The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-10-14
INNOCENT. FRAUDS PRAc.
TICED BY STOREKEEPERS.

There are many little deceptions
which some shopkeepers practice ON
their customers and the public" said
a New York merchant recently, but
they are so very innocent that there
can be no possible harm in making
them public.
| Il dare say thousands Of people have
often been astonished at the lavish
| display of goods in the shop windows
| of some tobacconists. chemists, sta.
TONERS and others. In fact in many
cases 1t really seems as IL the window
contains more in value than the shop
to which 1t Is intended to attract your
attention.
You gaze with admiration and per.
haps little pardonable envy on the
stacks OF cigar boxes marked with the
names Of the best brands and crowned
oy boxes displaying serrfed rows of
tempting cigarak the mountains of cigl
arctic packets, the huge blocks of leaf
tobacco. small Alps of loose tobacco of
every shade of color and quality, and
you reflect sadly on the wickedness of
exposing so much valuable smoking
material TO the destroying effects of sun
and air
"Belleve me, your regrets and envy
are all wasted. The cigar boxes in
many cases are all empty except the
top ones, in which a single layer OF
cigars Is exposed. The cigarette pack.
cts are dummies except where the Gig.
arettes are exposed to view. The Pc.
mons oil cut tobacco are less than half
an inch deep, and the bales of leaf to1
bacco are hollow deceptions in the
shape of frames which a single leaf
thickness of tobacco conceals from
view.
"A similar story may he told of the
beautiful and lavish display in the
chemists window. The enormous bot
ties which display nearly all the col.
ors of the rainbow are often full Of
nothing more valuable than tinted wa.
ter. The tempting phalanxes of scent
bottles trched out with pretty ribbons
are equally innocent of anything but
colored water. Many of the bottles
neatly and attractively wrapped up in
varicolored papers are empty, and SO
are the pots for holding powders and
pomades.
THE fruiterer who tempts you with
mountains and pyramids of fruit is
sometimes a master Of the art of limo.
cent pretense. II you are rude enough
TO MT up an orange from the tempting
pyramid. you will see the wood of the
frame exposed to view; but, of course.
you are only supposed to admire and
not to touch. 1t is the same with his
apples and pears, the huge piles OF
which bring up visions of the spoil Of
orchards.
when you see what appear to be
lundredWeights of currants and raisins.
10 all appearance shovelcd with reck-
ess hand into the grocer's window, YOU
Ire not supposed to know anything of
he frame on which few layers rest,
While al is h"llo"ness beneath. And
lis mountain of tea is often equally
hollow sham. perhaps one inch deep.
The carefully built up packages which
'rolcssedly contain the choicest sea-
on's teas may be full of sand or saw
lust but you couldn't brew a cup of
ca from hundred Of them.
'"The huge rolls that Empress you so
much in many Diapers ard tailors'
hops are equally innocent deceptions
n many cases II you had an opp0rtu-
lty and the unreasonableness to un.>-
oil single thickness of stuff from one
them, you would see that there
'asn't another thickness to unrolI.
he rest would be wood. and many of
he drawers which on being opened
eem full to Overlooking contain
llsc bottom, which can be adjusted to
ny depth. 50 that the drawer need
ever be seen anything but full, how
ger much il may be depleted
The bottles of spirits which glitter
templin@ly in the window of the
hoicSaic wine seller often contain
'lhlns more harmful than water skill
MY colprtd to represent seductive
hish'cs and hrandies, and the dark
titles with the dust and cObwebs of
ncrationS on them wouldn't supply
imhlcful of port wine.
Frauds, you say, my dear sir. But
hat would you? A man must make
s window as attractive as possible,
I'd If he can save his pocket by sub.
iiuting dummies for the real and
iishable goods why shouldn't he?
~ can always rely on getting the
nuine thing inside"
ENDURING HEART MUSCLES.