The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-02-13
Where the Money Goes.

QU1TMAN, GA Feb. 10.-An old citizen
was ruminating the other day about
things in general and hard times In par
ticular, and made the remark that the
people threw away too much money on
humbugs-things they had no earthly
use foroand added that if the people Of
Quitman and Brooks county had the
money they had been fooled out of by
agents for all manner of things, they
wouldn't know anything about hard
times. The man who hasn't been in the
clutches of the smooth-tongued agent
and been talked into investing from $40
to 800 in some humbug or other is few
aud far between. The fellow with the
SG5 patent, double back action stove came
along and sold them by the score. His
victim, while listening to the word
painting of the oily-tongued agent would
wonder how he had lived heretofore
Without such necessary article.
Then the $40 clock man came along
and convinced hundreds that the one
thing lacking in life was clock that
would not only tell the time Of day, but
also record the phases of the moon, and
not let him forget the day of the month.
And he didn't forget-es pecially the day
when that $40 note fell due.
Then came the hedge fence man, and
many farmer was bamboozled into
wondering how he had Aver managed to
raise corn and cotton without the aid OF
hedge fence. And he never came back
that hedge fence man. He planted out
his switches, was to be back tho second
and third years and make that hedge
thing of fbeauty-and he never came back,
neither did the Thousands of dollars he
carried off with him.
Next was the get-rich-quick orders.
Pay US $50, they said, aud in year we
will give you Sl00. Town folks were, II
anything, bigger fools than their country
friends on this line. All bit at this allur-
ing bait, but like the perch do when tho
'Pilco is low aud green oak worms are
ripe.
Last on the list was the fruit tree man.
He was here in the early summer when
note payable in December seemed long
ways offend those pictures Of luscious
looking fruits and strawberries in bot
tie, as big as your fist, lookef 80 tempt
ing and the agent was such talker. Do
cember came, likewise the fruit tree man
and his switches. Too late to kick then
he had us signed up and when he left
there was $4,000 or So, 900 less In Brooks
county.
And the plow man-we came near for
getting h1m-but his memory II uear W
many, and they have not forgotten him
and won't for some time.
Then there's the sewing machine agent,
the lightning rod agent, the life insurance
agent, the patent smoothing iron agent,
the agent for this, that and the other-for
everything under the sun we either don't
need, or if we do need, can buy in Quit
man for one-half or one-third the money.
Wo bava maid S65 for stove. when we
could have bought better one at home
for $40; $40 for clock, when we ought to
have told the time of day by the sun $50
for lightning rod, when the Lord had
no idea of hitting us with lightning; $50
or 500 on hedge fence when we ought
to have been splitting rails-and 20 1t mas
gone. Thousands and thousands, yes,
tens Of thousands of dollars have been
thrown away in Brooks county by. peo-
pie who love to be humbugged. ATLANTA
Constitution.