Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-05-31
The AIdinc SMindle.

ne SN
1t is doubtful if more outrageous
swindIe will attend the Worlds Fair
at Chicago, involving so many vic
tins and causing such widespread
Indignation as that of which the pro-
iectors of the Aldine installment no.
tel have teen guilty. The company
was incorporated last fall. and was
to be operated upon somewhat of a
cooperative plan. Reductions in
rates were offered if the applicants
would advance a portion of the money
to become due for accommodations
for specified time. These were to
be scaled according to the time of
occupancy and character of service
required. The people who made the
advances are the ones on the anxious
seat After having advanced money
on certificates entitled them to the
benefits OF the alluring plan, they
received circulars announcing that
the company was bankrupt, unable
to proceed with the building. and
that the outstanding certificates
would be accepted at 80 cents of their
value. This started an investiga-
ton and the thousands OF victims are
clamoring for their money. lndig-
nation meetings have been or will be
held and an effort to recover the
cash will be made.
A 12-page pamphlet was issued,
with an elegant picture of the pros
pective hotel on the first page, map
of Chicago on the last, and the inter-
Tor adorned with pictures of the Of
flee. the parlor, dining-room, map of
the fair grounds and of the president
and general manager. On every
page were rose-colOred descriptions
of the exhibition of Chicago, how to
come here, and the advantage to APP
plicants for rooms who, by sending
cash in advance. would be given
greatly reduced rates:
The attractively low figures were
as follows:
AMERICAN PAN.
Pr Day.
1room, 1 led, person, with breakfast and
room, bed, . persons, with breakfast and
/ room. beds. ) persons WIN Dieaklast AEu ~
roS SHpPF BEDS, persons with 6ieakfasi and ~
Children with parents half price
EUROPEAN PLAN.
l room, bed. person 90 90
l ON. bed, persons. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES w
! ROOM beds, sersons. } ~
/ room, beds, persons 3-oo
PAYMENTS were to be made as fol-
lows:
Forty and under. 80 per cent cash,
30 per cent in 80 days, 20 per cent in
10 DAYS, 10 per cent in 60 days.
Sixty and under, 50 per cent cash,
% per cent in 50 days, % per cent in
40 DAYS, 10 per cent in 60 days.
One hundred dollars and under.
% per cent cash, % per cent in 80
DAYS, % per cent in 10 days, % per
cent in 60 days.
Thousands of these pamphlets were
sent all over the Union and in short
time money began coming in with
applicants. Then material was Pur-
chased. work commenced on the
by the president with solicitors. and
from $50 to 800 cash was advanced
to each one They started out to Sc
cure prospective guests with consid-
cradle success.
Up to March 81 the books show
that $40 applications had been re-
ceived for 5000 persons in all, each
applicant paying from so to $500 as
previously prescribed. The total
amount thus subscribed is S42, 1906
of which S3S, 6S3.17 had been paid.
John w. Palmer was paid liberal
salary from November of last year.
and n contract with him was on Jan.
signed by the president, in which
If is agreed that Palmer is to have
1925 month, board and lodging, TO
Nov. 1, 1898, as buyer and outside