The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-06-15
Sequel to the Owens Cherry
Tree Scheme.
AMOS Is UNDER BOND
Holton Would Repair the Colonel's
Rickety Memory.
MEANWHILE BEREFT FAIR ONES MOURN
And Pious Promoters Of Cherry Tree and Like
Frauds Gather in Purple and Fine
Linen and Bieat ,''Just as

AM"
To the Editor: Nearly all of us have
to attend the Federal Court at Char
latte. Some philanthropists, composed
of lawyers, doctors. merchants, preach
ers and Sunday school superintendent
conceived a scheme whereby feminine
suckers could be induced to part with
filthy lucre, the love of which is the root
of all evil; and. also, to renounce the
vain pomp and glory of the world.
The humane and benevolent project
consisted in advertising that young
ladies were in demand to do writing at
home On her application for sinecure
she was told to remit twenty-five dol
lars, current money. with the merchant,
and she would find a regular Colonel
Sellers bonanza.
Many rendered their shining shekels,
and. straightway received one dozen
sprouts marked: Cherry Mountain
Blackhearts." These had never seen
Cherry Mountain, but were Morillas
from Polkville; wild cherries, from
Caesar, crabapples, from Ellenboro, and
sassafras and persimmon sprouts with a
rowing commission from just anywhere.
Then these damsels were told to sell
these at $500 per dozen, but customers
were like angels visits. Then and there
upon the bereaved and guile1ess unap-
proprated fair were told to fish for
suckers, and. behold they angled. Re-
suit, the country full of worthless
sprouts. many poor school marnfs
mourner to the tune of s25 fed like the
baseless fabric Of vision. AS to the
truly pious promoters, they wore beaver
hats, built themselves houses with bay
windows, bought concert pianos, shot
guns and setter dogs; went to church and
sung: Just as / am"
Among others, the meek, lowly and in
corruptible Amos Owens, has to be at the
festivities. He wrote no letters, and for
obvious reasons. In more ways than one
he makes his mark in the world. &c.
when you hear man say that in a mat
ter he sees the fine Italian hand of Amos
Owens, you may know he don't know
Amos 1t takes us both to sign his au-
tograph. 1t then appeareth Amos X
Owens. He makes the x.
Amos was not eager to go, and did
not feel like hugging himself because
the pious project was known to profane
history as THE Amos Owens Cherry
tree Company" He has been to Federal
courts before, and served three or four
terms in Albany penitentiary Once he
went for being Ku Klux, three times
for shilling, and he has paid out hun
dreds of dollars for fines, and been in
generated in Asheville, Rutherfordton.
g
Charlotte and other points. But the
judge and solicitor rather insisted. To
keep the fact in his mind, he was recog
nized in bond of $3.50 for his appear
ance. He is not a member of the SANITY
cherry treee trust, but Holton thinks he
knows things he don't want to tell.
Solicitor Holton doesn't encourage men
to hide their lights under a bushel, and
he desires to work some needed repairs
on the colonels memory
Verify it is system of rank persecu-
ton when the infamous revenue puts it's
profaning and sacriligious touch on such
a respectable, not to say hallowed enter
prise. What if a hundred or two girls
were beaten out of $25 each? What If
the scheme did make it's pious promoters
$4,000? Does not every one of them
claim to be a soldier in the army of the
Lord? Profane men call such things
fraud and embezzlement, but ponder.
brethren, and deal not in harsh terms.
Remember these girls had made it dead
easy, for some of them were paid as
high as $25 per month for not doing a
thing but teaching school. Some sore
heads are saying that the promoters
worked less than one hour day. and
never added anything to the worlds ma
terial wealth. Who respects man that
does? The brown-handed mechanic and
the stiffened farmer are regarded as
'damphools,'' and school teacher
still worse one if he don't join the ring
Of what use. under Heaven or among
men, is al farmer, artisan, or pedogogue
except to feed and vote for the real
benefactor of his race, i. e., the office
seeker and the office holder?
A merchant is nobody till he. breaks
and fills his pockets, with money due
somebody else; then he straightway be-
cometh a postmaster in all wisdom as
to schools, churches, how to farm, and
how 10 do everything he never tried.
Speaking of these poor. prosecuted,
philanthropists who developed this bene-
fcent cherry-tree enterprise, one of them
boro, N. c.. to face his accusers. Want
ing as directs route as possible. he was
caught by a coarse. unfeeling marshal in
Texas Some of the ribald and profane
have the monumental gall to say he was