Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-09-30
Boston kas been the center of the &C.
tivffies of not a few.

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 for
i nothing"
| The. Ladies' Deposit" was ~ 'nSf!'
J tuition based npon Err stn'"!n M that
she was ihr Il en- ,t = h'.acy ai'l"nid
iuc IL mrlre iljNn ~ .tiO.Wh}. which wNs
I Ip.., Il, a Quaker "hn wanted !" he
'lp,. fnc,ni of "wl,luws and single
wo,'rn only"
Wilh This money she was Supposed
10 establish f,.Indatnn IN Boston
which paid such women. whose In
comes we're Inadequate TO permit them
81 live in comfort. 9G per cent year
a.. deposits made al the "lndies' He
nosit." Mrs Howe was no rarsinoni.
Gus person. She paid interest three
months In advance.
Three Years In jail
Mrs. Howe, is described as being
"short. fat. ugly looking and indie
4. scrihnbly vulgar" She couldn't write
grammatically and this was one Of the
causes of her downfall In Boston. for
her lack of culture aroused the srs-
pirion of the authorities at last and
they began an investigation which
landed her In jail.
Then IL came out In the court trial
that Mrs. Howe's quaker" was day
dream and despite the fact that during
the last days of Ladies' Deposit 7
when the run Gstarted. she paid out
between S75.0O0 and $100.OO0 in one
duy, the investigators found that her
Insolvency amounted to $200.0OO. with
the bunk" and some cheap furniture
prufusey covered with gilt as assets
AIRS. Howe insisted to tile last TINT
she was merely a salaried agent. re-
ceiving $120 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 ana
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. J.. r. .Jernegan's scheme for get.
ting gold out of sea water. AS get
rich quick" scheme this Is yet unsur-
pasSed-hoth from the romantic aspect
of the undertaking and In the sheeS
audacity with which 1t was worked
out.
Mr.. Jernegan was a former Baptist
minister, graduate Of Brown uni
versty and Of the Newton Theological
seminary After a few yenrs In the
ministry his health broke down and ne
went south to recover. II was on the
way back that "the heavenly vision
came to =. F. Jernegan. and the
"Elecfrolytic Marine Salts company
took shape In his brain.
The Heavenly vision" according to
the claim Of Jernegan. showed him
marvellous way of getting something
for nothing"--Of getting gold from the
water in the ocean by secret process
He formed company. He opened
offices In this city at 53 state street
and 235 Washington street. The MA
rine Salts company" became slogan
of amazemcnt and wonder. Mr.. Jerne-
gan showed to the doubling Thomases
he met several thin metal plates upon
which there had been crystallized
small deposits Of gold.
He suggested the wonderful secret
In his possession and spoke vaguely
of the fabulous fortune that awaited
him. Financiers. men and women OF
wealth. poor and prOsperous-folks
thronged his offices to buy shares OF
his stock
There was. he affirmed, about four
cents worth of gold In every ton OF
sea water Now. just think of It,
four cents worth In every ton! And
the Atlantic. Pacific, Indian, Arctic
all the oceans in the world were to pay
tribute to his scheme. to make their
deposits of gold In the pockets OF his
shareholders.
Mr.. Jernegan estimated the possible
returns at 72.O00.O00.000 tons of gold.
Boston went into frenzy. All New
Englandrwent into another frenZy.'Mr
.Iernegan went to New York, where he
deposited $4,000 with one of the larg-
! est savings banks there. Soon after
he made another large deposit. The
deposits were checks. A few days af-
ter this he drew out $4,000 and then
STE, 200 In bills. Then the bank told
him that they didn't want his account.
He told New Workers that he In
tended to Issue 2.500.000 shares of
stock at 81 a share Meanwhile. his
friend. one "Frank w. Thompson"
took the money withdrawn from the
New York bank and between them the
paIr. bought $15O.0O0 worth of govern
ment bonds.
Machinery Never Came.
Meanwhile, at North Lubec, Me-. the
Marine Salts company" began opera
tons. A dam was raised, and when
the tide receded 1t left water twenty
feet deep behind the dam. This was
TO be flowed over the "secret" ma
chine invented by Mr.. Jernegan, and
by "secret" process the metal plates
called accumulators, were to gather the
gold from the sea.
More than 600 workmen were hired,
and the buildings were begun. BY this
time 100000 shares of the stock had
been sold and the capital was In the
hands of the ex-clergyman who had
had the 'vision."
To work the plant at Its proper ca
pacity, machinery. of course, was nee
essary Mr.. Jernegan and his partner
boarded French liner for LeHavre
France, to get the machinery. Mr.
Jernegan took passage as Louis Sim
oIotr - Cu,too no NTH afha noooc co IN