The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-10

MS trout nook! Inc nice
discrimination with which he
chooses between several daintily
feathered baits which. to the ordinary
angler. would appear to offer to the
shy and tickle trout about equal pos
sibilities 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 hearsay5 evil
dence 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 to
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
Is chosen and arranged. In the one
case the materials employed are feath-
era OF varied colors; in the other the
skill Of the workman Is demonstrated
by the cunning with which he handlea
words and phrases which experience
proves to be sure In their appeal to
the curiosity. the interest and the
predullty tot 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 overworked
as ..guarantee." And this means that
experience has proved It to be highly
directive In the hooking OF suckers
Depend upon 1t that no word or phrase
achieves marked popularity in the
literature OF the small Investment
appeal which has not demonstrated its
rare effectiveness as an agency OF de-
ception; the phrase that does not draw
the checks Is promptly thrown out by
sheae shrewd fishers of men, who check
up. their returns as accurately and
systematically as the most Legitimate
mail order business.
II the small investors of this country
could reach anything like a fair
knowledge OF just how much and how
little there is In each Of these appeals
Ing "catch words" In each phrase, the
plausibility OF which has been scien-
tihcally tested, they would DO we'll on
the way toward being able to protect
themselves against the cleverest and
most convincing of these appeals. Per-
haps the writer can do the public more
"star phrases" than by any amount OF
Remuneration Of the wildcat schemes
and schemers which deserve as harsh
. characterization as any man can
frame. But, to return to the word
"guarantee," which has attained first
rank in the Technology OF the invest
L ment trickster, there is scarcely a cir-
eular. folder or advertisement or any
Z other piece Of literature put out by
tho pot hunters OF small savings which
does not display the word guarantee
In big type and with reiterated en-
phasis. If the institution chances to
be of q financial character itself rather
than a mining, oil or Industrial con-
cern, the word guarantee" or Its twin,
''security." will be found incorporated
4 into the name OF the company. Get q
list OF 100 wildcat Investment acnemes
ltwhich are dead beyond hope of resur-
lamction and It Is % safe prediction that
lone t,alf the names will contain the
'he go said .S,guarantee'' or Security"
h sdtt;go words are as common ia
fsNSe graveyard Of fake m