Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-17

things are always with us. They have
a way of making thoughtess farmers be-
lieve that it is their last and only
chance TO get a certain article. The
lighningrod agent was perfect in his
day. He could deceive the most eau
tious of men. They generally rushed
forth about the time the first thunder
storms broke over the country. They
made the timid believe that their houses
would be knocked to pieces before the
summer was out The almanac makers
should change their weather forecasts
so as to read: About this time look
out for thunderstorms and lightning
rod agents" These agents play on the
credulity Of the people and they have
the most persuasive words showing the
excellence of what they are Offering
Some Of them preach the doctrine of
friendship to the consumer. No middle
men get any profits. In some cases the
manufacturers refuse to deal with
wholesale merchants and propose to
give the purchaser the advantage Of all
the profits. That sounds well. but as
general thing the wholesale men would
not handle their goods, because they are
unstable. When one thing plays out
another comes along and the agents
make the same appeals to the people
Some Farmer Humbugs.
Just as our cotton States were get
ting on their feet and when cotton was
bringing a fair price. agents went
through the country selling riding two
horse plows. They would get up a fine
team. go out with their pillow through
the country and show the farmers how
they could break the land and cultivate
it and ride all the time under an UNI
brella when the sun was hot. In some
communities several plows were sold
No money was needed. A note payable
in the fan was all they wanted. These
notes were discounted at a bank and
the fine plows rotted in the fields or
went to pieces under shelters
There was another fraud so palpable
that one could not have much sympathy
for the man who invested. That was
the wire woven Stat fence or rather the
right TO make it. Township or county
rights were sold. Men also invested in
that and no one ever saw, so far as we
know, rod of fence made of II. But
the notes were collected by some bank
when due. 1t is ignorance on the part
Of even intelligent farmers which causes
them to invest in these worthless things
They read the papers for local news, but
do not study suggestions and facts pub
lished as to the trickery of many Of
these smooth talking agents. We may
look for walking agents who go around
at all seasons selling spectacles or
books Now and then the portrait man
comes around and win take a photo
graph and furnish a life-size portrait
There is not much fraud in these trans
actions, for their deliver the goods and
the purchaser knows what he gets.
Some Recent Frauds.
About two years ago the creamery
agents invaded the South Their head
quarters were in Chicago, or some other
Western city Their plan was to form a
joint stock company with about SO, 900
capital. All the machinery and fixtures
had to be purchased from their com
pany. We do not know how many
creameries were organized in South
Carolina. These agents made the IN
suspecting farmers believe that they
munity where there were not a hun
dred milch cows, Of which they had
no control. In one of the lower coun-
ties Of South Carolina the stockholders
refused to pay in the assessments
While that fraud was going on some
Of the best agricultural papers explained
what a creamery was and what was re-
quired to run one Notwithstanding
that information the farmers went ahead
and established them. They are begin
ming to learn that a creamery is impos-
sible without a large supply Of milk or
cream.
1t is said that in some sections of the
country agents are selling paints for
houses and barns The farmer is made
to believe that he is getting it at factory
price and cutting out all the profits
Of middlemen. It is said to be a low
grade article and will not run or spread
when kept several months before it is
used. II is about the time of the year
for the agents for patent churns to
start on the road They always have
some new-fangIed affair, with wheels
and cogs, which viii churn in half the
time and make twice the amount Of
butter made by any other churn.
Every paper in the land might publish
for a month that there are only two
churns which the farmer should buy
One is the old fashioned dash churn
and the other and better one is the bar
rel churn. Several years ago the swing
churn was popular, and it is as good
as the barrel churn. These churns