The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-29
BILL ARP HITS The FaEfR FtEiRs.
Their Victims are Continually
Writing Tales of Woe to Him.
Atlanta Constitution.

Atlanta Constitution.
The cry is still "they come" and
the victims continue to write me fol
sympathy. I am sorry for them but
I am amazed at their stupidity and
credulity. Now here are two celver,
needy women in this community who
sent S25 each to one of these faklrs
and each sent to him a list Of twen-
5y-fve names-not subscribers, but
names. The women knew very well
that nobody here wanted the paper,
and so they begged or borrowed OF
made some sacrifice to get the money
and went diligently to work writing
letters and sending circulars to other
women at other places urging them to
join the scheme and get years en-
ployment at $40 a month; And these
last women sent s25 each and got to
work writing to third set OF women,
and so it goes on and on IN an endless
chain, growing longer and longer
and widening and branching out as 1t
goes until, if it keeps on, it will en-
brace the continent and then cross
the ocean and chain up all Europe.
That is the principle on which all
these endless chain schemes are based.
OF course the chain viii break sooner
or later, and am pleased TO learn that
one of them says ne will have to sur
render, but that he viii protect his
agents. He cannot do it. His last
circular tells his agents to stop work
ing in North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Georgia, Florida and Alabama,
for he has pretty well covered these
States with agencies and now they
Ynust work up the Western and North
western States. And so continue to
receive letters from Arkansas and
Texas almost every day asking about
she scheme. A poor woman writes
me from Colorado, Tex, that her lit
tie children picked cotton to raise the
SO for her invalid sister who wanted
to work and to get the monthly salary.
She sent the money and list of
names, for she could not get a single
subscriber, and the fakir sent her a
dollar and that is all she has ever re-
ceiyed, and she asks, Is it possible
that any human being is mean enough
TO rob a starving woman and her little
children? It is possible that Bill
Arp would raise up a boy like that?''
Nc, he cannot protect his agents. It
would take Aladdin's lamp to comply
with his promises. ELe got $50 from
these two women ID this town. I
DON'T know how many at Kinsgton
and Adairsville. He has promised
s1T5 to each. which makes $3.50 for one
town. No doubt he has 800 agents in
Georgia and it will take over $50, 600
so pay them. Then multiply that by
four other States that he says he has
already covered. Of course he can't
pay his agents. But he pays enough
to get a few credentials. One lady
writes me from Milledgeville and de-
tends him, and says he has paid her
so far and she believes he. is an honest
man. Another writes from the same
county and says he won,t. pay her any
thing and will not answer hersletters.
It is to be hoped, however, than he
will refund the s25 to each agent.
But take another view Of this won
derfnl scheme. There are fifty of his
papers received here at this Office and
not one OF them represents a subscrib-
er. Our people took them out for a
while, thinking they were some Of
these sample copies that food the coun-
try. But they have found out better
and refuse to take them out, for they
do not want them and they fear that
somebody will be calling for the
money. Now if our county is an aver
age there has been sent from the State
to that one town from eight to ten
thousand dollars and got back nothing
that anbyody in Georgia wants.
Another paper writes me very tartly
about its scheme and advises me to
let things alone that I do not under
stand. The publisher sends to me
COPIES of his circulars and asserts that
It is nothing like the other plan.
Well it is more liberal, for it asks
only 500 to get ten subscribers and
an agency and start the chain and
promises S24 a month for every five
agents secured in month. Ny wife
had already received two letters urg-
ing her to take an agency and make
s24 month so easy. Of course she
declined, for she didn't care to beg
any one to take a paper she didn't
want, nor would she SEND her own
money. and list of names and write
TO other women to come in the scheme.
will not say it is fraud. for |
have reason to believe that the pub
fisher is honest and conscientious, but
the scheme is delusion and snare
and is in very bad company. The
agents can't get genuine subscribers
and will send their own money and a
list of names.
And here comes another scheme from
another Georgia town. It says
@.Send Us $40 and we will employ you
at 800 month for twelve months to
write FIVE letters day and get
agents to work for US and will pay 81
extra for each agent over five in a
month. Some Of our agents get from
ten to fifty new agents monthly and
make from $40 to s110 q month.
1t will take only few minutes every
day to write the letters" That beats
the original. I reckon they must have
q thousand agents in Georgia get
ting $40 month. That takes s240,
COO year to pay them. Does anybody
believe that? And vet this investment