The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1901-05-03
And Many Farmers believe They
were taken Advantage Of by
a Creamery agent named
Ed Lee.
.IrOn-Clad Agreement
Also Figures In 1t,
gy Which the Purchasers of the
creameries again bound them
selves to pay-Much com.
plant aboutthe matter.

Good, substantial farmers residing
in Sardis and Coal districts are bitter
" complaining over recent transact
ions they had with gentleman who
signed his name Ed Lee and received
their orders for Polar creameries, as
agent for D. L Carter s. Company, of
lafayette, Ind.
George Elliott, of Sardis, and A. j..
Michael, OF Dola, were here Tuesday
to enter complaint and investigate.
Lee secured Mr.. Elliott's order for a
creamery and then contracted with
him to board him and his mules and
for his services in aiding him in secur-
ing orders for creameries in his dis
trict. Mr.. Elliott says the contract
provided that he should have 50 on
each order placed and s1.5O a night for
keeping Lee and his mules. Elliott
spent several days in showing Lee over
the district and helped to secure six
teen orders. His services, he says,
amounted to s4S and the board bill to
1925. But in the settlement he was
given only SIS besides the board bill,
in all 1925, when, in fact s7o.25 was
due him.
Mr.. Michael helped Lee to place
six orders for creameries and received
sl6.5O for his services. He also took a
creamery.
1t is claimed that when Lee struck
up trade with the farmers he pro-
duced paper purporting to be an
order directing creamery to be de-
liyered. They took his words for
granted and without examination
signed the so called orders, which were
in reality promissory notes calling for
s7s and payable on or before June l,
1901, upon delivery of the creameries.
He further represented to them, they
claim, that they would be given dis
count Of 8 per cent on the orders and
that the creamery would cost s72 in
stead Of $7s; also that they would have
no transactions with any one else in
the matter.
Some days later one calling himself
g. c. Bowen delivered the creameries
and had the farmers sign an agreement
which bound them to pay the notes
they hadalready unsuspectingly given
as they claim. After this they began
to examine the so-called order and the
agreement and to compare them, only
to learn that the former was regular
promisSory, negotiable note and the
latter an out and out agreement to pay
the former.
Several of these notes have been
negotiated but not Elliotts or Mich
ael'S. They found theirs still in the
possession Of an agent here. Mr.. ELI
OFT Immediately took his up by check.
Then he commenced TO examine the
endorsements on the back of it. The
first read Five dollars OF this is 10 be
paid in board and services" and the
other was credit for 1926 made in
the settlement with Lee, Elliott
claims, the first endorsement origin
ally read, this is to be paid in board
and services, (" and that it had been
changed to read the other way without
his knowledge or consent. When be
discovered this he Immediately con-
suited lawyer and notified the bank
not to honor the check he had given.
hessrs. Elliott and Michael are very
much worried over the matter, as it
was through their influence some OF
their best friends and neighbors we're
induced to give orders for creameries
and they deplore having allowed
themselves to be so misled by Lee.
The creamery people come among
US with highest recommendation and
seem to be perfect gentlemen. The
4 fou6le seems to have arisen mainly
Nfom the fact that the farmers did not
take the pains to inform tn emselves
In thss premises and signed papers
contents they did not famillarize
l.selves with, although If 1t be true
Lee acted as is reported, he INDUCED
in very shady work.