The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-03-02

Io0ue House People nave DeNeIoPeu
the Art Until II Has Become Dis
ease With Them.
Copyrighted. 1914, by Thomas J. Sullivan.l
On a certain occasion some boys
thought they would play a trick on
the great naturalist, Darwin.
They caught beetle, glued various
parts of other insects upon its head
and body, placed it in little box and
humbly knocked at Darwin's door.
seeking to know what the great scien-
fist would call this wonderful bug they
had assembled.
Mr.. Darwin looked it over very crit
ically and asked the boys very serious
ly. did this bug hum when you
caught it?" Yes, sir; it hummed a
great deal" replied the boys, with sly
winks at each other.
Then this must be humbug," said
Darwin.
1t Is supposed that Satan was the
original humbug, but since the mail or
der houses have been established he
has had to take back seat, and
among so many modern improvements
he must feel dreadfully useless and
antiquated.
Love to Be Humbugeed.
That the American people love to be
humbugged long since has passed into
a proverb Trickery may be called
our national vice, our besetting sin.
Like liberty. it appears to be in the
very air we breathe, We take to it as
naturally as we do to politics. Our
entire social system has become satu-
rated with it. Even at times it mas
querades under the mantle Of charity.
which, like well filed purse, covers a
multitude Of sins.
There are various kinds and classes
of takers and tricksters, but the
princes Of them all. the incarnations
of fraud, are the advertising humbugs,
who, when stripped of the sugar coat
ing by which they impose upon the
public, are simply professors of false
| hood. 2'i'
Woulo Strike Liars Dedu'
The ancient scribes tell US that the
Lord once attempted to check the
humbug habit by striking the liars
dead, but when he looked into the
future and saw the huge catalogue
houses looming In the distance he
reluctantly relinquished the idea. as he
saw that such a plan in the congested
centers would prove more fatal than a
second food.
The mail order houses word their adj
vertising so as to appeal to the credu-
lily and weakness of human nature,
as it is generally known that every
SON of Adam and daughter Of Eve pos
sesses a disposition to resort to games
Of chance. an inclination to get some
thing for nothing.
Possess the Gambling instinct.
A noted gambler once said: Life
consists in taking chances, Providence
has instilled into the brains and hearts
of men the betting instinct" So when
the mail order houses came into exist
ence they at once opened up an avenue
for the development Of humanity's
well known weakness-a desire for
gambling.
As the catalogue houses passed from
the elementary and experimental stages
to that of a permanent and pronounced
reality the gambling instinct of the
consumer kept pace with the humbug's
progress.
The consumers read the bewitching
circulars describing the many wonder
full bargains; they fumbed the pages
of the huge catalogue in bewilderine
amazement. The angel of doubt hover
. ing near whispered warnings to the
fascinated buyer. but the god of chance
was reckoning from the distance, ano
the order was sent forward.
Cheap, Flinsy Seconds"
The advertising humbug's advertise
ments and catalogues depict his goods
, as something marvellous. Bedsteads
chairs, tables, couches, picture frames
heaters, ETC.. which appear to be mas
sive, handsomely carved pieces o
work. are nothing hut cheap, films,
seconds" when delivered. and the buy
; err Is often ashamed to cart them hom'
in the daytime. but waits for the dark
ness of night to cast its mantle owe
their defects.
Sometimes the gambling instinct i
so deeply set in the natures of som
consumers that one evidence of til
trickery of the advertising humbug !
insufficient. and they again indulg
e their passion for gambling by taking
"chance" with another order and agail
getting imposed upon, and SO on az
I intinitum.
p.raouav,s sweet plant.