The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-09-25
SUCKERS LOSE BILLION
DOLLARS EVERY YEAR
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT
REVEALS WILES OF SLICK
ERS WHO PREY ON FOLK.
EASY MARKS ARE PLENTIFUL

Inspectors Find That Thousands of
Americans Fall for the Schemes of
Those Who Want to Get Rich
Without Working.
There's a sucker born every min
Ute" is a saying that has been dis
proved by the United States postoffice
department. According to its findings
there is a sucker born about every
ten seconds.
The postoffice department is engag-
ed in a never ending war on swim
dlers. Postmaster General Harry S.
New estimates that the American peo-
pie are swindled out of $1,000, 000,0 900
every year by one class of fraudulent
schemes alone.
Six hundred inspectors are engaged
in running down the criminals who
seek to diminish the purses of the
American people, or rather those
hundreds of thousands who are pop
ularly known as suckers" through
schemes, some of which are so clever
that even wise and sober business
men are fooled.
Selling Oil Stock.
Many persons part with their hard
den riches is to be gained by invest
ing in OIL. This belief is fostered by
the literature of fake oil companies,
whose sole purpose is to extract the
dollars from the pockets of the guilt
bic. "Own your own home" and
Take a trip to Europe" and Buy
yourself car" are some of the fiat
tering hopes held out by the promo
tiers.
The overworked bookkepeer and the
school teacher with dreams fall for
this stuff and remit their savings of
life time. In New York, or Chica-
go, or San Francisco some fat per-
son, with a diamond stick pin in his
necktie, pockets the remittance and
the bookkeeper and school teacher
start to save all over again.
The inspectors arrested swindler
in the south who sold medicine that
could cure about every known all
ment and disease affecting the human
race. The man was asked on the wit
ness stand whether his medicine
could bring back the dead to life" "
He admitted that it couldn't restore
the dead, but it gave him an idea.
Shortly after being released from
prison he began peddling a medicine
that had the power to bring back the
dead to life. He is again doing time.
"Lovers-for 10 cents you get $175
free package patent lovine perfumed
powder to win lovers" Dimes from
all over the country poured into the
Golfers of the slicker who sold the
above powder, guaranteed to win the
love of unwilling male or female if
sprinkled on the person in sufficient
quantities.
The inspectors found that the pow
der was ordinary baking soda satur-
ated with a cheap perfume.
Mexican Retired.
The effrontery of the Mexican, who
sold 100 cigars, of the 10 cent brand,
for 81, was amazing to the inspectors.
Many Americans sent 81 apiece to the
Mexican, who, in turn, sent form
letter saying that he had retired from
business and would be unable to for
ward the cigards. He kept the dollars.
Foreign concerns are flooding this
country with literature concerning
pure concentrations of Sherry, Rhine
Port, Madeira or Malaga wines" The
department found that the extracts
were not what acclaimed for them,
though thousands of dollars went
across the Atlantic in the hope that
thirst would be satisfied in due course
of time: