Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-10-07
NUMBER 20.
How SwindlcrS Collect Names.


! Persons who get circulars from
SWindlerS often wonder how their
names are obtained by tho latter
The ways are various. SubSCription
lists of the weeklies are bought or
stolen, and nearly every swmdlCr cX-
changes his letters or the addresses
Of those who have answered his adj
visements with other swindlcrS i'm
similar lines of business. Hence the
recognized fact that after person
has once been swindled he is much
more likely to be " caught" again.
Nearly all the dealers in 0bjcctiona-
bic books, those who advertise d" your
future husband or wifr,n " fortunes
told" and retired clcrgymcn," sell
their letters for one cent each. or
more, to the bogus money operators.
So it will be seen that some lines of
swindling have their branches, pay
ing large percentage on the money
| invested.
A firm Of Sawdust" spectators
at one time bought thirty thousand
letters received by concern that had
realized fifty thousand dollars out Of
certain bogus sewing machine
| This machine was made of cast iron
and turned by a small hand wheel.
1T would sew two pieces Of the finest
material together, but anything
coarser would demOlish the whole
machine and render it useless. Tho
same enterprising firm bought about
forty thousand letters from wo-
man in Brooklyn who advertised to
supply every young man and woman
with the date Of their marriage and
description Of their future partners
for life. This woman received in
nearly every one Of these forty thou
sand letters tifty-cent stamp, and
no evidence was given that she had
ever sent single reply. Indeed, so
great was the harvest that some fifty
or sixty of the letters had not been
opened by her and still contained the
fifty cent stamps. They also bought
up letters addressed to quack doc
tors, dealers in Objectionable pic
lures also letters from lottery keep
ers, fortune tellers, etc.
Another firm on Wall street adver-
tised two steel engravings Of distin-
guished persons mailed free on re-
ceipt of one dollar. They received
some twenty thousand replies, with
dollars enclosed, and sent in return
two ten-cent stamps Of the period.
Some advertisers offer diamond
rings" catalogues" rccipes,n
songs" etc, simply to get ad-
dresses, and after getting all they
can out of parties replying, they find
it profitable business to sell the let
ters to sawdust" and other swim
dlers, who again sell them TO others.
A STORY OF MILLAIs.-Thos story
of the late Sir John Millais which
follows is told by correspondent of
the London Chronicle in the painters
own words:
81 found myself seated one even
ing at a rather grand dinner, next to
very pretty, rushing girl to whom
had not been introduced. She fired
into conversation directly she had
finished her soup, and as it was May,
began with the inevitable question,
suppose you've been to the acad-
emy?' l replied that | had. And
did you notice the Millais? Didn't
you think they were awful daubs?
l can't imagine how such things ever
get hung ! She was going on gayly
in the same strain, while sat silent,
when suddenly the amused smiles Of
those round her, and the significant
hush brought her to a sudden stop.
She colored rather painfully and
whispered to me in a frightened
voice, For Heavens sake, what
have / done? Have / said anything
dreadful? Do tell me- Not now,'
replied; eat your dinner in peace
and I'll tell you by and by She
did so rather miserably, vainly try
ing to extract from me at intervals
what the matter was and when des-
sert came, filed up her glass with
champagne and told her to gulp it
down very quickly when | counted
three. She obeyed without protest,
and took the opportunity when she
couldn't speak to say, Well, | am
Millais. But let's be friends ."