Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-03-14
BEWARE OF THE PEDDLERs.
A Timely Warning to the People of This
Locality-Will You Heed it2


save some people the humiliation of
being duped by calling attention to
how this graft is generally worked.
The APPROACH. A sleek-iooking
man, with a team of mules or horses
attached to q wagon, may drive up to
your house and attempt to unload
and place in your kitchen a range.
He may, if you allow him, proceed to
explain, in a very smooth manner,
that this recently arrived range is
made of steel and far superior to all
other ranges on the market, and that
for sixty -four dollars cash you may
avail yourself of the opportunity of
owning this very superior article in
the stove line. If you do not happen
TO have the money in your hand you
may take stove on approval. and if
satisfactory, pay for it when con-
venient; however. ''as mere for
mality," you and your husband should
sign two innocent'lookipg pieces of
paper.
The CONTRACT. The range, as it
stands alougside of the one that has
done you such faithful service, appears
to be a great improvement, but be-
ware again of those two innocent
looking pieces of paper. Examine
them carefully on both sides and see
if one does not read something like
this:
$50 State of of.....On the......day
Of. ..19......, after date, we, or either
of us, promise to pay to the order of
............ sixty nine dollars,
value received, without discount or
Offset, waving our rights to all ex-
emptions allowed US by law, with
interest at six per cent from date, if
not paid wheTdue or when presented.
County of 49,. Witness ...........
Aud the other one, on one side,
something like this:
State County. This
memorandum of agreement made and
entered into this. IA. D., 19 .....
between the the first part,
and 49,. of the second part, wItnesseth:
That the has this day sold to
the parties of the second part one -.....
range, No.. and delivered the same
in good order, and in consideration of
the same, the parties of the second
part have caused to be ex scuted their
promissory note, bearing even date
here With, for the sum of sixty nine
dollars, payable to the order off,.
without discount or Offset and
due on the ,....day of......19 -.
Now bait understood that the ......
Range Co. warrant said range to bake,
boil and do all kinds of cooking in a
good, sworkmanlike manner, and
agree to furnish free Of charge any
parts that may with ordinary use get
out of repair sufficiently to injure the
working of said range during the
period of twelve months from the date
of this writing, provided that the
above note ia paid when due and pre-
sented. aud that the parties of the
second part furnish such fue and fuel
as is necessary to its perfect operation.
It is further agreed that the range
is not transferable until paid for, and
receipts, Discounts, or Offsets will not
be accepted against the above note,
This is the only agreement or stipu
lation' recognized in the purchase aud
sale of said range, aud no alteration
of above conditions, or erasure BY
salesman, ia authorized, or will he
recognized by said company.
(Signed, in duplicate }
....-.......
Aud on the other side something
like this:
Notice special. Ranges mnst b,
sold at prices regulated by the com
pauy, and no, other time for paymen
given than as instructed by the super
intendent in charge. Any erssurei
or alterations upon notes or warTant Il
or any Inducements allowing dis
counts, except for cash paid on &C
count or for payments on delivery
are positively forbidden. We furnist
our salesmen with lishograph receipts
numbered and signed with fac-simile
of came, as below, which is charged
to them as cash, and is used by then
in payment of bills to customers or fol
cash received from parties who ar
indebted to US for ......rauges, w
are led to the adoption of this scril
partly for the protection OF ourselves
but more particularly for tho pro-
tecting of our customers. It haa oc
Cured that Irresponsible parsons
representing themselves as haviue
authority from Us. have cDllecte,
money on sales aud given receipts fo
the same, signing the name of th
c,mpany. Nov. We want to eautio
all persona that M receipts or money
hiila or anuthino uhafaver will he sc