Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-28
swlNDLEs WORKED BY MAIL.
ouIlibIe Americans Whs Are TrieIssd
BY Advertisements.

ouIlible Americans Whs Are Tricl<ed
by Advertisement.
The records Of the pestoffice depart
ment are rich with examples Of the
gullibility Of citizens Ct the home OF
the brave and the land Of the free. No
matter how often some one may think
Of a new device for fooling the people
he can always find a ready market for
his wares, says the Washington Post.
Old stories about the singed moth do
not hold good when the average person
hears that he can make an unusually
large amount Of money by investing a
correspondingly small sum. Previous
experiences have taught him nothing
he is willing to pay for another very
expensive lesson. which Will have. in
all probability, as little effect on him as
the previous one.
Puzzles and the reward which their
solution may bring have always ap-
pealed very strongly 20 the American
public. II "a man can oe made rich for
life oy solving a mere puzzle ne is more
than willing to risk the amount Of q
subscription to the piper that makes
him such magnihceat offer.
When the postofiice department
learns that a person is engaged In us
ing the mails for such fraudulent pur-
poses an order Is lesued forbidding
the delivery Of masl to him or his
agents. The matter Of preventing the
continuation Of the project so far as he
Is concerned is not so easy.
Very often In cases Of this kind the
postal authorities say that persons who
have been patronizing a man affected
by fraud order resent the action Of
the department in directing that their
letters shall not be delivered. They
argue that II they care to invest money
in his proposed plan 1t Is the business
of no one to interfere
An instance when the government
received no complaints from the per-
sons defrsuded and nc thanks from
them for exposing the svindle was that
Of the franco German Electric Pad
company"
This alleged company advertised FOR
agents to sell its goods, offering to pay
a large salary and expenses. but before
one could qualify for such position
he was expected to buy two OF the
electric pads, the electricity Of which
consisted of a mustard plaster. These
were to be sold and testimonials Sc
cured celebrating their virtues. Af-
ter this had been done the prospective
representative OF the company was
supposed to be OIL the road to wealth.
That was as far as he got. The next
communication from his future en-
ployer stated that he would now be
able to sell the pads for "a each. and.
as they would cost him only 50 he
would make clear profit of 100 per
cent on his investment The salary and
expenses had vanished.
Upon the discovery Of this fraud its
author was arrested. gave $1,000 bail
and skipped. He had made enough out
OF his Utopian scheme 10 allow him to
indulge in this little extravaganza. Not
a word was heard from his victims.
BY American greed they had been fool
ed; by American spunk they would
stand for It, The fiddler always has to
be paid sooner or later.
Another undertaking that had for Its
sole object the benefit of mankind was
instituted by magazine, "The Fire
side Favorite" will be tt, designation.
for charity's sake. q
The men back OF thig publication
thought It would be quite a nice little
thing for them to offer a prize to the
public for solution. This thought was
parent to the action, and In a short
while the puzzle appeared with the ad-
vertisement that the solver would re-
ceive a quarter of the money which It
brought to the owners Of the paper.
And then the inevitable stipulation
subscription costing 81.
The puzzle was solved. The fortu-
nate ones received 25 cents, just one
quarter of what the advertisement
brought from each reader. The. resi-
due Of the profits was spent by the
proprietors in the law courts defending
themselves against the order issued by
the postoffice department.
Ten yards Of silk for 10 cents was a
bait that no feminine fish could resist.
The originators of this project made
a tremendous haul. What woman could
afford to miss such a chance? Ten
yards Of silk to fiaunt on state occa-
sions! Alas and alack! They receiv-
ed silk, and the promised ten yards
but 1t was sewing silk. 1t might have
passed muster as material for a dress
In the Pacific Islands, but hardly In
this country.
Clairvoyants and fortune tellers seem
to have the greatest hold upon the
public. These persons change their
names as often as they can think OF a
new one. Exposed from time to time,
they nevertheless continue to make a
good living from men and women who
are anxious to learn the future. 1t is
one branch of the prophet business In
which there is no lack OF profit In its
own country.
These readers of the future seem to
inspire the greatest faith In their fol-
lowers, and no amount of advice or
caution from the authorities seems able
to shake II.
Time was when the magazines and
papers were flooded with advertise
ments which purported to represent a
get-rich- quick company. The persons
who answered this little notice were In
formed by return mail that the best
possible way to get rich In a short time
was to work like the devil and not
spend cent.
Good advice this was, too, and II 1t
were followed the schemes OF charla-
tans would be much more apt to gang
a-gley."