Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-06-05
CHARGED
WITH FRAUD

The much advertised Miners Tea
company whose representatives here
week or ten days ago were so busily
employed is at present under cloud
owing to its failure to open a store as
advertised, wherein it was agreed that
certain obligations were to be dis
charged that had been assumed in the
canvass of the town.
Representatives of the Miners Tea
Company within a few weeks past
have also been operating i'll Sunbury,
Milton and Bloomsbury and in each
place they have been roundly denounc
ed as swindlers, the columns of the
local papers being employed to expose
their methods.
Two representatives appeared III this
city on May 10 and caused an adver-
tisement to be inserted i'll the local
newspapers, stating III effect that ON
May q the Miners Tea Company
would open store in the LaubacG
building, No 321 Mill street, and that
at the opening all housekeepers would
be presented with a handsome picture
frame. At the same time, it appears,
the representatives began an active
canvass of the town. They offered n
package of baking powder for 80 cents.
AS premium they agreed to take a
photograph and have it enlarged or
transferred, producing handsome
picture, something like medallion
in form. They collected the fifty cents
or as much more as they could get and
directed the purchasers to call at the
tea store on the day of the opening
when they would receive the picture
along with an artistic frame, which
was to be free.
On May 27, Tuesday last, goodly
number of people assembled i'll the
vicinity of the Laubach building, but
the Miners Tea Company had not
materialized. The card in the window
announcing the opening bore the addi-
hOllOt MllllCh Nllli u A'tt BNh
Gil that the store would not open until
Monday, June 2nd. In view of this,
although things began to look little
off color, people generally were will
ing to suspend opinion.
When yesterday arrived and no one
put in an appearance representing the
Miners Tea Company there were none
who doubted but what our town had
been victimized. Christian Laubach,
owner of the building in which the
opening was to occur, gave up all
hope of seeing the men again and
placed cards in the windows advertis-
ing the room for rent.
Several persons were interviewed
Monday who had purchased the bak-
ing powder. They felt satisfied that
they were swindled but as the loss
was not heavy, although somewhat
chagrined, they did not take the mat
ter very much at heart. A few were
inclined to laugh over their expert
ence. No one seemed to lament the loss
of the money so much as the photo
graphs, several of which can not be re-
placed. Mrs. Charles Frain, East Front
street, delivered to the men photo
graph of her three sisters in group.
This enhanced the value of the baking
powder and she was charged 70 cents.
Mrs. David Davis, Mrs. Frain's moth
er, who is visiting in Danville, was
also won over to the scheme and yes
terday returned to her home i'll Wyom-
ing 80 cents out of pocket.
Mrs. Thomas McGovern showed a
representative of The American
can of the baking powder. 1t is call
ed the "Possum" brand and the label
assures the suspicious housewife that
it contains "no terra alba or lime. In
every instance, however, the lady
visited declared that III view of the
fraud involved she 'wouldn't for
moment think of using the stuff. y
The can contains about a pint and if
pure, is probably dear at % cents.
The slick "tea agents it will be
made good use of our
borough council, inducing that body
to grant the Miners Tea Company a
special license of $3.50 per annum for
This answered the double
purpose of advertising the concern
and disarmed all suspicion that there
was anything crooked about the
agents.