The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1905-11-17

p1SAs, the TWO DrOtnerS-tn-laW were
ripe for trade. They were anxious
to go into partnership and secure the
patent rights for the whole state.
So it was erranged that they should
meet the main CRATER at the hotel. In
no time he bargained with them to
let them have the entire state tor
$4,000, having figured it out to their
entire satisfaction, how they could
have their money all back, and more
| inside of a year, if they would only
adopt plans which he laid out to
push it.
He would take their farms, at 500
per acre, to close the deal; = the one
who owned the farm of 120 acres could
pay his half with his farm, whereas tue
one who owned but 100 acres would
! be obliged to raise $4,000, for which
he proposed to give his Individual
note. This the old CRATER coolly re-
| fused. Determined to make the deal.
however, the farmer arranged for the
cash, through his wife's father, who
mortgaged his farm.
! These farmers, proud of their pur-
chase, and apparently under the i'm
preston that all their neighbors and
friends envied them their good luck,
Immediately advertised a public auc-
ton of all their farm implements.
| stock, etc., and announced tnat they
would move to town, and at once be-
gin operations. 3.
This plan they carried out, after
which they themselves started out to
sell clothes Founders, as an expert
ment, before hiring agents.
Their idea was to begin where the
grafters had left off and they took
along the boys who had driven for The
canvassers.
They discovered from the start that
when they offered their simple, foolish
! looking piece of wood, with a few
| holes bored in it, for five dollars, the
farmers and their wives would fairly
boot at them. 1t took less than two
days to convince them that they had
been literally swindled out of their
farms and cash.
! On the evening of the second day
out they met by arrangement in a
small town, and. no more broken
hearted men could possibly be mag
ined. Neither of these two poor, ua-
sophisticated dupes had had the slight
est prospect of obtaining an order.
Before giving it up they tenacious:y
determined to give it one more trial,
first calling on some of the purchasers
to see how these people liked the
Founders, and find out how the agents
managed to sell them so fast.
| At the first house the woman said:
'Oh, pshaw! it's no good; am go
ing to give it back when the agent
comes around collecting"
when he comes around collecting?"
they exclaimed in amazement. Didn't
he collect when he delivered it,"
"Why, of course not" she answered;
he took my order on condition, that
he was to leave the thing on 30 days
trial, and at the end of that time he
would be around again, and either col
lect the five dollars or take back the
clothes FOUNDER. wouldn't accept the
old thing as gift"
Continuing their investigation they
learned that not single FOUNDER had
been sold-all had been left on trial.
The main CRATER had provided his
agents with the cash, and after making
the delivery the agent would get into
the wagon, and putting the five-dollar
bill with his other money, would maxi
down in his book one more fve-dollar
collection.
OF all the swindles and gratis I have
known, this particular one has always
seemed the most heartless and cold
| blooded. These farmers had gone into
| it, believing they were engaging in a.
| well-paying, legitimate business and
suddenly awakened to the fact that
they were absolutely stranded, one Of
them in debt to the amount of $4,000,
besides.
The above graft, being about the
biggest on record, l will now relate
! what believe to be the smallest.
An 1rishman, with only three cents
in his pocket, was in western mining
town where whisky was Is cents a
drink. Entering a saloon he noticed
a man standing by the bar with glass
of liquor before him. Approaching
him he said:
Il bet yez three cents I kin pass
livery dhrop of yez glass of whisky
into me stomach widout wun dhrop
touchin' me t'roat."
"I'll take that bet," said the man.
Reaching for the glass Pat gulped It
down with a single swallow, and sad:
"Begorra! yez wins de bet"
Alcoholic Drink from Rice.
The alcoholic drink used in the PROV
ince of Chekiang, in China, is made
from fermented rice. Fermentation is