The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-04-20


and raise currants.
For further information ask almost
any farmer residing In the triangle be-
tween Emerickville, Sandy Valley and
the banks of Mill Creek, but ask not In
the spirit of levity lest you meet with
an exceedingly warm reception. For
the people OF Washington and Pine
creek townships cannot see the humor
of the situation and lawyers, indigna-
tion meetings, trespass warnings and
threats have become so indiscriminate-
ly mixed up in the affair that 1t has
become serious enough.
1t is q tale that would rival the Wild
est fancies of Dumas-this of the staid
farmers OF the Beechwoods allowing a
tall black bearded stranger to
visit several hundred homes, paint a
vivid word picture OF the profits of cur
rant culture, of the unlimited market
for the product at canning factories, of
the adaptibility of the region Tor the
business, and against their will and
better judgment be convinced that an
acre of currant bushes would yield a
richer revenue than a farm of eighty
acres. And there is something Of
magic in the tales now told of how, un-
der the seductive arguments aud over
mastering flattery of this stranger the
farmers ordered hundred, two hun
dred, even three hundred and seventy
dollars worth of currant stocks
enough to cover their whole farms fre-
quently-and gave their notes for the
amount. When the order and notes
had been signed, the hypnotic spell was
broken, common sense asserted itself
and some OF the victims straightway
pleaded to cancel their contracts and
have their notes returned even follow
ing the nursery agent to the roadway,
it is said, and Offering ten or fifteen dol
lars to be released from the contract
signed but few minutes before. But
the agent was inexorable and rode on
to cast his spell another place and reap
another harvest.
1t cannot be said that the agent
practiced fraud, but simply that he
worked the shrewdest game played in
this section for years and by sheer
audacity and nerve and an astonishing
line of argument, fattery, and
skillful playing upon the hope of
easy money, swept the unsuspecting
farmers into the region of Imagination
where dollars grew on currant bushes
and sold them almost any quantity his
playful fancy happened to dictate.
When the agent had gone and the
farmers got together to talk it over,
their wrath arose at the way the game
was played. They organized to fight.
A fund was raised, Reynoldsville at
torney retained to counsel them, and
representative, W. n. Shuckers, sent
to New York state to investigate the
nursery supposed to be responsible for
the agent. When his report came in
the farmers were more enraged than
ever and most of them resolved to re-
fuse to receive the goods when deliv-
cred.
The past week has been an exciting
one in the Beechwoods and Glendale
districts. Passing through the travel
er may see here and there at gates OF
farms notices warning against trespass-
ing and other signs of open hostility
somewhat alarming in that usually hos
pitable section. Usually alongside the
gate-but always outside-rests a big
oblong box from the nursery containing
few hundred dollars worth of currant
stocks that the farmers ordered under
what they claim was magnetic spell