The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1920-10-07
"Tnvestieate before investing!"

That is lne cry being uttered all
over the United States by bankers
and other wise men.
Among the men sounding such
warning is /. Webster Baker, OF Inc
Guardian Savings & Trust Co.. OIL
Cleveland. Not satisfied with the re-
suits obtained by using liberal dis
play space in daily and financial pa
pers, Baker made startling demon
straIion In a front window OF the
bank which produced some unexpect-
ed results. BY giving new slant u
an ancient iaea, he proved conclu-
slveiy that real folks" WILL swallow
a fake, even when a warning is plas-
tered all over 1t.
He put large, fambouyant poster
in the banks front window, anu
1anked it on one side with the Sill
houette of a huge cat, and on the
other with that of grotesQueiy
large gray rat. The alluring poster
is reproduced at the beginning or
this article.
The advertisement is old, having
been handed about in typewriter
rorm Tor the past ten years. II Is
such an obvious fake that the orlgl-
nal perpetrator did not think 1t nee
essary to label it as such. BAKER
however, knowing something OF the
puplic's credulity, thought IT best 10
make this proposition fool-proot.
Therefore, beneath the exhibit, IN
larga letters, he warned the passer-
by as follows: .
some gullole people will try to
buy this stock. 1t is foolish faKe'
vi course, but no more foolisn than
many wildcat schemes being pro-
noted today. Investigate before In
yesung. DON'T hand your money
over to any unknown glib-tongued
salesman"
NOW comes the amazing part OF
lhe story. immense crowds gatner-
ed in front of the window TO read
the announcement and wonder at IL.
Inc mob grew, reaching often out "
the curb. Then the curiosity VI the
public became inlensined, and after
patiently waiting TO get near enough
10 the window TO read the bulletin
some went inside the bank, offering
various rewards to employees to fur-
nlsh them with copy of the matter
displayed in the banks window.
Others asked for literature about the
new company. Officers of the BANK
began to get inquiries by telephone,
IN person, and through the mails. Al
hrst the bank officials regarded the
INQUIRIES merely as pleasantries, but
rs the requests for information IN
creased they realized that the peo-
pie asking about the California
Ranching Company were really IN
earnest.
rne information bureau was kept
busy answering inquiries about TINS
wonderful opportunity to get rlch
quick.
1t may seem incredible that hun
dreds OF persons should have been
fooled by something which
was plainly labeled fake. AS a
precaution against possible over
statement of the case, the editor o.
the American Magazine asked Mr'
Baker to read the manuscript OF this
article carefully. Here is an excerpt
1of Bakers letter in reply.
81 am returning herewith the
manuscript relative to the California
Ranching Company. The statement
suggests very inadequately the nood
of INQUIRIES We received regarding a
stock which we supposed our repre-
sentations had made fool-proof.
"a fellow-officer to whom l show
ed the attached copy Of your article
replied, The half has not yet been
told. for you have apparently erred
Oh the side of conservatism Ihe
fact is, the inquiries regarding the
California Ranching Company were
so numerous that the advertisement
became a nuisance
One fine appearing man, VINO
looked wise enough to head bank,
approached with this inquiry:
Can you tell me where can ge;
prospectus about the stock that is
! being advertised in your show win
! dow"
After it had been explained to him
! that this was just clever advertise
lment. and that there was no Call
fornia Ranching Company, he Went
away laughing at himself.
Next came an impressive-looking
man between fifty and sixty years OF
age, who hailed from Buffalo as