The Greeley tribune., 1907-12-12

| pSNs "lG6tN" 0s rNtO0eG'.
Did you ever observe the fine craft
with which the experienced angler
picks the fly for his trout hook? The
nice discrimination with which he
chooses between several daintily
feathered bats which, to the ordinary
angler, would appear to offer to the
shy and tickle trout about equal possi-
bilities of temptation? And the more
timid and backward the trout happen
to be at that particular place and sea
the follower of Walton will weigh the
merits of one fly against those of an
other, placing theory and hearsay
evidence on one side and his own per-
sonal experience on the other.
All the cunning and Discrimination
which the expert angler throws into
the choice Of the feathers which are 10
disguise the hook and tempt the trout,
the clever investment schemer puts
into the picking Of phrases with which
to feather his appeals to the credulity
OF the small investors of the country.
Angling for trout and fishing for in
vestment suckers" have many points
| of similarity and the most obvious Of
these is the art with which the bait
10 chosen and arranged. In the one
case the materials employed are feath-
ers Of varied colors; in the other the
skill of the workman is demonstrated
by the cunning with which he handles
words and phrases which experience
proves to be sure In their appAal U
the curiosity, the interest mn tAG
cerdulity of men and women who
have saved few dollars and wish to
make them productive.
In all the phraseology of tricky
finance there Is no word so over
worked as guarantee" And this
means that experience has proved Il
to be highly effective In the hooking
of suckers Depend upon it that
no word or phrase achieves marked
popularity in the literature of the
small investment" appeal which has
not demonstrated its rare elective
ness as an agency OF deception
!: II the small investors of this couu.
} try could reach anything like fair
knowledge Of just how much ands how
little there is in each of these appeal
ing catch words" in each phrasa the
plausibility of which has been scief-
; uhcally tested, they would be we'll ON
the way towards being able to protect
themselves against the ceverest and
most convincing Of these appsals.
Perhaps the writer can do the public
more service In analyzing few Of
these star phrases" than by anv
amount Of denunciation of the VIA.
cat schemes and schemers which ae.
serve as harsh a characteriza,ion a
any man can frame. But. 10 rstmv.
to the word guarantee" which has
s attained first rank in the termlno1osy
OF the investment trickster, there n
q scarcely circular. folder or adver.
tisement or any other piece Of ltters.
4 ture put out by the pot hunters ~
small savings which does no, di.nlav
the word guarantee" in big type ana
with reiterated emphasis. II tho ,r.t,
}. tuition chances to be OF sr.nc,.,
character itself rather than a minsr~
9 on or industrial concern. the word
4 guarantee. or its twin, "securitv...
viii be found incorporated ,n,o ~.
II name OF the company. Get ,ist. n
II loo wildcat Investment s,bem..
n Wnicn are dead beyond hope Of re.ur.
recuon and 1t is safe prediction ,h.&
one'naif the names will contain the
words guarantee" or "eoom.,... !.
Ihese two words are as corn,s..
tne eye In the graveyard of ta,.a
It vestment schemes as are -
sen. Jones or Brown in any country
e cemetery they adorn prac,,.s,,.
!. every other tombstone in the la.. e.ns -.
n ing place Of defunct financial go. 80
me question OF the value q, a,.h..
!. OF tnese words in the title Of
porauon or concern Is dsposaa =, ~.
'ne statement that there ia No 80, ~
restriction In the choice of ee..
j. companies; the organizers sra ~
70 name their fimsy crea,,a 40 .eo
o ROCK OF Gibraltar Guaranty s ae
+. Company as the parent is - security
name Of Samson. And az 'n .ne
!. mere is as much license or nra.l. ru.e.
IN s'sing the name of the nint. p'le.s
my VI 'he Fhiiistlnes 10 a stnn,c. ene- .
:, az mere is for applying tho Ivy
guaranty or Security" 70 name
b psny "n'ch goes out after the som
OF the small investor" y wv, savings
cause the companies which Be
. wars warsanted In making either y, Ieany .
l. wv ~'ros Us. part OF their corporal. @ .nsse