Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-01-10

Beware Of the "Song Poems Wanted
Don't Bite at the "Bona Eide Business
Ssoret"-Stssr Clear Of the Prize For
Selling Goods.
The mail order magazine is identi-
ned at once by the initiated, but the
average reader does not know II under
this designation. Many little maya
Zines. published at very low sub
scription rate, have no other purpose
than to carry mail order advertise
ments. They are able to work up an
enormous circulation because Of the
low rate for subscriptions. The clrcu-
lation brings them large prices for ad-
vertising. The mail order people, not
only the large houses which do a gen
eral business. but also the cheap skate
fake concerns and individuals, patron
lie the advertising columns. They set
enticlng hooks for suckers. They catch
many suckers. 1t behooves the reader
of these publications to do a little
thinking before biting. In this connec-
ton the following article from the New
York Herald is timely and helpful:
In these days Of buno5 and graft
man should look before he buys
That he does not is clearly shown by
the thousands of fakes which we hear
Of and read of daily
The cleverness of the mail order man
Is wonderful. There Is always a way
to avoid the law AS soon as one fake
Is exposed and n law made to cover It
fifty fakes suggested by that law
spring up.
For instance, II would take a more
elastic clause than the, famous one in
our constitution to cover this latest bit
Of mail order wit.
In almost any mail order magazine
you may pick up you will find adver-
tisements similar to this:
MAIL ORDER MEN. ATTENTIONS
have bona fde b. ,ess which pays
me taoo per month. Nothing TO make.
nothing TO sell. susrantes resuNs. You
can do II just as we'll as /. Five dollars 10
the price of the secret Money back II
you are not satisfied or II this adyertise-
II you are Of the great once -bunkoed-
always-bunkoed class. you might an
swer one Of the aliuring Offers. II you
did. you would In all probability re-
ceive reply by the nrst mail. The
letter would contain a clipping OF the
advertisement you had answered. with
statement on this order: ,..
One month from today I will withdraw
the inclosed ad. Place your name on Il
and Insert II in your mail order mara
sine or other advertising medium which
you use. ! have made tSoo q month from
this. You can do as we'll a. I. You can
readily SEQ from my suocsss with you
what your success will be with others.
During the bicycle rage some years
back bluing concern coined money
from an advertisement similar to this,
accompanied by a cut OF q handsome
bicycle:
BOYS AND GIRLS.
THIS BICYCLE FREE
To every boy or girl selling ono gross
OF our superior bluing we will give abso-
luteiy free the bicycle represented in this
cut. Send for the bluing today When
you have It all sold. remit the money,
and you will receive this beautiful bicycle
absolutely free. State whether boys or
girls bicycle is wanted.
II Is safe to say that thousands OF
children shaved for those free bicycles
and turned In their money to the
mushroom bluing company. Their
work was, however not without COM
gross Of the bluing received a minla-
ture bicycle, not two inches high, but
4 perfect representation of the cut
This idea Of toy fakes Is old. A part.
ner In one Of the foremost mail order
houses In the world owes his start In
life to an advertisement which he ran
some years ago. His offer
was to send furniture enough to com
pletely fit out one room for dollar. |
Cuts Of the articles were shown, and
the offer had the appearance OF being
legitimate. For every dollar received
the sucker" was sent a complete set
of doll furniture.
Recently the law became aware Of |
The fact that th@e were hundreds OF
small music publishing companies do |
ng business entirely on their nerve.
Their method was TO advertise for |
'ong poems, showing the enormous
profits made from popular songs As
he song manuscripts flowed In they |
,ither had music written for them or |
borrowed" music already written and |
tent letter Of acceptance to the per.
ION who had sent In the song poem.
The letter stated that preliminary
cost Of from so to $50 would be nee.
'ssary for making the plates. In most
instances the money was sent. TIE |
'lates we're made cheaply, the publish
ng house sent professional copy TO
he author, and there the matter drop
'ed. No effort at marketing the produc-
Ion was made. The law Is gradually
'etting after these publishers, but
here are many OF these wildcat instl-
utions still hourishing.
Another clever and profitable mail
rider fake Is that Of reading the char
cter from the handwriting. There are
Is many possibilities in It as fortune
qiliug and tbara a 70 as Fa,,, ,b,,aan I