The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-01-24
GREEN GOODS SWINDLE.
A vERDANT FARMER FROM SAN
PETE IS TAKEN IN.
He and His SON Borrowed $500 and
Then Found Box of Tissue Pa
per to Reward Them,


catch their bait. But just as fish con-
tinue to bite at the concealed hook. so
do human suckers continue to snap
at the tempting bait and thus enable
a great many gentlemen" to live In
luxury.
Apropos Of this a good story was
told The Herald man in enc of the
hotels last evening. The narrator is a
resident of Sanpete and vouche5 for
the story from personal knowledge.
The names, however, are suppressed
lat his request.
1t appears that some time ago one
of the farmers whose residence IS IN
Fairview, Sanpete county, received
one of those brilliantly Warded and
highly seductive circulars through
which the green goods operators
hold out to the unwary their offers OF
sudden wealth. This farmer had
worked hard all his life, without being
able to put anything aside for his de-
clning years, and the glittering prom
iseS contained in the circular made a
deep impression on his mind. AT first
his conscience would not allow him to
think of becoming a party to fraud
on the government and his neighbors,
but, as day by day he allowed the
kle in his mind, he soon threw all
conscientious thoughts aside and de-
termined to seize upon what he con-
sidered the chance of his lifetime.
He wished to tell his wife about the
matter but a vision of her opposition
to anything savoring of dishonesty de-
TERED him from such a course. But
as he could not keep it to himself, he
showed his son the circular and COM
munieated his determination TO catch
this tide at it's flood. The son. too,
had some conscientious seruples at
first, but these were soon overcome by
his cupidity and he gave his father
his support
A few days after this worthy couple
had arriver az a determination to buy
some of the green goods offered for
sale. the father walked into the bank
at Mount Pleasant and asked fog the
| loan of sevsral hundred 6eiIars,
lproffering his farm as security there
for. The bank officials at first refused
to accommodate him, as they felt they
did not desire to loan any money, and
the old man went away and endeavor-
I ed to raise the cash elsewhere. Fail
| ing, however, in his attempts he re-
turned to the bank, represented that
| the case was one of extreme urgency
and finally obtained the money, mortg-
| A few days after this the son walked
into the Mount Pleasant bank and
made the same proposition as his
father. The bank was still more re-
luctant in this case and it was only
when the son represented that his
needs was most urgent, that he was
LOANED the sum he desired. He, too,
mertgaged his farm.
| The money obtained from the bank
| by father and son was $500 and this
they determined to invest in the
counterfeit bills Writing to the author
of the circular that they were prepared
to take some of his goods off his hands
| they awaited the reply in suspense
Finally the answer came and a. meet
ling was asked for. After some little
correspondence it was agreed that the
counterfeiter and one of his dupes
should meet at a certain city this side
of New York and there the bargain
would be contaminated. 1t was az
ranged that the father should go.
| Settling his business affairs as soon
as possible and telling his family and
neighbors that he was going to look
after some matters in the east he set
out one morning full of hope for the
future and having roseate views OF
the future. He saw himself able to
stock his farm with all that was neces-
sary Tor its prosperity and able also te
increase the extent of its acreage He
thought of paying off all his debts and
having balance in the bank He saw
1 his son prospecting and happy with a
better farm, better stocked and bright
prospects for the future. Still amid all
these bright dreams there would oc-
cas1onally creap in a CLEAN of fear for
the consequences or a, twinge on
conscience for the dishonesty of the
thing.
However he kept on and in the ap-
pointed city was met by a polished
gentleman who offered to conduct him
to the place Of meeting They went
together to a house, where the dupe
was taken into a room and a box o;
counterfeit money handed to him. Ht
was careful enough to count the bill.
and finding that the amount was cor
rect, turned over what was left of thf
$500 and prepared to depart But tht
green goods men were not through will
him yet
One of them approached him anf
iconfidentially told him that he mus
beware Of the police, as they wer,
watching the building pretty closely
IThen apparently as an afterthoueht
he obligingly offered to send the DO,
to Mount Pleasant by express, in orde
to save his customer from any DANCE
of being Intercepted By the police am
consequently being thrown into state:
prison for a number of years
To the justice of the old man 1
should be said that he was inclined Il
hold onto the bills now he had then
: in his possession but. as he IaolSel
about and saw several clerks dom.
up bundles for shipment his suspicion
were overcome and he returned tn
box for which he had paid all hi
! money to the operator.
Then he started home and was me
by his son with a great deal of sup
pressed excitement. He told how tn
sons excitement was allayed for III
time. Both were on the tiptoe of ex
pectaney for several days, but at las
the precious box arrived They 70
ceived it from the express Office an,
Struggled it into the old mans garrei
where they opened it and, with heart
beating high, delved into it for tn
precious green goods
Horror upon horrorsi The box wa
filled with tissue paper They snatche
out its contents and strewed them owe
the floor, but no new, crisp bills me
; their gaze. AT the bottom of the ho,
they found the following lines write
on card in an effeminate hand:
you are rich;
We are poor. In
Well keep this money;
You can get more
/ That was all they had received i
exchange for their $780,
Father and son sat and locked a
each other in a thunderstruck name
for some time, and then the son in
Obliged in some remarks hardly cor
sistent with honor to his father. Bot
agreed, though, to keep the Who'll
th1ng qulel.