The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-05
HOW LEWIS
 SPENT TIME
 IN HARTFORD
(Hartford Courant,)


 The amazing story of the life of Edward Gardner Lewis, who is now under indictment in St Louis on charges of using the malls to defraud, and whose enterprises, which drew subscriptions said to amount to $10,- GOO, ,0c0, chiefly from women, are in the hands of 8 receiver, possesses more than a passing interest for the people of Hartford, since 1t was in this city that he started his first so-called scheme. He was at one time stu dent at Trinity College, where he pos sessed the reputation of being an ex- traordinarily bright young man in everything but his studies.
 Edward Gardner Lewis is the son of Rev. William Henry Lewis, rector of St. Johns Episcopal church of Bridgeport the largest church in that city Lewis came to Hartford and to Trinity in the fall of 1886, when he entered college with the class of 1890. He stayed only about a month, how ever, as he was forced to leave college on account of i'll health.
 He returned in the fall of 1888 and entered the class of 1892 While at college he paid his board by managing an eating club and paid his college bills with wages received from to- bacco firm, for which he travelled around the State selling cigars. He was never good student and his friends believed that the reason why he did not stand we'll in his studies was that he was interested in too many outside activities and that he did not have time to devote to the pursuit of the sort of knowledge con- tained in text books. To show that Lewis did not spend all his time in the chase after the mighty dollar, it was known to his friends, and 1t was
 L. F sisted, without pay, in stuffing and arranging many Of the exhibits in the American Museum of Natural History in New York He was an expert taxi dermist and used to spend hours in his room at college stuffing and mounting birds. This was his only recreation and he did not indulge in any athletic sports.
 At one time in his life he received an injury to his spine and had gone West to recover from it. His tales of the West always gathered an interest ing crowd of listeners at college. He was always pleased himself when he could gather a number of fellow stu dents to listen to his tales of bass fishing and hunting, and in time, he got the nickname of "the great West ern liar" He left college after about two years, but kept up his interest in Trinity and helped in the education of two younger brothers, one of whom graduated in the class of 1903 and Is now with Edward in St. Louis. After leaving college he continued to work for the tobacco firm and opened of fees. He also took an agency for a diamond firm and later started selling watches, from which he evolved his scheme Of selling jewelry by the end less chain plan
 Shortly after he started in business -IJ, large scale his cure for the tobacco habit, which he called "Curoco' or "AntiTobac." This was prepared in ta blet form, and was sold to druggists on neat standard, which held dozen packages of the remedy. The packages sold for 25 cents each. In connection with the remedy, he is- tell the story. of the discovery of the cure. According to this pamphlet, Lewis was travelling in South Amer ica when lie came upon a tribe of In dians, from which he received the great secret.
 The Indians had contracted the habit of smoking from the whites of the country, and the health and pros perity of the tribe had steadily de- clined under the influence of the use of the weed. The chiefs of the tribe and the medicine men saw that some thing must be done to restore the lost powers of their warriors, and in re- sponse to their prayers to the Great Spirit, a herb was discovered, which killed all desire for nicotine. Under it's influence, the tribe again arose to it's old-time power. The pamphlet was illustrated with colored drawings of Indians and South America scenes, made by Lewis himself, who possessed artistic ability, in addition to his oth- CT accomplishments. The pamphlet made interesting reading and the remedy appealed to women especially since they could treat their husbands, brothers, and sweethearts with the "Anti-Tobac" without their knowledge they were being treated
 It must have been about this time that Lewis discovered the principles that have made him so successful in getting money out of women. The enterprise prospered and the remedy was put on sale in New York and surrounding States and branch offices