Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1894-07-12
FRAUDULENT BARGAIN SALES.
Schemes Concoctcd by Dishonest Deal
ers to Hoodwink the People.

ers to UOodWink the People.
In recent years the advertisements of
bankrupt and foreclosure" sales have
become quite common. The penchant
among certain classes of people for
taking advantage of the necessities Of
their fellow men to obtain something
for less than its real value is util-
lied by the promoters of these schemes
to dispose of second class goods at first
class prices. Some of these sharks have
an admirable system to better enable
them to delude and hoodwink the pub
he
Instead of, as was formerly the Gus
tom, dropping down into a town, rent
ing room and at once advertising their
great 'bankrupt' sale, they pursue
different method. A stool pigeon is sent
ahead, who rents room in a city or town
centrally located and puts in a stock of
merchandise He announces by hand
bills widely distributed and through the
columns Of the local papers that, like the
country journalist, he has come to
stay" A week elapses, and another in
dividual, representing himself as the
agent of jobbers, puts in his appearance
with chattel mortgage on the stock,
which he proceeds to foreclose.
The first man, quite crestfallen evil
IDENTIFY, gets himself interviewed by the
newspaper reporter, and, after recital
of his woes and misfortunes and disser
tation on the excellence and good quail
ties of the merchandise which has been
i i ~ he ,,.n,, Of
the remorseless mortgage, HES himself
to some other town to repeat the opera
ton. The conspirator who is left in
charge, with display Of enterprise wor-
thy OF better cause, floods the sur
rounding country and neighboring towns
with lurid posters announcing a mort
pagee's sale" with some account OF the
wonderful sacrifices to be made in order
to realize the mortgage Indebtedness 1T
the earliest practical moment. and cum
ningly worded locals" reciting the
same story, find their way into the col
umns of the local papers.
This isthe bargain seekers opportunity,
and the way the penny wise and pound
foolish population of town and country
respond to the advertisement and load
themselves down with sh0ddy goods, an
tiGuated clothing or worthless JeweIry Is
a caution Persons who have been IL
debt to their home merchant since the
mind Of man rtiuneth not back to the
contrary bring their ready cash and
plank it down to ,he mounteDank III re-
turn for his doubtful wares. y few
weeks use fills the bosolns of the bargain
seekers with vain regret as they eontem-
plate the condition Of their much yaunt-
ed bargains.
These specious sales seldom deceive
the sensible man or woman. \ mo-
ments consideration should convince
any one that if the merchandise offered
was as represented. standard goods, be
fore the local merchants and dealers
would allow them to be disposed Of i'll
competition with their goods they would
buy the entire stock and take it out of
the market. The agent" if the mort
gage was bona tide, would be glad to dis
pose of the entire stock in this manner
in order - save time and expense But
such is not the case. This class of goods
is manufactured expressly for these If
responsible concerns and is never found
on the counters of reputable dealers.
The gudgeons who bite at the bait get
hooked. Trade with established mer-
chants is the only safe rule.