The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-09-24
GET RICH QUICK
is OLDEST BAIT

SO, too, in the latter part Of the
last century, when the Klondike be-
came a 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
$4,000, 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 500, 900 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 had 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 2 East Brookllne
street. Mrs. Howe had sensational
career In giving people something for
nothing"
The Ladies' Deposit" was an insti-
tuition based upon her statement that
she was the agent Of legacy amount
ing to more than $500. 900. which was
left by a Quaker who wanted to be a
benefactor of widows and single
women only"
With this money she was supposed
to establish a foundation In Boston
which paid such women, whose In
comes were inadequate to permit them
to live In comfort, 90 per cent year
OH deposits made at the ladies De-
posit." Mrs. Howe was no parsimcni-
Gus person. She paid interest three
months In advance.
Three Years In Jail.
Mrs. Howe Is described as being
"short. fat. ugly looking and hide
scribably vulgar" She couldn't write
dramatically and this was one Of the
causes e her downfall In Boston, for
her lack Of culture aroused the sus-
picion Of the authorities at last and
they began an Investigation which
landed her In jail.
Then II came out In the court trial
that Mrs. Hcwe's Quaker" was day
dream and despite the fact that during
the last days Of Ladies' Deposit"
when the run started. she paid out
between $4,000 and 10000 In one
day, the Investigators found that her
insolvency amounted to 100000. with
the -bank" and some cheap furniture
profusely covered with gilt a. assets.
Mrs. Howe insisted to the last that
she was merely salaried agent. re-
ceiving $40 a year for her work from
the "Quaker organization" but that
did not keep her from serving three
years In Jail. Boston was In an up
roar during the whole proceeding and
hundreds of fascinated hopefuls
thronged the institution during the
week before the crash.
Received Secret In \ Vision.
Then there was the masterpiece Of
all strokes Of the imagination. the
Rev. p. +. Jernegan's scheme for get.
ting gold out Of sea water. As q get
rich quick" scheme this Is Jet unsur-
passed-both from the romantic aspect
of the undertaking and In the sheer
audacity with which Il was worked
out.
Mr.. Jernegan was q former Baptist
minister, a graduate Of Brown uni