The representative., 1895-04-03
THE CREAMERY swINDLE.

Are There Fraudulent Parties En-.
gagged in Getting Them Ups
To the Editor
Among the many swindles that prey upon
the farmer, the creamery swindle outrivals
all others in barefaced rascality.
Having witnessed this scheme operated.
and having been concerned in it more or
less. we will try to give a sketch of the
Infamous operation for the benefit of the
readers of the Representative.
The first man to appear on the scene is
hustler" "agent" or drummer" whose
name may be Douglass but whose name
changes with his locality. 1t is his busi-
ness to stir up an interest in the creamery
business. AS he has keen appetite for
whisky, and spends money freely, he gem
orally succeeds in getting a prominent sa-
ioonkeeper and his hangers-on interested.
The so-called contract is then produced,
and the saloonkeeper heads the list, signing
for one share, $100; but, being the first one,
he is promised his for half price He knows
1t will take lots of whisky to get his list
full, so 1T will pay him to talk it up, and
SO he gets a couple of trusting and unsus-
pecting farmers to sign with him.
The work is now more than half done,
Ior tnere are always men in a community
that like Judas. will betray their neighbor
for the 30 pieces of silver or perhaps less
These men go with the hustler to their
nelghbors, introducing the scamp as Fargo
q Co., the firm, so as to give weight to his
promises to take back the share if they are
not satisfied, and by reading the contract
so as to leave out the "catch" in it they
generally succeed in getting their neigh
bors to sign.
OH fo
suit the locality. Every man gives the
document more strength many farmers
signing just because their neighbors did.
In this way it only takes a few days to
obtain the necessary 80 or 35 signers, which
means that many hundred dollars. The
farmer, not being posted as to what such
creamery should cost, does not notice
that creamery built according to the
specifications could be put UP for half what
the paper" calls for. However, the vii
lalns are not satisfied with this immense
profit, but by using cheap grades of lum-
per and by putting in rickety machinery,
they are able to put it up at a cost of from
$9OO to $1,1OO. Then, after the signers have
paid three prices for the old shell, they
must invariably remodel it before it can be
used.
AS to the contract it is the opinion of
several prominent attorneys that the whole
concern is illegal, as the document bears
upon it's face the unmistakable ear-marks
u IL ouu, dHu lHey are numerous ad-
sising the signers to settle only for the
actual value Of the building or not at all
However, by keeping a spectre of ter
rlble lawsuit in the background, the settler
generally succeeds in soaring a note out of
his victim
The fact is, the rascals are afraid to
show the unmistakable evidence of their
gigantic swindle in court
we notice that the legislature will ap-
propriate money to extermnate the cinch-
bug. Would it not be wise plan for
them to appropriate a couple of hundred
dollars to exterminate the creamery pest
also, or at least make a law that would
put such vampires out of harms way in
saltwater? We have no grudge against
creameries for we know that in some To-
calities they will pay But there are re-
liable creamery firms in our own state
that should be protected as well as the
farmer.
BY giving this to your neghbor to read,
and by giving the contract" creamery
man an occasional coat of tar and feathers.
much can be done to discourage the perpe-
traitors of this sWindle.
VIM. A. SOR0.
Mendoza, Dakota county Mimi.