The Washington herald., 1909-04-18
POSt-OHice Department

Like the lilies Of the field. the mail
order CRATER tolls not, neither does he
spin. However, II doesn't follow that he
is living easy. Quite the contrary.
These are troublous times for the MIN
ble-witted gentry who seek TO employ the
mails as a medium through which 10
make guIlible mortals part company with
their money and the strenuOusness Is
becoming more marked each day
Aroused TO a sense OF its duty IN this
direction, the government, through the
wholly commendable work OF protecting
the people against themselves and sup
pressing those thrifty individuals who
would fatten of them. There IS an as
tonishingly large number OF men and
women IN all walks OF life who need to
be protected. too. Those who have made
fortunes through questionable deals OF this
kind will tell you so in strict confidence.
and Will assure you that their victims
came from no particular class. but rep
resented all walks In life. A bargain"
fraudulent. or otherwise, II properly pre-
scented. makes as strong an appeal 10 the
educated man Of affairs as II does 20 the
one IN humble circumstances, and rnilady
OF means IS as keen In the pursuit OF
something for nothing as her less f0rtu-
nate sister, says the Detroit Free Press
The glittering inducement that once
confronted the unsuspecting on every
hand are not so much IN evidence. how
ever. Time and the Post-oftice Depart
ment, chiefly the latter. have worked
latrn nj
been reduced TO a point where il IS de-
cidedly prosaic. That is. II would be were
it not for the attempts of an army OF
fy-by-nights 20 get past the watchful In
spectOrs- This class serves 10 enliven the
situation. and eliminates the possibility Of
those intrusted with the task OF suppress
ing concerns OF doubtful merit suffering
from ennui.
The Old Timers.
Not so many years ago any sort OF an
advertisement. however apparent the IN
tent 10 defraud. was permitted TO appear
IN magizines devoted 10 the mail order
Of the business saw At TO use. Every
body who knows anything about the game
has heard OF the dodge worked as long
ago as during the civil war by an en-
made himself rich thereby. Selecting the
period when the military service had been
made compulsory, he inserted an ad-
vertiseinent IN the newspapers in various
parts Of the country stating that for 81
sent 10 him. he would tell the writer
how to escape the draft. He was literally
swamped beneath a shower OF 81 bills
from those anxious 10 know how this
most vexatous problem could be settled
In due season they each received an en-
velope In which was inciosed the answer.
the single word, Enlist" being printed
on a slip OF paper. II was a certain way
TO avoid being drafted, but the advice
vas not followed IN every instance.
Later came the men who for Ike sum
agreed 10 furnish you with a positive
exterminator Of bedbugs. reaches. and
similar household pests. together with
fun instructions regarding its use. Again
the dollars poured in and as fast as the
mails could carry the reply back there
went forth mysterious looking little boxes.
Opening one OF these the recipient found
himself in possession OF two fat pieces
Of wood. each possibly three inches long
and two inches wide. whose actual value
was but a fraction Of a cent Accompa-
nying these were the instructions" read
ing something like this: Catch the bug.
place him carefully on the upper side
OF the lower block, then put the upper side
Of the lower block on him and press
tightly until he is dead
SILK sample Graft.
The methods Of these early operators