Year: 1869

From she Syracuse Journal, Jan. ~


some n months M ago two young men opened st store n
display generally. The business was tina. d tee.
OF tea chests. and windows were replste with
samples OF fne Oolong, Souchong, Young and Old
They made their purchases Of the prominent whole.
sale houses In this CITY, who gave them credit; and
the amount Of goods purcnased was large aney nsd
leaving the store every day BY express and
freight for the rural dealers. stun the long
locker In upon this scene OF seening thrift and COM
mendable Industry. The debts OF the firm were
sale houses having the strongest faith in their In
tegrity and ability to pay, trusted them more and
more But there must sooner OF iaer e come s ong aas
not this transaction, 80 long hid from the light Of
day and the knowledge even OF the parties most


flashed up suddenly like meteor, but, we regret TO
say. too late for . remedy. day or two since
was presented at the desk OF the tea nrm, when
the collector was coolly informed that the nrm
to whom the bill was made out had no legal ex.
istence having sold out 10 the present proprietor
some two weeks since. Here was an eye opener M
deed, and the clerk hastened back TO inform his en-
employers that the great tea house OF -"


with their of chests aud caddes, their flaming
door post and Dtels their monstrous rs and scarlet
fact, ..basted.n Back hastcned tue business man Of
the wholesale hrm to nnd that his double OF another
house was on the spot, astounded 70 learn thas
things were a. they we're. consultation was held,
and they being again assured BY the .gentlemanIy
and urbane- proprietor OF the establishment that the
previous nrm had sold out to him and ieis
Tor where he knew not, II was determined 10
seize the goods In the store. And here comes
the best part Of the story, or perhaps The worst TO
those financially Interested. The boxes OF tea, those
long rows, with their startling appearance Of Inn
mense business when opened were found TO contains
not 1ne Japan and Young Hyson, not the leaf from
which rs distilled Intoxicating Gunpowder and
English Breakfast nor the amver-colored juices Of
Imperial Oh Ooiong. OF these but the most COM
mon OF common sawdust The prospect OF realizing at
least portion OF the Indebtedness was thus rudely
dispelled as under consideration can sane peo-
pie be Induced to buy sawduss and call u tea.
Nothing short OF the most successful adultere-
tion could ever get rid OF thai sawdust so We
see that the old time adage concerning the deceit
funess OF appearances still holds its own even In
ths age OF honest u dealing. The present owner Of
the sawdust tea chests and goodwill OF the formef
firm says he came into power upon notes held Dy
him and the payments OF large sums OF money. The
large sums OF money, upon examination, were found
to consist OF sixty.four cents fully enough, We
should say, 70 pay for his whole stock, and dear as
that.


And 20 the matter stands. The wholesale dealers
have trusted and been bitten; the swinders havo
made money by getting their goods on trust and
selling them for cash; they made good their escape.
and naught ID left but TO point the moral OF trusting
70 appearances by the recital Of this little episode