The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1902-01-31

devoted considerable space to their oper.
ations, alleging that host of Lincoln
people had called at or telephoned to
the police station to ascertain whether
any chance remained for them to secure
the return OF money they had paid in.
The advance guard Of agents is now
working Des Moines and the journal
claims to have it from inside informa-
ton that 788 contracts were placed in
Lincoln, 30 in Wahoo, 176 in Fremont
25 in Schuyler, AZ in Columbus, and 358
in Sioux City, besides the 70 in Norfolk,
which indicates that the people Of this
city are not alone in their discomfort.
The Lincoln officials are fearful that the
plan of the company is 80 smooth that
1t cannot be reached by the Nebraska
law. The Journal says of their plan as
operated in Lincoln:
"The plan.of the oompany.as outlined
to its agents is very clever. As manag.
cd In Lincoln about q month before
Christmas q gang Of agents appeared on
the scene to place the contracts. They
stayed at the Capital hotel and were all
provided with neutrality-suspicious. and
catalogues filed with photographs of
beautiful furniture, jewelry and china
The person accepting a contract paid 81
down and entered into an agreement to
pay so cents each fora portfolio Of mas
terpieces of art which was published in
eighteen parts. This was to be delivered
on the installment plan, 80 cents being
paid every time o part was received.
The contract appeared to call for total
payment Of -. Beautiful catalogues
showing the finest kind of furniture
were shown and every contract holder
was informed that when he had paid up
he would receive his choice of any piece.
Especial pains were taken to prove that
the size and quality of these premiums
would be exactly as represented. In
setting forth the methods of the COM
pany the agent laid especial emphasis on
the fact that tho exceptional premiums
were made possible through the lapses
of contract holders Whenever a pay
ment was missed the contract became
void. Then the plan was to change col.
lectors. Very often during the life of
the contract different collectors appear
ed on the scene 80 that contract holders
at various times dealt with different
representatives of the central house. AS
the contracts approached maturity the
collector would demand an additional
dollar, making the entire amount of
payment $40 or 81 more than the con-
tract holder believed he was to pay.
Then reference would be had to the
contract which very imposing paper
properly labelled with seals and emboss-
ed work and the holder would see that
the first dollar paid was in reality an
initiation fee and that in addition so
cents was due for every one of the
eighteen books delivered. The agent |
would point this out and in many cases
the holder would order him away
and sometimes use emphatic words.
Then another agent would appear on
the scene and tell the holder that the
company was just trying to bring about
a lapse by which it would profit. The
thing for him to do was to pay the addi-
tional dollar and send on, for his pre-
MUM Then would commence the
game of waiting for the fine furniture
which really formed the object in tax
ing the contracts. Unless the con tracts
are made good and the premiums show
up, which many excited contract holders
fear may not be the case, the plan will
go on record as a neat method of money
making. Promises made that the fur
niture would be shown at Christmas
time in certain store windows were not
fulfilled"