Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-15
FAEERS
MAKE EASY MONEY
FROM THE UNWARY
Worthless Goods Exposed
for Sale on Curb at Prices
That Beguile the Credul-
Gus Shopper.

The Christmas faker is here-so hssi-
tsts before buying the big bargains from
rurbatone merchants
These venders.who are only seen around
the holidays. come from parts unknown.
They are glib OF tongue and their goods
look substantial while they are on the
stands or wagons. They move from
place to place because It is extremely
necessary The fellow who sells at 9th
and Filbert streets one day may be
found near 9Th and Market streets the
next Later he win be found in Ken
pineton or West Philadelphia. Some
times he IL found in Jail
As TO their wares-they include a line
Of goods which make q flash without ex-
posing quality. This is not true of all
The Christmas venders. but, nevertheless.
the faker is as plentiful as the one who
sells on the level.
The most glaring OF Christmas fakes Is
the holiday cologne sold by these open
air merchants. II Ia said to be made of
water. little lemon Juice and tint OF
washing blue The lemon Juice gives the
blue Is used for bottles alleged to hold
q special brand.
The concoction Is mixed by the tubfu |
and put up in bottles OF all shapes OBJ
tRined from junk dealers. Usually the
labels which are very fancy, are got |
from a printer who does work for the |
drug trade. After the liquid is bottled |
and corked. the top of the bottle is COW
cred with neat piece of chamos and |
fastened with fancy string or ribbon.
SPRAYING ADRoITLY DONE.
when the bottles bearing the fancy
iabers are spread out in vender's wagon
with background Of straw or yawdust
they look attractive. and the finishing
touch Is added when the faker sprays
the tops OF the bottles with real cologne.
The spraying is done quickly with an
atontlzer when no one is passing. and the
scent which greots passersby causes
many to stop and buy a bottle for 10 or
Is cents.
The vender announces that they are
'salesman's samples" as an excuse for
the low prices. Fortunately for him
many OF the bottles are not opened until
after Christmas. And the poor fellow
who gives one as Christmas gift never
knows why the recipient greets him cold
~ when they meet again,
One OF these cologne merchants did
land office business yesterday near 9th
and Market streets and later on Market
street below 9Th.
FIRE SALE" FAKERs.
The fire sale curbstone faker is an
sther who gets easy Christmas money.
One of these merchants operated yestsr-
FAY on eth street near Arch and also on
Market and 9Th streets. He had cameras
which were bought up cheaply from u
whose place was recently
burned out Mt 9fetuchen. N. j." These
to the faller, would make an !
attractive Christmas present for the
boy"
Photographs supposed to have been 5
aiken by some of the cameras were nailed y
against the vender's wagon. Some of the
photos were at least seven by ten Inches
llthouEh the cameras on sale were 2h g
~ sh. The vender had number OF b
plants in the crowd who always started v
business when there was n tendency 7
among the onlookers to be dubious. ?
''Ieavilyt plated table ware bought In t
arKe lots from a firm which recently c
lailed,'' wasesold by an open-air peddler
for Is cents set. The set consisted OF a t
Knife fork and spoon for child The b
render operated near his brother mer- I
chants and frequently shifted his stand. 3
HIS argument sounded all right. But as
The same table sets are sold by one OF the b
local 1O-cent stores for 10 cents, those o
who took advantage OF the exceptional Il
lffer lost money. t
FRAUDULENT SOLICITORS. =
In addition to the taking vendors, there n
Are number OF other Christmas takers I
operating successfully. One OF these. a
WelI-dresed negro. is soliciting financial Il
AID IN West Philadelphia for the South n
wark colored orhpans' Home at 9th and b
Bainbridge streets. AS there is no such
home. those who contributed win enable 4
ne collector to have a very Merry Christ a
mas unless his scheme Is stopped. a
Two men who are soliciting clothing
and provisions for the Pennsylvania Vol
are also doing thriving busi- !
ness IN the outlying sections OF the city
especially IN West Philadelphia They tell
that they will not accept
money. but in most cases get cast-off :
clothing which can be sold for fairly :
coed prices. Their business must be good. :
for they have q wagon to carry away :
donations. There 10 no such organlza- I
tlon in tina city's list OF charities as the
Pennsylvania Volunteers. And Il is safe
. say that ths membership consists solslY y
= the two pefsaVering solicitors.
.