Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-01

fiattened nail about three sheets down.
Then he would pick up the meat. with
several sheets OF paper beneath IL and.
with the nail between two Of those sheets.
throw II on the scales and weigh it, The
nail weighed one-quarter of pound.
Consequently. the absolutely accurate
scales would register the bundle. really
containing only one and three-qCarters
pounds OF meat. as two fun pounds. After
weighing il. the dealer would take il Off
the scales. but in SO doing he would be
careful TO lift only one sheet OF paper
with IT. The other two. hiding the nail.
would be taken off later.
And so the scheme worked no ono
knows for how long. and the dealer began
to grow rich. Indeed. the scheme might
be working Yet. had not the dealer hired
an assistant. who. like his employer. was
not at all averse to cheating the public
but who. unfortunately for his employer.
was thick-fingered and careless. The
second day the helper worked at the
stand he tried to work the usual trick
with the nail. but he was clumsy and i'm
experienced. He got the nail on the scales
all right. but in taking the meat off he
lifted up too many sheets OF paper, and
there lay the nail disclosed to the full
view OF any who might care TO look
The dea.er made a fine display OF in
to be a scheme on the part OF the boy.
whom he discharged with a torrent OF
abuse for his dishonesty" But his ex-
plantations failed TO have any effect
sealer of weights and measures He was
literally driven out of business, ana
finally left the city.
Still more ingenious. but far more elab-
crate and costly, was the scheme planned
and worked for long time by another
dealer who fitted up an elaborate cleo
trical device beneath his scales which
acted as a magnet and which, at the
pressure of a button beneath the counter.
would draw them down from one-quarter
to one-half pound. according to the
within of the dealer. His graft was easy.
He would throw purchase on the
scales. pushing the button at the same
time. If the purchase was small. he would
draw down the scales only one-quarter
of a pound: il large, he would draw them
down half a pound.
He was finally caught through his care
lessness in allowing the small son of one
of his customers to go behind the counter
one day. The boy found the button. push
ed it, began playing with 1T and pushed
it several times before the grocer noticed
what he was doing and made him stop. The
boy had no idea what he had discovered.
to his father and the latter began a quiet
investigation which disclosed the fact that
he and all his fellow patrons of that store
were being steadily and Systematically
robbed. Then came watch dog of the
larder from the Office of the sealer, and
another dealer was driven out of busl-
ness.
And there are all sorts OF other schemes.
Sealer Haskelrs men have caught deal
ers who let their hand. or mayhap Just
one finger. rest seemingly lightly and
casually on the scales as they weighed
purchases-thereby making the customer
pay for several ounces he never got.
Other dealers have been caught literally
throwing purchases on the scales. ana
then yanking them off just as quickly.
The momentum of the throw would send
the scales down. and make them register
a weight greater than that which really
existed. And still other dealers have been
caught with scales adjusted that they
registered a quarter of a pound when
nothing was on them. Strange as it may
seem, too. this plan frequently has es-
capped detection for weeks and months
for the average purchaser rarely looks At
the scales except when his purchase 10
actually on them.