Arizona republican., 1904-06-13
Pssoex.s. ARIZONA. JUNE ls, 1904.
A t-taanelal denius of the Farm.

NHs et4lCffS OA Ane laN ACn N"@ . sss caught. red handed. a violator of It's rnAscsty in the person of a bare foote's faFmhand whose ambitious na- tHsx Asd ted him 10 seek the gratifica- t'ct of his desire for wealth through tssssas xhlch were in eonttavention of LsrFsl snSrtments. Probably had not tRas Sslprit resorted to the mails for 4sss dissemination of his literature and Asd taxiead made use of other medium ts4 tts distribution. he might have bsi!s up a business which would have sssa Highly profitable to himself at lsSss. his gains being measurable only by Ats ability 10 gull the public. Un- fprtvaAtsly for the success of his acherrs. though luckily for his intend- si victims, his misuse of the mails was discovered and his bubble collapsed.
 Fhis ealpsit was a mere boy just out of Ais teens and with comparatively Httls education CT experience, though he Sxas evidently a genius. Instead of hssinn attracted by the tales of depreda> tkoaS by hlghwaymen, or road agents" og otAes exciting narratives of that character. which commonly interest ISKs. ne seems to have diligently bored ever details of mining schemes, there- RT sSoaably acquiring a knowledge of aA4 ''satting'' process and of other methods of deception resorted to by prssEOtafs of these enterprises. His stock in trade, though limited, was en- tirely sufficient for his purpose. He had procured from some one of the many sources where such records are obtainable a list of promising victims. Being thus possessed of facilities for addressing, and relying upon the fact that the number of those who are cas- fly impressed with adroitly concealed bunco methods is constantly increas- ing this chevalter dindustrie needed only a name foe his enterprise to in- augurate his scheme.
 If he had chosen any name repre- senting a thing of tangible character capable of being located he might have selected a title for his imaginary cor poration which had already been pre- empted by promoters of similar swind- ling enterprises and inquiry from his intended victims as to the substantia- bility of the corporation might have been embarrassing. The fact that he selectea . name which was entirely new and had never been used by any F&eHoteg appears to show that there Saz q humorous vein in his compost tSsa and that his bump of caution was t@sgs. He named his fictitious cCrpor- ati0n "The Lunar Oil Company" con- Rasnt that a trip to the moon would net be undertaken by inquisitive corre- spoAdents and as such he launched his the stock.
 It is not surprising that his enter prise was successful, he having. when he was arrested, received about $500 l from subscribers for stock when is- 1 sued" In view of the fact, as appears from the record of corporations of q similar character which have been fioated at various times, that almost | anything representing corporate crea- i tions whether capitalized for small or for pFaalgfously large amounts has been eagerly sought by the gullible | public. it would appear likely that had | not tEs bueolic promoters scheme been | strahs3sd in its infancy he might | speedily have accumulated a fortune l and tabea a place among the worlds | captains of finance.
 Indeed @ith his genius for imagin- | ary creations of corporations, without l either wind or water, he might have pyrarHiaed a colossal fabric which un- til it tOppled to destruction, would | have been the wonder of the age. Up- | on far HsOFe insecure foundations were FnAFVsIsusly successful schemes organ izeG eufing the last century, thuogh | not EHaH the close of that period was tAs sGtsHee of promotion brought to devices. 1t might appear to be strange | that 4heys should be in the community l any number possessed of so little com 1 mon bsfsiEsgs sense as to nibble at bait | SO tranEpRFently deceptive as that | which dangled from the hook of this 1 amateur promoter. But we may read fly recall instances where men of more | than ordinary intelligence and with | large experience have been made vic tims of bold adventurers through | equally spacious representations.
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