Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-01-30
SMOOTH BOOK, AGENT DIsTRIB-
UTEs LEMONS TO RAIL
readers THEN LEAVES.
w OR KS OVER STATE
Garnishments Filed Here-Stations
Will Not be Closed Says Official
Of BurIington-Cnangc
Crews.

| wiz IldS DeCOne tue Object OF tne
wrath Of the enginemen of the OF
tumwa railroads, at least such of
them as did any business with him,
seems to have left very bad impress
sion behind him in his travels through
the state
AS the means he adopted are said
by the railroad men to have been
questionable at least, general dissat-
isfaction exists among those who
bought the work. which was called
the Encyclopedia of Engineering"
and seems to be fair treatise IN the
subject of engineering but the efforts
OF the salesman and he means nsed
in closing contracts has led to some
complications.
The exact number of OIt,lnwl rail
road men caught by tho scheme has
not been found out, ont there arc q
couple Of garnishments pending in
the Office of the Burlington against
parties who were led into the deal by
the smooth tongued ager-. 1t ia
thought that the men will resist TIC
efforts of the book concern 10 collect
and watch with interes. the outcome
of the Christensen case at Burlington.
The Burlington Qowal Gazette has
the following:
Edw. C. Christensen ri 1907 Or
chard street, and la &c adnlber of
ether burlington railroa! men have
L. en- the ictims of a :5W.r H., A few
Of the mon finding thcrl,clvc; caught
in the Wise. pail he trirpta, but 9TH
CT. have dc cided to fight the case
The game was so worked that the
victim had not the slightest intima-
ton that he was being caught. Mr..
Christensen in telling about his ex-
perience says that he was approached
by an agent who represented himself
as salesman for an eastern publishing
house, putting out sci of books call
ed the Encyclopedia of Engineer
ing" He informed the agent that he
did not intend to make any such pur-
chase at this time and did not care
to bind himself to contract. The
sale price of the books was mentioned
as $33.
The agent, when informed that Mr..
Christensen did not care to buy, told
the railroad man that he was required
to make a report to the firm on all
the men he had talked to- so that his
employer would not think he was loaf
: ing on the job. He asked Mr.. Chris
Jensen to write his name and address
, on blank pad and that some even
ing he would n"N and explain the
books. Mr. lrstensen accommodate
ingly signed his name and thought no
more about it.
Demand Payment.
A short time after a set of books
was sent to Mr. Christensen, which
he promptly refused to accept. The
books were followed by request
from the publishers that the first pay
ment on the contract for S33 be paid,
in the amount Of IS. It was then that
the local man learned that he had
been made the victim Of a swindle
and he at once decided to fight the
case.
The first request for payment was
followed by letter from the railway
collection agency a firm which is said
to be department of the publishing
firm. The letter heads are so design
ed to appear from the railroad COM
pany. This had no effect on Mr. Chris
Jensen and the firm then proceeded
to garnishee his wages.
The punishment is process of
law, but as Mr. Christensen claims
the demand is illegal and the con.
tract secured by fraud. 1t will prob.
ably be carried into the courts for
settlement.
Mr.. Christensen is only one of a
large number of Burlington men who
have been taken in and others are
watching the outcome of his action.
Operations Were General.
The agents for this engineering
work operated all over the state Out
at Creston fireman was caught on
the same gag and he fought the col
w, No
is said that over five hundred railroad
men in this part Of the state have
, been swindled by the various agents
At Dubuque there are 102 men who
} found themselves bound up with DO.
: gus contracts. Creston has score
and the Cedar Rapids court docket
shows few. Efforts are being made
: to cause the contracts to be declared
:, null and void
AS far as the books are concerned
they are said to be very fair work
Some of the railroad men who exam.
ined them bought them outright. The
agent evidently depended on swim
square business, as the greater mum
Der of contracts secured were bogus
, Special pads were provided on which
the railroad man signed his name
| This pad when opened up proved tt
. be long contract. The printed mat
| ter was either concealed or was print
ed on the blanks after the signatures
: were secured.
1t was the practice of the agents tc
! visit the round houses and talk to the
engineers and fremen.
: Who is to Blame?
9 The question is, whether the pub
fishing firm is to blame or whether
4 the agents have been working the
graft on their own hook The firm is
), said to put out a good set of books
: which should sell on their merits tc
persons interested and desiring suct
, an encyclopedia.
AS efforts have been made to gar
I nishee the wages of the railroad men
Y the railroad company has become in
! terested in the case and efforts are
; being made to have the affairs of ths
publishing firm investigated by the