Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-03-19
TEACHERS
VICTINIzED

\ number of our public school teach
crs which comprises nearly half the
entire corps, have discovered that thcv
are the victims of a couple of Swindl-
ers who worked bold game in this
city last week. At least ten teachers
were "touched" and the "gratters'
went out of town forty dollars richer
than when they came.
1t was on last Wednesday when two
clerical looking men dressed in black
appeared in town and made it point
during the day to see the creator num-
ber of the school teachers. Neither OF
the two men were exceptionally good
takers, but they had very good
thing for introduction, which spoke
for itself.
They represented themselves as
agents foI Harper Bros, the publish
ers, and were soliciting subscriptions
for "Harpcrs' Weekly and "Harpers
Magazine" (monthly), offering as pre-
miums a nicely bound set of kipllng's
works. The prices were a consldera-
ton. Harpers' Weekly along with he
premium was offered for four dollars;
Harpers' Magazine for two dollars. AS
these figures represent the regular sub
scription prices of these publications
the subscribers received Kipllng's
works for nothing. Obviously the offer
was one not to be lightly regarded and
it required but little persuasion to in
duce the teachers to give their names
and incidentally four dollars i'll cash,
as the canvaSsers insisted upon being
raid then and there in order to obvlate
another trip to Danville. The publica'
tions and the premiums, they SAID,
would arrive in due time.
During the day or so following most
of the teachers who subscribed found
an opportunity to talk together on the
subject and they found that the solicit
ors had told contradictory stories.
Other things, too, developed in con-
nection with the men, which made the
transaction appear shady.
At this juncture a letter was written
to Harper Bros, which ELECTED re-
ply explaining that while the firm
does furnish Kipling's works along
with a years subscription to its pub
LEGATIONS the smallest price for the two
is twelve dollars, and that any one
who offers to furnish the magazine or
the Weekly with premium for either
two or four dollars is acting without
the publishers authority and can not
deliver the goods.
This, OF course, settles the matter.
The unluckv teachers have pocketcd |
their loss. They take philosophical
view of the matter, regarding the in
vestment as a good one, as they have
each received "A valuable chunk of ex-
perience in return which will avail |
them during the rest of their lives.
The swindlers are known to have
worked at least one other town near
by before they came here and they |
have no doubt worked several since |
leaving.
The teachers victimi2ed say they |
were easily deceived because they |
knew that Harper Bros. were offering |
Kipling's works in connection with
their two publications although they |
hardly expected to find the subscrip- !
tion so absurdly low. The fellows,
however, were plausible and in order
to Justify the presentation of such a
costly premium as Kipling's works re-
fused to take one years subscription
for Harpers' Magazine, which is two
dollars, but required two years sub
scription or four dollars.