
ONLY A SOAP BUBBLE.
But Rather Expensive for
Those Who Blow the
GlobuleS.
WHO ARE J. D. LARKIN & CO.'S
Silver Spoons as a Factor in the
Business-How the Swindle
is Operated.

Somebody claiming to manufscture
soap at Buffalo. N. Y, under the irm
name of ~. D. Larkin & Co." has been
working great scheme to gather in the
almighty dollar.
The person who IS selected as victim
receives a printed circular from ~. d.
Lark1n g. Co." which states that ave
propose new departure in the soap
tory to the consumer, spending the
money usually allowed for expenses of
travelling men and wholesale and retail
dealers profits, In handsome and valu-
able presents to those who order at once.
Our goods are made for the select family
trade. will not be sold to dealers, and to
induce people to give them trial we ac-
company each box with many useful and
valuable presents"
The circular also contains 'list OF
contents Of their mammoth Sweet
Home box" The price of all this is only
six dollars. Knowing this circular would
not elicit reply they bait their hook in
the following manner:-They attach an-
other communication WHICH i marked
''personal and confidential" This assures
you that ''the offer to send you six solid
silver teaspoons genuine goods-will last
a life time) Is made with the understands
ing that you will at once order a mann
moth Sweet Home box and recommend
Sweet Home SOAP" etc.
To clinch the whole business a finely
gotten up certificate Is inclosed which
states:-"This is to certify that we will
send you, on receipt of your reply, with
out charge, a set OF six solid silver tea
spoons, besides all the other extras. In
mammoth sweet home box, which will
be shipped on thirty days trial. and II at
the expiration of this time you are not
perfectly pleased with the goods in every
wav you can simply hold them subject to
our order, and no charge will be made for
what you have used"
This seems like very fair and liberal
offer, aud so unusual that the recipient
wonders how it happens that he has been
so favored. He is aware that six solid
dollars, and as they are always handy to
have in the house, the benevolent u. q.
Larkin & Co." virtually offer to make
him q present of six dollars worth of
soap. He wonders why. He again takes
up the certificate and reads at the top,
mo references required from you. as this
offer is sent only 70 those whom we know
to be strictly reliable and worthy of con-
tidence."
PERSONAL PRIDE PUFFED.
That convihces him that he does not
belong to 'the common herd" AMI that
his reputation as a strictly reliable" per-
son has extended over the land. even to
the distant city of Buffalo. But why
should this soapmaker desire to make
hima present of six dollars worth Of s0apf
He turns once more to the "couf1dentiaFs
circular aud reads that you will not be
expected to show the SPOONS or explain
where you got them, as they are given to
IL Aao hal UaT inf r.
ence and future trade will be especially
valuable to us Qf we can secure
your permanent trade) and by your help
induce others to try our goods. We can
well afford to lose money on the first box
we sell you.v He is not surprised that
the soap company should be aware OF his
great ..influence," but he hardly under.
stands how they learned that his indul-
gence in soap was SO great that your
permanent trade" is an important consid-
Grafton. Nevertheless. there does not seem
to be any risk, and he sends an order. On
the arrival of the "boxn he gets his first
shock when the expressman demands his
and takes the box and proceeds
to open 1t. The next shock comes when
he finds that the "nany useful and valu-
able presents" the so-called ''extras,"
consist of a lot of worthless gewgaws.
THIS SPOONS ARE THERE.
But Cne SPOONS are GueIts ou, YES duu
such nice spoons, aud the family SOAP"
Well. he looks over the soap and reck0ns
it is worth about two dollars. But he
can stand that, as he has six dollars
worth of ''solid silver spoons" Then he
to have the spoons tested
before sending the six silver dollars to
~. ID. Larkin 81 Co." When the spoons
Of all. Instead Of being solid siiver''
they are only plated, and very poor
plate at that. He takes an account OF
stock as follows, viz.:-Soap, TWO dollarss
extras. ten cents; ''solid silver" spoons,
fifty cents; total, two dollars and sixty
cents. AS he is not willing to pay six
dollars for such stuff, he sends word to
81. ID. Larkiu & Co." to remove the box
and contents. He does not want it. Do
they send for it? No, indeed. Instead
they send postal card ask
ing why he does not pay
for the box of soap. As
he has already directed them to send and
reason for not paying for it, The reply
to this is circular purporting to come
from .'Thes Merchants aud Manufaclur-
ers's Protective Association" warming
him that unless he settles the claim
Of 81. d. Larkin & Co." immedi-
ately they will bring suit. II this
does not frighten the victim, another
circular will be sent threatening to ad.
vertise the victims name in the papers OF
the county. II he remains obdurate, aras
other black mailing circular is seneb
and a printed circular with the
name inserted among others, and
names of fake attorneys appended. and so
the game proceeds. Most persons finally
become so disgusted that they forward
their six dollars. The scheme must be
yery profitable to 81. ID. Larkin s. Co."
and it would be interesting
TO know how many victims
they have secured In Jersey
city. AS most of their victims probably
that the plated ware which they
received was solid silver, and paid up sc
ouce, the promoters of this scheme must
have secured an enormous profit.
What the Loriliard Fire Cost.
The amount of damages by the recent