The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-18
BAIT TO CATCH SUCKERS.
AND THERE ARE ALWAYS FOOLS
TO BITE AND BE CAUGHT.

Cash-LsrGe Fortunes Made by Ad-
vertisers Who Offer to Give Some
thing for Nothing.
From the Net0 York Herald.
Some two years ago a firm ostensibly
doing business in the south advertised widely
that If any one would forward name and
address he or she would receive lot In
certain hourishing county in Florida free
from all expense. The sole tax to be paid
by the happy recipient would be 81. the cost
OF making out the deed. 1t was also stipu-
lated that the taxes for some years to come
upon said lot would be merely nominal. was
told upon good authority last week that the
people Of this country responded to this in
vitation to the extent of $3.50, 900. The
men who got up the scheme made clear
profit Of something like $3.50, 900 and has
since retired from business, perhaps to be-
gin elsewhere something of the same kind
The whole business is, of course, more or
less OF fraud, and yet it was not exactly
getting money for nothing. The way in
which it was managed was very simple.
The man who devised and engineered the
scheme went down to Florida and found
tract of country in one OF the gulf counties
which he could buy at the rate of so cents
an acre. 1t was practically worthless and
yet not more than five miles from a rail-
road station. He bought 10000 acres and
had 1t recorded upon the town books That
was the whole work to be done in Florida
upon this property so far as he was con-
cerned. Once having a transfer he began
TO write out his circulars. According to
bis account this new town was to be the
garden spot of Florida. It's advan-
tages were SO many that he scarcely
knew where TO stop. It had roads,
groves, streets, churches. schools, hotels,
factories, all on paper-very much the sort
Of place that Dickens describes under the
name Of Eden in Martin Chuzzlewit."
Then his advertisements began to appear in
the daily press. He wanted people 10 come
and realize how magnificent were the op-
portunities offered in this new CITY, and to
induce them to do 50 he made this maxni-
hcent offer: To give away every second
lot upon the flourishing avenues. When
the place became fully popu-
lated the intervening lots which
he proposed - on paper to hold
as an investment would become enormously
valuable and he would reap his profit
Human nature IL pretty gullible. II this
man had offered to sell his lots at 81 apiece,
10 may be doubted whether he would have
made any money but the moment he Of
fered to give them away for nothing, sue
CosS Wdb hssuTSU. IeOplo from Gil over the
country wrote, some Of them being so eager
that they even telegraphed and sent
him letters with special delivery
stamps. l can see the smile with which he
must have received these mtssives. As
say, about $50, 900 persons swallowed the
bait.
LOTS THAT COST FOUR CENTS APIECE.
By return mail they were informed that
their application for free lot in this new
and fourishing Florida city had been re-
oeived, and that such and such a lot had
been awarded them. The only thing now
10 be done was TO send 81 with which Co
cover the expense Of making out the deed,
The profit came in this way: No sooner had
this ingenious speoulator got his 20 900 acres
than he went to the county clerk and asked
him what he usually made q year out of
his business. The man answered that he
was very glad to m Ike $500. Our yankee
genius offered him $1,000 to devote his
time and his official stamp to making
out as many deeds as be could manufacture.
The man jumped at the chance and went
into the business. The ecsael cost OF the
deed, properly certified, and the postage,
was about 10 cents, so that 80 cents profit
remained. As there are sixteen lots In an
acre of ground, aud the acre costs so cents.
the actual cost OF the lots was less than 4
cents lot. 1t took two years before the
crop OF dupes throughout tine country was
exhausted for this particular field Of indus
try, and do not suppose that II the whole
thing we're to be repeated tomorrow or a
few years from now 1t would be any less
successful. Il is the old itching OF people to
get hold OF something for nothing
Not week passes but that our postofice
authorities do not receive complaints from
persons living far awey that they have been
swlndled; they have sent money and re-
eetved no return. A short time ago took
occasion DO send to a number Of persons who
advertised in small country papers that
they will give employment at remunerative
rates to any one who applied for it and 1
kept my batch of answers as curiosities
One Of the types of this swiudling game.
which no amount Of interference on the
part OF the police seems to break up consists
in opening correspondence with ladies re-
siding at distance, Offering profitable home
WORK with particulars free. For instance.
the applicant is told that the ARTISTIC
Needle Work Company" does large whole
sale business, and that most Of the work is
performed by ladies at their own homes,
and that upon receipt of 81 samples Of the
work to be done will be forwarded. The
81 Is simply to protect ourselves and
in return for it the applicant gets by
mail piece of cotton velvet with a small
flower stamped on it, piece Of red felt of
the same size, pattern and small amount
VA oAhp bhO WhOAS CO5tAuk NV iuOT0 Ludu ~
cents. When the pattern Is worked out and
returned for inspection the applicant re-
ceives word that 1t is satisfactory, but that
before permanent employment is secured il
will be necessary to forward S. ''in accord
ance with long standing commercial
usage"
When the S., which may be the scant
savings OF some poor woman, has been for
warded, she receives piece Of goods, such
as mantel cover, to be embroidered, and
for which, when finished, she is told she
will receive S. and regular employment. In
due time the work is done and sent to the
company. That Is the last the victim hears
OF her work or her money, no matter how
many indignant letters she sends. The con-
Germ Is just SIS and some 1ne needlework in
hand, and the sum Is SO small that there is
little likelihood Of trouble, especially as all
the victims are poor and the advertising is
done in newspapers hundreds and even
thousands OF miles away from New York.
This particular swindle ia perennial.
Some time ago there appeared In the
columns of one Of our newspapers an invi-
tation to every person short of money.
Work was offered which the advertiser as
sured his patrons would prove satisfactory
and could be done by any one after little
practice / had the curiosity to call at the
address mentioned, not only to find out
what the work consisted of but to gain some
notion OF the number Of persons out of en-.
II