Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-03-30
FRAUDULENT BARGAIN SALES.
Schemes Concerted by Dishonest Dsale
TO Ho0dwInk the People.

schemes Concocted by Dishonest Dealers
TO Hood wink the People.
In recent years the advertisements OF
ssbankrupt, 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
yn admirable system to better enable
them to delude and hoodwink the pub
lie.
Instead of, as was formerly the Gus
tom, dropping down into town. rent
ing q room and at once advertising their
great bankrupt" sale, they pursue a
different method. A stool pigeon is sent
ahead. who rents a room in a city or town
centrally located and puts in 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 foreclosc.
The first man, quite crestfallen evil
IDENTIFY. gets himself interviewed by the
newspaper reporter, and, after a recital
of his woes and misfortunes and disser-
tation on the excellence and good quail
ties of the merchandise which has been
wrested from him by the iron hand of
the remorseless mortgagee, HES himself
to some other town to repeat the opera
ton. The conspirator who is left in
charge, with a display of enterprise wor-
thy of better cause, floods the sur
rounding country and neighboring towns
with lurid posters announcing mort
gagee's SALE" with some account of the
wonderful sacrifices to be made in order
to realize the mortgage Indebtedness at
the earliest practical moment, and cum
ningly worded locals" reciting the
same story, find their way into the col
uinns 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 shoddy goods, an
tiquated clothing or worthless jewelry is
a caution. Persons who have been in
debt to their home merchant since the
mind Of man runneth not back to the
contrary bring their ready cash and
plank it down to the mountebank in re-
turn for his doubtful wares. A few
weeks use fills the bosoms of the bargain
seekers with vaisl regret as they contem-
plate the condition Of their much vaunt-
ed bargains.
These specious ''sales" seldom deceive
the sensible man or woman. A mo-
ment's consideration should convince
any one that il the merchandise offered
was as represented, standard goods, be-
fore the local merchants and dealers
would allow them to be disposed of in
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 fide, would be glad to dis
pose Of the entire stock in this manner
in order to save time and expense. But
such is not the case. This class of goods
is manufactured expressly for these ir-
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.