davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-04-24
LETTERS MAY GET THERE.
But Their Addresses Are Sometimes Of
Most Perplexing Character.

But Their Addresses Are Sometimes sf Q
Most Perplexing Character.
At the Washington postofice there
Is % collection of old envelopes and
postal cards that would be entitled to
place in the most curious of old
curiosity shops. says the Washington
Post. The collection has been made by
C. NJ. Merrill, head clerk of the city
distributing case. who has secured the
specimens after the persons for whom
they were intended had read the COM
munications.
Here is one in an Impractical,
scrawling hand as nearly as it can be
translated into letters: "bin harmson.
Washim T. c." That would defy any,
body but a postal clerk It was sur
missed, however, by one of these that
this communication was intended for
Benjamin Harrison, president of the
United States, and the surmise proved
to be correct. The letter. which was
postmarked Lincoln, Neb., got to the
president all right. It was probably a
letter OF advice as to how to run tho
government An office-seeker would
at least have addressed the president
as .'Nlr"
'.ir. Adkin Jurnel' was the address
on letter that came from some place
in Arkansas. It was meant for tho
acknowledgement of the army and to
him it was delivered. "Nasel true
brunbum, Washen," was the address
on letter from Trenton, Kan. Even
this did not defy the expert postal
officials. They concluded the letter
was meant for the National Tribune of
this city, and this proved to be the case.
The letter was probably written by q
German. 1t did not take long to decide
that letter addressed to "Mr. reuben
right" was intended for Reuben
Wright, " or that one addressed PPM.
E baker an son" was meant for Penne-
baker & Son.
'.For Misses Sole, tornela W. was
a puzzler for little while. Then it
was decided that the letter was intend
ed for Messrs. Soule & Co., attorneys
at-law. ."Mr. Ajfhanacting, Auditor"
stuck some of the force for little
while. Then it was remembered that
: "A. ~. SlldW udO D0Cl dCbllAS 6uulbOE
for time and the letter turned out to
be for him. The person who wrote
the letter had doubtless seen Mr..
Shaw's name signed as acting
auditor" to some document, hence the
mistake.
The mistake made in allowing
Washington territory to come into the
union under the name Of "Washing-
ton" and thus perpetuating the COM
dition Of having territorial division
and large city with the same name
is more apparent to the postal ofliciAls
than to anybody else. For example.
| great deal Of mail matter Il put into
boxes here addressed 'eWashingt0p.
d. Co." that is evidently meant for
places In the state Of Washinston!
People here seem unable TO write ~
name Of Washington" without puttlns
I'D. O." TO 1t. Hundreds OF lettnES
J and packages 20 into tho boxes ~
every week containing this srsor.
Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-04-24
Opened a Registered Letter.

In the United States court at Bis
marck, N. D., on the 18th INST, SEN
tence was pronounced on William
Kelley, OF Grand Forks, for taking
valuables from registered letter.
The sentence OF the court was that he
pay a fine OF $3.50 and stand com.
mitted until satisfied. The grand
Jury returned indictments against
John A. Fisher, of Ardock, and John
A. Mc11ain, of Grafton. Both plead
guilty and were sentenced to pay q
fine OF $1O0. William R. Schendle, of
Grafton, was indicted for selling Ii.
quors with government stamp. The
case was consigned to the Fargo term,
convening in May. Court adjourned
after the above business.
Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-04-24
Teachers Institutes ,

Superintendent OF Public Instruction
Ogden has announced the list of teach.
ers' Institutes for theme Nt two months
as follows:
For Barnes county, at Valley City,
May l8; for Benson county, at Mime.
waukan, June l; for Billings county,
at Dickinson, June 8; for Boutlneau
county, at Bottineau, May 4; for Bur
leigh county, at Bismarck, June 22;
for Cass county, at Fargo, May 4; for
Cavalier county, at Milton, June s; for
Dickey county, at Glendale, May IL;
tor Eddy county, at New Rockford,
June Is; for Emmons county at Will
Transport, June 1; for Foster county,
at Darlington, June 20; for Grand
Forks, June 8; for Griggs county, at
Cooperstown, May 18; for Kldder
county, at Steele, May 18; for La
Moure county at LaMoure, April 27;
for Logan county, at Steele, May l8;
tor McHenry county, at Towner, May
II; for Mcintosh county, at Ashley,
June %; for Mclean county, at Wash.
burn, May 25; for Mercer county, at
Washburn, May 25; for Morton coun-
uy, at Mandan, June Is; for Nelson
county, at Lakota, June 1; for Oliver
county, at Atandan, June 1 s; for Penn
bina county, at Pembina, May
rs; for Pierce county, at Bot
tineau, May 4; for Ramsey coun-
ty, ut Devils Lake, June 8; for Ran
som county, at Lisbon, May 25; for
Richland county, at Wahpeton, June
l; for Rolette county, at Rolla, May
18; for Sargent county, at Forman,
May 18; for Stark county, at Dickin-
son, June 8; for Steele county, at
Hope, May d; for Stutsman county,
at jamestown, May IL; for Towner
county, at Cando, May 25; for Traill
county, at Mayville, April 2l; for
Walsh county, at Grafton, June /;
Tor Ward county, at Towner, May IL;
for Wells county, at Sykeston; June 8.
A new department has been ad ded
to institute work-a lecture depart.
ment-the efforts OF which will be di.
rected towards the cultivation of pa
triotism and an improved citizenship
for the state. The state institute
force will consist this year OF j. M. Di.
vine, OF La Moure, and j. M. Worst,
OF Willinmsport, lecturers; A. II. Wiles,
Ashley; Mrs. Eisenheuth, Darlington;
Joseph Kennedy, Hilsboro; Miss EN-.
ma Bates, Minor and DIR. MaNaugh.
ton, MayvilIe, conductors; Miss Fan.
ME A. Miller, Grand Forks, and Mrs.
Anna b. Ogden, Bismarck, 'kindergar.
teners.
Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-04-24
at the prospects of a good crop. The
area seeded is not as large as that Of

at the prospects of a good crop. The
area seeded is not as large as that Of
former years.
Acting Secretary Chandler has di-
rected the withdrawalfrom settlement
OF the vacant odd numbered sections
within the primary limits of the St.
Vincent extesion OF the St. Paul, Min
neapolis & Manitoba railway in North
Dakota. The lands to be withdrawn
cover over sixty one thousand acres.
Hon. John Van Dusen, known all
over the state as "Uncle John, or the
Sage OF Tappan, died at his residence
in Tappan, Steele county, on the after
noon OF the 18th inst. He was one of
the first settlers in the western part OF
the state, and was always one of the
foremost citizens in matters political
or in a business way. For years his
venerable form has been familiar
sight at the Republican state conveu-
tions. Locally his neighbors honored
him with many offices, and his demise
will be universally regretted by all.
Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-04-24
NORTH DAKOTA.
The State Means to See That Her live
STOCK Is o. K....Sheep Inspec.
tors the Rule.
Ihe State Parole Law. List of Teach.
ers' Institutes For North Oak.
Ota Announced.
sunshine Coming. The Red River is
Clear of Ice and Navigation
Is Resumed.

The new North Dakota law for the
prevention of the spread OF Infectious
diseases among domestic animals is
very much more stringent than the
former one. Besides passing a gener-
al law upon the subject, the legisla-
ture enacted one governing the lnspec.
ton of sheep coming into the state.
In past years a great many cattle
nave been brought into North Dakota
6y rail from the cattle country of the
Southwest. These are shipped via St.
Paul in the spring and early summer.
ana placed on ranges in the Missouri
valley: The national department. of
agriculture, having given notice of the
eslstence OF Texas fever among cattle
OF the Southwestern states, many OF
them have quarantined against that
territory, unless for immediate slaugh-
Ter; The state veterinarian of North
Dakota, who has full charge OF this
matter, IS now visiting the stock rails
ing sections OF the state, making ex-
aminatlons and appointing deputy
inspectors. 1t is more than probable
that he will proceed to Minnesota
junction and there establish a quar-
antlne officer for North Dakota, who
will compel all cattle and other stock
coming through to this state to un.
dergo. the usual quarantine and in.
spection.
All the stock sheep coming into this
state have found their way from West
ern Montana, Washington and Ore.
gon. They have been remarkably 1ree
from disease. Every county in the
state, according to the new law, must
be supplied with sheep inspectors.
The people OF North Dakota are now
IN the sheep-raising business in earn.
est, and If the state does not rank
high in this direction in a few years, it
will not be because North Dakota has
not thrown the proper safeguards
around this industry. A quarantine
and inspection officer will be located
at Medora, on the Little Missouri,
and it may be well for those who are
preparing to ship in Western sheep
this year to know that their fiocks
are absolutely healthy and that they
can pass inspection. Stockmen can
get a copy of the new law by applying
to w. G. Langdon, state veterinarian,
Fargo.
Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-04-24

Jud LaMoure has decided to engage
in the merchantile business at Great
Falls, Mont.
A company of national guards has
been organized at Devils Lake, with q
membership OF fifty. Judge Duell was
elected captain.
1t is stated at Grand Forks that
Bishop Stanley will shortly remove
his official residence from jamestown
to Grand Forks.
/. Seeding is well along In Ramsey
county, and the farmers are jubilant
Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-04-24
Wheat Grades For North Dakota.

Geo. w. Harmon, OF the North Da-
kota railroad commissioners, and
Secretary M. Y. Edgerly, OF the same
board, were in Minneapolis last week
with headquarters at the Nicollet. They
spent a good portion Of their time in
consultation with the erailroad officials
as to the matter OF rates for North
Dakota.
$50 far as can see" said Mr.. harri-
son, "the roads are disposed to treat
the state fairly. They talk that way,
anyway. They have practically prom
ised us good rates, especially as to
fuel. The great majority OF the COM
plants we have are against the Great
Northern-11 out OF 12, should say.
The Great Northern and theNorthern
Pacific are the roads, of course, that
do the main part OF the business"
"How about the grades for next
year,"
"The legislature adjourned" said
Secretary Edgerly, "without making
any appropriation for the payment
of the inspectors authorized. Conse.
quently we are in doubt what we will
do"
zone thing is certain" said Mr.. Har-
mon, "the North Dakota people will
not be satisfied with the Minnesota
grades. Unless something unforeseen
happens, all the wheat OF the Red Rlv-
er valley will grade No. l hard. Not
once in Is years is there a hot spell in
the Red River valley shrivelling up the
wheat. Now, as to what we will do
to secure the grading OF our
wheat by our own officials, we are in
doubt. The matter will bereferred to
the attorney-general, who will give a
decision as to whether the auditor
would be warranted in authorizing
the payment of salaries for the IN
spectors when there was no legislative
appropriation. But there is one
thing certain, and that is that your
Minneapolis men are much more like
ly to do justice to our farmes than the
most OF our millers. Many of the
farmers sell direct to these millers,
and they grade their wheat by the
looks of the man. If he is some poor,
ignorant Swede or Russian they will
give his No. hard as No. 3, and, of
course, pay him accordingly. There
is considerable question as to Just
what will be done In this matter of
our grain grades"
Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-04-24

not acceded to. The miners represen-
tatives say that they will not strike
May l, in common with their Eastern
brethren, as that would preclude their
rendering the assistance needed while
the latter are out OF employment, but
the operators regard this as q blind
to give the miners greater opportunity
to make the strike more certain and
effective. If the strike is inaugurated
it will affect over 5000 Iowa men and
their FAMILIES and will seriously cur.
tail the output OF coal, which is over
1000, 900 bushels annually, in Iowa
coal fields.
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-25

full of money. which they had bought.
Then the story went on to say that govern
ment agents were summoned and that they
pronounced the money to be as good as the
product Of the United States presses.
lin this stage Of the game appeared one
Elias, a clever operator, who kept what
purported to be a dollar store on Broadway.
He was an English Jew, tall and impressive.
We raided him one day and found q force of
sixty girls in his store engaged in doing up
circulars. It was a clear green goods game,
but we couldn't do anything with him. A
with the affair. OF course, the one thing
which a green goods man, a dealer in al
legged counterfeit money, never allows to be-
in his possession is a counterfeit bill.
Finding that in his place of business would
mean conviction. Well. in examining the
sent him, we discovered, by good luck, just
one counterfeit fye-dollar bill. 1t was an
accident all around. no doubt. You never
saw a man SO chagrined as Elias was,t to think
that he'd been caught with counterfeit
money. We had him indicted on the
strength Of that bill and could have con-
ylcted him-the jury would have found him
guilty on general principles-but we
thought it wasn't quite square.
1.-The next game which the green goods
men got mp was to send for lists OF names to
postmasters. They got hold of the addresses;
learned Wnat men were RulllDIe and then
used the m over and over again. It's a
curious fact that the man who has been
fooled once is the easiest man to fool again,
The green goods man would work his list
out, and then turn it over to the gold watch
swindler who would cheat the same people
once more, and then give the names to some
other sort of sharks. These long lists used
to sell for adollar 4 name from one swindler
to another.
When the green goods operator discov-
cred a man of some intelligence and cour-
age who really wanted to buy counterfeit
money, but was wary and shrewd. he had a
trick which combined mechanical ingenuity
with knowledge Of human nature. Do you
know that a bill can be split lengthwise, 80
that the front and back will be two sepa-
rate piecesI"
l wouldn't have thought it possible.
"Well, it can be dom by a machine. The
green goods man works his game this way
He takes a good bill, splits it. and paste.
the face pom a piece Of paper. He sends
this to his sinful correspondent who il
looking for the queer and writes a note e
the effect that the back plate isn't done, bu1
he ends the front as a sample. The CORE
spondent, especially if he has any knowI
edge of engraving. is struck by the ex.
c~ellence OF the work. By and BY he get,
the back of the same bill pasted upon pa
per. He sees that tho work is equal,
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-25
Green Goods and Sawdust as They
We're and as They
are Now.
The Rise and Decline of a Great
Industry Distinctively
American.
Queer Stories of Crooks Who Made Fort
unes-Where They Apgled
for the Suckers.

Especial Correspondence Of The INDEPENDENT.
NEW YORK, Jan. 21.-The time has come
when it is possible'to write the history of
the decline of a great American industry.
It has made men rich; 1t still furnishes sup
port to some; but its glory is departed. It
will be soon forgotten by the public, unless
its record is written while memories are
fresh.
refer to the green goods industry. and I
as I have suggested ought to include. 1t
would be interesting morally, because it
would contain a warning against covetous-
ness, and a proof of the deceitfulness of
riches; it would be valuable scientifically as
showing that some men are descended from
sharks rather than monkeys. 1t would also
show how perfectly the laws of evolution
work in business affairs.
It would begin with Tunbridge. Like
Shakespeare he is too great a man to have
more than one name in common use. The
interesting portion of his career began
shortly after the war. / heard the story
from Lawyer Ambrose H. Purdy. who was
assistant United States district attorney al
the time. Everybody knows about the
green goods business, but most people are
as ignorant of its origin as / was before my
talk with Mr.. Purdy.
about the close of the war" he said,
"counterfeiting was almost as common as
tying. People were ignorant of the cur.
fency and the queer went almost as vel
as the genuine. The counterfeiters kept
improving their work all the time until al
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-25

to the fact that these little reproductions
were interesting curiosities which any man
might like to have. / asked him what he
thought anybody could want with 5000
cnriosities of that kind, but he only shook
his head gravely and remarked that there
was no accounting for tastes.
Now here was the evolution of the first
green goods game as it developed in the
brain of Tunbridge. The next step was
almost forced upon him. Orders from GUS
toners were SO exceedingly numerous that
it became impossible for him to supply the
demand. His presses wouldn't do the
work. One day he found himself without
a single fac simile, and with barrels of or
ders and bushels of money. In despair he
sent packages of sawdust to his custom
ers. Whether he wanted them to regard
that as a too valuable curiosity l do not
know. Thu point is that he had worked the
first sawdust game. OF course the dupes
made no protest, and Tunbridge made a
fortune"
must supplement Mr.. Purdy's account
OF Tunbridge by saying that financially he
has p%rospered, but that morally he has zone
steadily downward until he is a Wall
street broker.
Nothing could be dom with Tunbridge,',
continued Mr.. Purdy. I'VE had no law
then concerning the use of the mails for
such purposes. He was discharged. But the
green goods and sawdust secrets we're out.
and other men went into the business. An
act OF ongre8 waS then passed making it
unlawful to send circulars advertising the
green goods business through the mails.
The act has been amended as the methods
OF the green goods men have improved, but
they have generally managed to keep Just a
little ahead of it. The act, however, is a
curiosity of English. There was no way 10
describe these practices except in the Ian
guaRe used by the men who engaged ia
them and by the police, and 80 all kinds of
slang appropriate to the subject got incor-
! porated INTO the august statutes of the
ognition.
The next step in evolution Was TO bunco.
Men were enticed to the city, and all sorts
OF tricks were gotten up to relieve them of
their money. The most acute crooks in the
country exhausted their ingenuity in get
ing mp circulars which should evade the
law. One OF their tricks was to have slios
printed like newspaper clippings. On these
slip. would be stories of men arrested I'M
, carried to b Tombs with their pockets
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-25

famous government suits against the
firms mentioned; and, in short. the coun-
terfeitinR business was pretty we'll adver-
tised.
about this time came Tunbridge with a
big idea. He got out a circular saying that
he could produce exact fac SMILES Of the
currency of the United States. The letter
was skillfully worded SO that every reader
would expect counterfeit money. He sent
his price l~ists-5,OO fives for &c much;
ised to forward the goods by express imme-
diately. He got a barrel Of orders and to
every man he sent little Photographic re-
productions of currency. They were not
counterfeits for nobody could be deceived
by them. He was finally arrested, but he
claimed that he wasn't doing anything
wrong. He was furnishing the goods whicn
he had promised. He called my attention
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-25

seed'' into the den he frightened every dol
lar out Of his clothes.
1.-THE principal disbursement to the
business" said Mr.. Comstock, lis the law
acting such business by mail. We can now
seize letters addressed to green goods men,
and thus cut off the profits of the business.
We recently caught one of "Brocky" Nor
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-25

good. With it comes the query: How
much do yon want? In a good proportion
Of cases he rants all that he can get. and
he comes to New York after it with the
usual result.
I'm the old days, and sven now, for that
matter, the greater part Of the victims were
from the south. They naturally hadn't
the same delicacy Of conscience about
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-25

toms men out in Abba, Mich, and seized
$50 letters. 1t is much more expensive than
it used to be for these fellows. They have
to do a large share of their business by tel
egraph and they are SO we'll watched that
they cannot work their Rameo openly as they
used to. Now they meet their victims at
some suburban hotel n bring them in in
closed carriages. Altogether. the more
stringent law and the better enforcement
of it are the means BY which this bad bust
ness has been reduced to its present COM
paratively meagre proportions
BY the way. Mr.. Comstock also told me a
curious fact which might be of interest to
students of psycholo ~. II was this: The
den of the sawdust gang is almost always
an opium joint. What is the connection
between opium and bunco? and does tie
eastern drug accoun for The flights OF
poetic imagination frequently noticeable
in green goods circrl!rs!
HowARD FIELDING.
Copyright.
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-25

last, you remember. they initiated the Unit
ed States 7-30 bonds so perfectly that Jay
Cook d Co. and Vermilye d Co. got about
$4,000 worth of them, which were 30 good
that they went clear to the redemption de-
partment in Washington before they were
detected a. fraudulent. Then came the
The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-25

Go to No. II Warren street for switches. wig
and fronts. Hair cut. nnrled and dressed.
The sun., 1891-05-09
ELBo9EN FOUND 0U111H
CSnv1eteA Of KlAaapping Jennie ReekWea
anA ReeonneaAeA to Mercy.

CsnvisteA sf KiA.appinG Jennie Reekwes
and ReeonnendeA to Mercy.
The jury before whom August Elbozsl. who
said he was dramatic agent. was tried. In the
General Sessions. before Judge Martins. upon
An Indictment charging him with kidnapping
Jennie ReckweR. aged II. and sending her to
Now Orleans to serve as Q waitress In Schoen-
hausen. Plant Il Co.'S dive there. was locked
up on Thursday night. being unable to agree.
Eleven Of the Jurors favored conviction. and
but one, Juror Pattison. stood out for an
acouittal. No amount Of argument seemed to
affect him. Yesterday morning the jury resn-
tered the court room and the foreman an
nounced that they found Elbogen guilty. with
q strong recommendation to tho mercy OF the
LAWYER House asked that ElboRen be..r
manded to await sentence. 80 as to give him
& aSHs 8 %sEs RsGR R. 70,
Una; tt}nsdie;r % The conviction EiboGen may be ssn.
fenced to State prison. In the discretion of tho
court, for any period from one year to fifteen
Jennie Reckweg the complainant, is . tall.
her father. q csblnetns sker. In West Tenth
and became stage struck. She signed . con,
tract with Elbogen to act as first part lady"
at Sl2 week and 10 per cent. commission on
wine that she sold between the acts or after
es Soeehaasen. tnHnPl Plant Co 3 dive 10 New Or.
leans she found that she was not employed 70
act. but to induce tipsy men to buy vine; Ahe
WAS rescue cd and sent back to her father In this
city. Soon after her return shs made COM
rlaint Ct kidnapping against Elbogsn.