Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-10-12
Chicago correspondence

q s@T E>GfY the activity OF the
4 nNgEE,E "a X police department
" "NL$~%&$A and the postofice
Ey&9fEeN H1$.f authorities, which
49, VI has resulted in
$s=-l%@1SgacjS the raiding and
exposure of $50
firms OF fraudulent character during
the last two years, every office building
in the city contains companies which
are operating in the hope that they will
be overlooked for Il few weeks or
months so that the nets that they have
cast can be hauled in full.
a walk down the Railways of the big
buildings, even those demanding high
rental, will reveal h presence of these
business leeches. The Offices are fur
nished in luxury II with an eye to
dazzling the man from the smaller town
and the country who is lured there by
the huge promises made in the adver-
tiSements. There are many s%tenogra-
pliers, clicking away busily. Men are
rushing to and fro from rooms marked
"privatc" to the cashiers desk. The
telephones are ringing, and an OCCASION
al glimpse of the presidents Office
reveals Il dignifed gentleman sitting at
an expensive table and surrounded by
Imposing books and correspondence. 1t
is n setting that works like a charm.
Scarcely Il day passes that victims do
not appear in the police courts to tell
the loss of insurance money, etc, at the
hands of these shrewd swindlers. The
swindlers always are represented by
1o,y>-nyc N-bn n,N f,,,;J;,, ..s%I, 49, 4azl
nicalities of the law, and who, if their
clients are charged with obtaining mon
ey by false pretenseS, insist that the
victim invested money rs a result of
promises or misrepresentation as to
the future returns from the business. II
charged with a confidence game, these
lawyers claim 4 mere business ~transac-
ton, and that conversation merged to
a written agreement, or at the most,
false pretenses and a misdemeanor. The
schemes are so cunningly devised that
false representations scarcely ever can
be proved.
The tentacleS of the great system
which has centered in this city for so
many years have swept out into the
farthermost regions of the West, made
desolate homes, scattered hard earned
savings, and dashed bright hopes. The
method is simple the bait alluring.
Most of the men in the well organ
lied companies that prey upon the
public are well educated. They have
he fever in their blood as thoroughly
as their victims. They have beer
known to bite on the nook cast out by
some of their disguised pals If
they would turn their intellects and
energies to legitimate business they
would make respectable fortunes and
be safe. But the lure of the game is
as strong as that of the underworld
or the wanderlust. Persuasive, clever,
picturesque writing forms the main
asset of the companies at the start.
Literature is the first necessity and
the money to buy the stamps to mail 1t.
Then an Office with a high sounding
firm title on the door and a large bag
to hold the coin.
How the Money Is
The last year has overturned several
pinnacles Of graft. Here is the way the
money has been dropped in Chicago
within a year: Matrimonial bureaus,
100000; employment agencies,
100000; turf commissioners, $780,
600; charity homes, 100000; wildcat
insurance $4,000, 600; home building
associations, $6,000,000; bucketshops,
$5,Ooo,0o0; wire tappers, 100000;
book agencies, $1,O0o,00O; mines and
oil wells, $S,000,Oo0; medicine compa-
MES 100000. A well-informed official
says the American public drops annu-
ally $~150,O0o,000 in these 'get-rich-
quick concerns.
Detective Sergeant Clifton r. Wool
bridge says:
"Were the census enumerators Of
the United States to compile a list Of
the sucker public the gullible ones
would aggregate tens of millions.
There is not a township in this great
nation that does not contain its por-
ton Of c%onfding persons who are
ready to believe anything from the
rankest catch penny advertisement to
a fallacy in theological dogma. My
| Investigations for years past into the
innermost secrets of swindlers impel
the belief that their faith passes into
| the domain of imbecility. Thousands
of men are willing to throw money to
the man who proclaims that for a few
pennies he will impart the secret Of
raising the dead. or how TIC make one
dollar make a million, or how to bat
tie the savants Of science after a days
research. Every mail car out of Chi
cago groaiis under n burden of get
r~ich-quick' mail to be scattered in ev-
cry direction. The operatives of these
schemes are the most dangerous Of
criminals. They are received with
open arms in social and business cir
cles. They contribute to tile churches
and their wives and daughters visit in
automobiles and dazzle at social func-
tons by their silks and diamonds.
Every time a 'g~et-rich-quick' bub-
Bile bursts there follows a long, dreary
story of misplaced confidence. But as
soon us active publicity ceases the
dearly bought lesson is forgotten and
the sucker is ready to spring to the
next tempting bait. The victims are
numbered among all classes, from the
laundress to the lawyer, the merchant
to the clergyman"
Building operations in Washington, d.
c., and vicinity are threatened with an
early tieup. Unless there is a quick set
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