Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-09-23
GET RICH QUICK
is OLDEST BAIT

SO, too, in the latter part or the
last century, when the KlOndike he
came word of magic. Just as in the
days of 40, there was wild rush for
gold, the prospectors being, in the
main, men who were doomed to fail
ure, although hundreds of them won
from the frozen rocks and river beds
the fortunes upon which not few
American families base their ability
to purchase a new seven passenger
car every year.
One of the oldest and the most per-
sistently attractive lures of golden
affluence that awaits the fortunate is
the mythical buried treasure of Capt
Kidd, the pirate, familiar to every
schOolbOy and TO the schoolboys OF
Boston in particular.
For the two centuries or more that
have elapsed since Kidd swung at the
gibbet in Execution Dock, England
expeditions have been continuously
gotten up with the purpose of finding
his buried booty. All that has been
recovered to date has been about
100000, most of which was found at
one end of Gardeners island. The nu-
merous search parties, according TO
some estimates, have spent total OF
about 100000 in the effort.
To Pay 90 Per Cent Year.
Along with the popular quests for
gold in the raw" or in hidden caches,
there have also been scores of clever
schemes for enriching people through
marvellous new" discoveries and
through manipulation. Massachusetts
has bad its full share of such ven
lures in the last half century, and
Boston has been the center OF the ac-
tivities of not few.
More than forty years ago, for IN
stance, there was the notorious
Ladies' Deposit" conducted by Mrs
Sarah e. Howe at East Brookline
street. Mrs. Howe had sensational
career in giving people something TOT
nothing"
The Ladies' Deposit" was an insti-
tuition based upon her statement that
she was the agent of legacy amount
ing 70 more than $1,500,000, which was
left by a Quaker who wanted TO De
benefactor of "widows and single
women only"
With this money she was supposed
TO establish Foundation In Boston
which paid such women, whose IN
comes were inadequate TO permit them
to live in comfort, 9G per cent year
Oh deposits made at the Ladies De-
posit." Mrs. Howe was no parslnohl-
Gus person. She paid interest three
months in advance.
Three Years in Jail.
Mrs, Howe is described as belns
"short, fat ugly looking ana lnue-
scribablv vulgar" She couldn't write
dramatically and this was one OF the
causes of her downfall In Boston, Tor
her lack of culture aroused the sus,
nicion of the authorities at last ana
they began an investigation whicii
landed her in jail.
Then il came out in the court trlal
that Mrs. Howe's quaker was gay
dream and despite the fact that during
the last days Oh LuulS" b'i''''
when the run started, she paid out
between $4,000 and 100000 in one
day. the investigators found that her
insolvency amounted to $2OO,OOo' win
the "hank" and some cheap furniture
profusey covered with gilt as assets
Mrs. Howe insisted to the last that
she was merely a salaried agent, re,
ceivIng $120 q year for her work from
the Quaker organization, but tha'
did not keep her from serving three
years in Jail. Boston was IN an up
roar during the whole proceeding ana
hundreds of fascinated hopeiuis
thronged the institution during the
week before the crash.
Received Secret In Vision.
Then there was the masterpiece oil
all strokes of the Imagination, the
Rev. +. +. Jernegan's scheme for get
ting gold out of sea water. AS get
rich quick" scheme this Is yet unsur'
passed--both from the romantic aspect
of the undertaking and In the sheer
audacity with which II was worked
out.
Mr.. Jernegan was former Baptist
! minister. q graduate of Brown uni.