The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-13
GREEN GOODS AS GOOD AS GOLD
Genuine Money sent Out rs Bait by the
Up-to- Date Sw indIers.

Chief Wilkie OF the Secret Service
says the country Is being flooded with
the circulars of green goods operators.
Many people send the circulars to the
Secret Service, thinking they have dis
covered a nest of counterfeiters. Twen-
ty or thirty OF these circulars are sent
daily 10 the office OF the Secret Service
by people who have received them. The
office has nothing TO do with green
goods people. but generally sends a for
nal answer to each person. warning
them of the nature of the scheme in
tended TO be worked.
THE green goods men have new plans
this year" said Chief Wilkie. "Fortu-
nately they sent u a circula inclos-
ing an alleged clipping speaking Of the
splendid counterfeit money being made.
They claimed hat this counterfeit
money was so fine as to deceive govern
ment officials. This scheme was so
often exposed in the newspapers as To
enlighten the public. Now the green
goods man makes the following state
ment in his latest circulars: Now. my
les sir. I am fully aware of the sus-
picion and prejudice that you will nat
urally entertain for my proposition. as
you will on first thought class IL as
coming from a green goods or saw
lust swindler; but IL you will lay aside
that prejudice. apply common sense n
look at my proposition from a business
standpoint, compare IL with the meth
DDS of these petty swindlers and %
will credit me with not being fool
enough to waste my time addressing a
man of your intelligence and standing
In the community. The methods of the
so-called green goods swindlers have
been exposed from time to time in the
daily press. They send out seductive
circular letters to ignorant m
with a newspaper clipping I'm regard to
counterfeit money. etc., falsely pre-
tending that they are the parties spok-
en- of in the article. and offering to sell
hat which they have not. inducing
them to send on their hard-earned mon
ey and sending them a valise Of saw
dust or a brick or some such in re-
turn. The reason these rascals find IL
profitable TO work his game Is because
they know. and they take ii for grant
ed that the people In general know,
that there are hundreds of thousands
of dollars, counterfeit. in circulation,
and as men have no moral scruples
against increasing the money circula-
ton lin fact, the majority of people are
in favor of doing IL by law, as witness
the late greenback craze and the pres
ent silver agitation) they are induced
to send on their money on the very lib
eral terms held out to them-five cents
buying a dollar, or some such absurd
price. No intelligent nan would do 1t.
for their very proposition is ridicu-
lous.'
Chief Wilkie says that the circulars
now sent out by the swindlers are so
artfully worded as to deceive many peo-
pie. IL the swindler begins n CORE
spondence with a probable victim he
sends him a new 81 bill along with a
second circular as a sample of his
work. The bill Is genuine. however.
Sometimes the would-be victim inclos-
es this dollar to the Secret Service
without saying where he got il. and
asking II II is genuine. The Secret Ser
vice officials write him that IL Is the
best made. but they manage to inclose
him a circular which opens his eyes
and makes him see how the green goods
man is working on him.-Washingtor
Evening Star.