Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-07
BITS or wAsHrorON Lrrn.
Minor Scenes and Incidents slsstohsd
ON the SPOT.


oU the Spot.
Experts in the science OF graft are giving
the postofhce authorities an overdcss Of the
strenuous life. The latter get back at the
srafters,in time. but the graftsrs invariably
secure large hesces Of financial wool before
the authorities catch o n to the game and
exclude the dealers from the use OF the
malls. During the first half Of the year
some forty corporations doing a 'gct-rich-
quick business were excluded from the use
or the mails blythe postonice authorities and
half q hundred others are now under ex-
animation MISSIONER Is one fraud exposed
and killed than another breairn out In some
new spot and under q new name works the
gullible to q nnish, The number and va
riety OF frauds is NJ less amazing than the
readiness with which human suckers take
the bait The latest sample Of graft,
operated in Pennnyivanis. which the post
ONCE authorities stamped fraudulent. oper-
ated a scheme similar 70. that OF the ia
moue cherry tree fraud. The cherry tree
fraud was operated by q North Carolina
man who offered $40 Per month for twelve
months to anyone purchasing nifty cherry
trees for t12 and agreeing to write I'VE or
six letters every day, inducing friends to
purchase trees and likewise accept work At
writing letters at $40 a month. The salary
was paid as agreed for the first few months,
until the concern was largely advertised and
was receiving large sums Of money when II
became involved for about $4,000 and dis
continued business. In the case that the de-
partment has under consideration at present
the company has offered to pay IS or IS &
week to anyone buying a fountain pen for
$3.50 and acting as agents for the sale OF
the pen BY writing ten letters per day to
others, asking them TO take up the same
work. The company furnishes the names Of
persons to whom the ten letters per day
shall be sent. SO many complaints were re-
ceived at the department TO the effect that
the promises were mot redeemed that an In
vestigation was ordered. The postmaster at
the town in which the firm was located was
directed to report the quantity Of mail rc-
ceived By the company and he reported that
on April 20 he received $3.50 postal cards,
laos ordinary letters and 81 registered let
tiers for the fountain pen people. This shows
the enormous extent Of the business that
was being done.
A Washington patent lawyer boasts that
he has found a way Of getting $500 0 worth
Of advertising. for $1,000. He furnishes small
country newspapers with Washington letters
In trade for advertising. He pays a man
about $50 a week to write four letters, two
republican and two Democratic in tone. The
lawyer has q list Of 1000 microscopic papers
and each. In return for the service. inserts
the lawyers advertisement Tor .patentable
ideas. or anything else no wishes to all up
the space with He admits that most OF the
ideas sent him TO patent are foolish. but the
"come-ons" are plenty. and each pays q fee;
so he has got rich already and Is getting
richer yearly. i
The oueerest fruit that ever grew on trees,
says a Washington letter. may now be seen
suspended from the limbs Of the spreading
beeches in the heart OF the White House
grounds. From the further side Of the iron
spar fence. the distance at which tourists
are permitted to view It. if attracts much
attention and draws forth many expressions
Of astonishment. The smoking beans" OF
the cataipa. the dainty balls Of the button
woor. are familiar. but here are square and
circular disks. fat globes and cubes and
formless bundles Of twisted vegetation,
dangling from the big boughs. like lamps
from the dome Of an ancient shrine, and
swinging In the wind, but with q turf Of
broad. glossy leaves pushing up from the
center Of each.
II you can slip past the guard at the en-
trance and know anything about plants you
may discover on closer inspection that the
odd pendants are the orchids from the now
dlamantled greenhouse which used to shoot
out from the west end Of the white House
toward the State. War and Navy Department
building. Some provision had to be made
for these air-plants and the idea has been
10 supply them with as nearly the normal
conditions Of their growth as possible.
They cannot very well be given the same
environment and protection they enjoyed IN
the greenhouse. but for Z few months OF q
Washington summer. and particularly such
q summer a. this has been and promises to
continue in the matter OF humidity, they
ought 70 thrive all the better for their little
outing under the trees.
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