The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-09-08

~ AIOSO
ter XIX
4 only net result is that little more
y land is cleared off in that country
west of Shelley on the west side of
the river
/. Your Rubber Stock
| In 1908, people bought capital
stock in a company that was going
to plant the ranges of the west to
thornless cactus. They still have the
capital stock laid away and thornless
cactus has not changed. Then fol-
lowed the promoters who sold stock
in all kinds of mines and holes in
the ground in the state of Nevada,
and people spent up their good
money for that kind Of paper. I
have never heard of one of them who
ever got anything back, tho good
many have taken trips to Nevada to
look for those holes in the ground
where they pured their money. Then
there came the eucalyptus man who
sold stock in eucalyptus farms in Cal
ifornia where nothing but grease
wood was growing at that time. They
took out money in stock sales by
the basketfuls and two of the best
business men of this state who had
allowed their names to used as Of
ficers of the company came near hav-
ing to 60 to prison because they
were connected with a fraudulent
corporation. The only way they
could save themselves was to go to
California, buy land, clear off the
grease wood and plant it to eucalyptus
trees and when that was done the
government stopped prosecution. 1t
was bitter pill but they had to take
it. .mgH
Those Washing Machines
Some ten years ago, a number OF
our prosperous farmers bought pat
ent rights, and sales rights to sell
washing machines in this county.
They mortgaged their farms or sold
their farms to get some money to buy
these rights to sell-a mere pricilege
to sell something If they could. One
Of them moved to Boise to start in
there to make his fortune. He had
never tried selling anything in his
life and did not know that salesman
ship was science requiring great
skill. The promoter sold him the
washing machine idea and convinced
him that it was good, but when he
was established in his new home in
Boise, and went out to make his
fortune selling washing machines to
the people of Ada county he found
that he was not a salesman. He never
succeeded in selling one single wash
ing machine, and it broke him up.
He had his capital invested in this
privilege to sell and he is still
privileged to sell If he can. Ever
since that he has been working for
wages and has had no home.
Farmers Account Books
Other promoters came along and
sold account books to the farmers
and had a scheme by which the mer-
chants in Blackfoot were to pay" for
them in refunds for purchase of
goods in their stores by farmers.
The farmers and merchants alike
fell for the plan and parted with
their good money and in return re-
ceived account books that nobody
ever uses. 1t was ang awfully good
account book to look at and I was
quite taken with the idea when it
was shown to me. One of the best
farmers in this county stopped me on
the street and asked me what I
thought about him buying county
sales right, to go out and sell books
and promptly analysed the question
and showed that while some other
man might make fortune at 1t he
would lose money because he was
not a salesman. I told him 1t took
high skill in salesmanship to succeed
at anything like that and he took my
suggestion kindly and left IT alone.
Every other nan in the county who
bought sales rights lost every dollar
he put into it and all the time he
spent with it, Some men in this
county are working now to pay of
mortgages they i,put on their farms
to buy the privilege Of selling &C
count books to other farmers. An
unprincipled fellow was in my office
last spring, offering something for
sale to farmers tho he did not show
me just what 1t was. yr h IN
Robbed the Farmers
learned afterward that he made
q killing" among the farmers in
this county and in one case relieved
q farmer Of $4,000, all the loose
money he had. The promoter, talk
ing to friend of mine laughingly
remarked that he justified such
things on. the ground that II that
farmer continued to have $4,000