Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1908-02-15

without masculine advice Before pro.
ceeding upon this natural theory. how.
ever, women should be equipped with
a knowledge of the fact that the pro.
meters of fake investments have come
to regard women as one of their most
profitable speeialties, and that the art
of fleeing them has been cultivated
with the greatest care. Experfence
has taught INSCRIPTIONS promoters
that it is easier to secure money from
women than from men through at least
two lines of appeal to which women
are more susceptible than men. The
first of these is the appeal to wage
earning women as business women"
and the tattering inference that as
such they will recognize the oppor.
tunity for good investment quite
ignoring the fact that much Of wage
earning is done under direction and
does not of necessity imply knowledge
Of business affairs. The second line
OF appeal which tempts many women
to so into fake deals is that made to
feminine vanity by the promoters Of
the scheme who urge: I'VE believe in
the intuition of women and would
rather haVS it in the counsels of our
enterprise than cold masculine logic:
a combination of both is the ideal, and
that is why we are asking you to give
US your aid and cooperation"
The idea of a connection with a big
enterprise is, in very many instances,
fattoring to the woman who has never
before had such an opportunity, and,
moreover, many women have come to
believe that optimism is in itself a
sort of feminine virtue, while on the
other hand they regard suspicion as a
most unworthy trait, Intuition" con.
sists of faith in a favorable outcome
Hundreds Of women are enuapped
every year through some such subtle
and fattering form of appeal
Very often these campaigns for the
savings of women are conducted along
the lines of the professions and occu.
pations in which large numbers Of
fairly prosperous women are naturally
engaged. The first thing which the
woman who is solicited to invest her
savings in the stock or bonds of a min
ing, plantation, oil or financial enter
prise should bear in mind is the fact
that in all probability the promoter
who is talking to her has secured a
list of the women belonging to profess
sional Organization or club with which
she is associated, and if the WON
an thus appealed to merely communi.
Gated with her natural associates she
could easily discover this for herself
But the whole affair is purposely sur
rounded By an air Of mystery and "a
special opportunity for YOU which
| keeps her silent.
The wireless telegraphy scheme
which was worked in Chicago several
Years ago will illustrate this, When
wireless telegraphy was first demon
Ftrated to be practical in its operation
| the swindlers saw a fresh and fascinat
ing field in its manipulation. 1t had
the charm of science about it and ap.
pealed to the progressive mind inter
ested in the onward march Of civil
cation" An Office was located con
yenient to the rooms of the BOARD Of
education, which contained wireless
demonstration apparatus, a tul
equipment of wireless literature, anC
most important of ala list OF al
the school teachers of the city, The
women teachers received a broadsId(
| of literature in which handsome dlvl
dends were promised from an invest
ment in the greatest scientific discov
cry of the age. and also an implication
that the stock was offered first to edu
cational people who were best fitted Il
understand its value and who would
have sentimental as well as materia
satisfaction from such an investment
When an abundant harvest had beer
garnered from the savings OF womeI
teachers, a series of maneuyers wal
instigated which left undistributed Il
the possession of the promoter OF th'
scheme the thousands Of dollars hi
had acquired. The teachers received
q confidential and important an
nouncement from his Office to the Ell
feet the most powerful rival in thu
immediate field of his company's oper
atoms had consented to a consolida
ton on terms which he regarded d
highly advantageous to all his invest
ors. The consolidated company wouI'
be so much stronger than the one II
which they had made their investinen
that they could not, of course, eXpec
to exchange the stock on an eye'
basis, share for share. He advised
them, however, to increase their in
vestment so that they could still reta,1
their original number of shares whicI
would not fail to prove immensol
profitable.
This appeal not only induced man
of the original investors to put in add
tional money but it also brought
fresh volume of recruits. A little Will
later a second reorganization was al
nounced-this time a consolidation
with all of the principal wireless con
panies then in the field. 1t was eA
planned that this not only did ava
with competition but eliminated tn
possibility of troublesome and exper
siYo litigation with regard to patent
and Improvements. This was said t
be a great victory, and his investor
were again urged to surrender thei
old certificates, in descending ratio
for those of the new complete cor
solidation. AS they were anxious 70
anything which promised to give then
dividends on their Investment they fel
in Hing vith the suggestion. At tn
time of the final consolidation the pre-
moter disappeared - leaving behin'
him a wake of hardship, priyation AM
suffering.
There are many and varied plane