Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-08-08
ARE THE CARPETS STOLEN?

WilImar Citizens Arc Anxious to Know
What Has Become Of Their
Missing Floor Covers.
Kandiyohi county has been visited
by many fakirs, but perhaps there has
been no smoother game played upon
our people than that of the carpet COL
lector and would-be renovator of this
article of house furnishings, who ap-
peared in our city some time ago.
The following presents the case very
clearly: =.
Just now there are q number of resi-
dents who are wondering where their
carpets have escaped to. Upon the
promise of having these worked into
rugs for the adornment of their par
lors and sitting rooms, the carpets
were given a stranger last April.
They were to be returned in the shape
of rugs four weeks later, but up to the
present time nothing has been seen of
rugs, carpets or man.
About the last of April q smooth
individual with an oily tongue ap-
peared In the city and made house
to house canvass for old carpets.
The scheme he held forth was alluring
to matrons, maids and bachelors
alike and they listened to him. He
would for q :trifiug expense take all
their old carpets and have them re-
duced to fine par]or rugs and the
renovation would be glorious to the
parlors. On these represen cations he
is said TO have secured many fine car
pets and many very old ones. He re-
quested no cash down, and the work
would be satisfactory in every respect.
1t was further agreed that the prod
ucts were to be delivered within four
weeks, but up to this time three
months has elapsed and still no rugs.
This week two scions of two families
have become impatient and an inves-
tigation has been started without any
revelations. Where the carpets have
been shipped to remains a mystery.
Whose parlors these rugs will adorn
also remains mystery, and until fur
ther developments those who are
minus carpets will be waiting, won
deripg.
1t Is safe assertion that the next
fellow who appears on the scene with
scheme like this will not find busi-
ness enough in Willmar to make a
common door mat, and if he is allowed
to even enter the woodshed he will be
fortup ate. AT any rate there are a
dozen or more who are patiently wait
ing Tor the return of the fellow who
secured their carpets.
Yes, and even the homes of news
paper men were not exempt from the
list OF victims in this case. At least
the city editor of the TRIBUNE finds
his home minus the old sitting-room
carpet, which the good housekeeper
parted with upon tsfhe same promise 81
stated above. This carpet disap.
peared May %, and we presume that
was about the time that the smooth
individual wound up his operations
of carpet collecting in the city. The
writer has before him a receipt for IS
pounds of carpet to be made into q
rug, size 9x12, for which the price OF
$10.8O was to be paid. This receipt is
signed by ''F. A. Clark, agent for the
National Carpet and Rug Cleaning
Co., Minneapolis, MINI. - "Orde1
No. 207c" shows the number of the re.
ceipt, so according to this there must
have been many housekeepers anxious
for those fine rugs which we're like
1.-THE letter that never came" The
writer has also card as reminder
of the agents visit, which credits
"Geo. D. Walker" with the proprie.
torship of the above concern and
gives the place of business as ''Power
Building, Nicollet Island, Minneap.
oils, Minn." On one side of this card
we find the following: do not give
or throw away your old carpets; We
can make them into beautiful hanc
made fluff rugs which will outwea,
anything you can buy at double the
price," AS to the first clause in the
above, it is very evident that many o1
our people have given away their car.
pets to this agent, and anyone but
the original owners is perhaps enjoy.
Ing the comfort that may come from
the possession of these floor covers.
The writer is not prepared to make
| any statement as to whether such q
concern as the "National Carpet and
Rug Cleaning Co." exists in Mime.
apolis, and If so, as to the reliability
of it, but it does seem now as if there
is something wrong somewhere, and
the so'called agent will have to come
in for all the blame until further in.
vestigatiop is made. Fortunately We
are numbered among those who parted
with their livery old" carpets, so con.
slider our loss but q triAe. In the
process of house. cleaning the shifting
of carpets was accomplished in such q
way that no Inconvenience was suf.
fered and no bare floors were await.
ing the return of those carpets trans.
formed into ''beautiful handmade
fluff rugs" as was the case in some
l T.