The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-08-07

years ago one of the students at Trim
ity College was Edward G. Lewis, son
OF a New England clergyman He
showed aptitude for the study oil
chemistry and OF human nature. and
he paid his way through college part.
" by the sale of tablets which he pre-
pared and warranted to cure the to
bacco habit. They appealed TO women
because they could be put into the
coffee of husbands, brothers. and sons
without exciting suspicion. The same
Edward G. Lewis is now under tndict-
ment at ST. Louis on charges of using
the mails to defraud, and enterprises
which drew subscriptions said to
amount to nearly $4,000. 900, chiefly
from women, are in the hands of a
receiver.
The records of the civil and GRIMM
al proceedings against Lewis show
that in the twenty-five years since he
left college ne has invented many
schemes and won the confidence of
many persons who were willing 10
risk their savings in the hope of be-
ing made rich quickly. Senator Bur
ton OF Ohio in defending the action of
the postoffice department toward Lew
is enterprises said recently on the
floor of the senate:
They are as numerous as the list
that Bagehot gives of the absurd en-
.. L. .1E
ed to invest about the year 1900.
when the wheel of perpetual motion
and lot of other ridiculous things
furnished the bases for the formation
OF stock companies
While Lewis did not begin the most
picturesque period of his career as a
promoter until about 1895, he was not
idle during the years Immediately fol-
lowing his departure from college. He
had made money with his tobacco
cure and he sought to build up for
tune with a sarsaparilla blood medi-
cine, but this failed and he lost all he
had made with the other cure. He was
successiyely sales agent for diamond
broker and a demonstration for Water
bury watches, and finally he drffted
to Nashville, Tenn, where his inven-
tive brain originated "Anti-Skeet" and
Bug Chalk"
It was here that Lewis awoke one
morning in 1895 to find that his total
assets were s1.10. Then he had an
idea. He went to a wholesale house
and bought gross OF ordinary crayon
for 35 cents, and bottle of oil OF win
tergreen for 8 cents. He poured the
wintergreen over the chalk and after
capturing a live roach he went to the
drug department of the store and an
nounced demonstration OF his won
derful bug chalk
He made a chalk mark on the table
and set the roach free. When the bug
started to walk across the chalk mark
and smelled the wintergreen it backed
off and went the other way. He sold
the mixture of crayon and wintergreer
in the store for $3.50 and then made .
house to house canvass with the
chalk. He soon had small bank roll
Lewis then originated @Anti-Skeet'
and "Anti-F1y." These preparations
were tablets, which when burned
made a cloud of smoke supposed to b
deadly to mosquitoes and flies. Hi
first corporation was formed to taxi
over these preparations, but the sher
/ If finally seized the assets, including
carload of "Anti-Skeet." and one 0
Lewis partners committed suicide
1 The sheriff was induced to release tn
/ carload of mosquito tablets, and Lew
/ is moved on to st. Louis and begal
1 his career in this city.
There followed In rapid succession
Or. Hott's Cold Crackers" warrant
ed to crack cold in half an hour;
Walk Easy Foot Powder. which mad
money for Lewis the first summe
but went out of business in the wiz
i ter: "Anti-Cavity," toothache med
cine; 1.-THE Progressive Watch Con
pany.. an endless chain scheme b
which one could get watch by pa.
ing dollar down and inducing nun
Der OF persons to do the same: ma
order publishing concern throua
: which Lewis first entered the publisl
ing business with small magazine
exploit cheap jewelry; an installmer
company to sell watches and jewelr
for one-third down and the rest mont
Iy, the cost OF the article being rea
: ly covered by the cash payment; a
addressing machine which sold stoc
: but no machines. coin controlls
which gold devices for use on tel
phones but which proved to be an i
: fringement on a patent; a collectic
2 agency to assist mail order houses
I collect accounts, mainly from childre
+ who answered advertisements
weekly papers and magazines, and
e guessing contest on the attendance
u the St Louis exposition.
:. Then Lewis turned his back on Il
4 smaller creations of his mind al
v went in for greater things. He organ
z ed the Development and Inyestme
l. company, holding company for lat
/ schemes. the stock of which was qua
u anteed TO pay / per cent dividends
month, and in 1901 he bought t
. Woman's Farm Journal and the "