Year: 1873

Prize Associations and ConRding SUBJ


scribers.


We are constantly in receipt of inquiries
regarding the honesty or dishonesty Of gift
concerts and prize associations which profess
to give away tempting sums of money, houses.
pianos and valuable articles of jewelry to for
tunate subscribers of small sums varying from
twenty-five cents to one dollar In soma
instances we are told that the HERALD is
offered as a reference by these concerns, or
that the proprietors quote the HERALD as
having warmly commended their enterprise
communication Of this character, requesting
information as to the standing of one OF these
associations is published elsewhere in to-day's
paper, and it affords a fair specimen Of tho
simplicity that is to be found in the world in
the nineteenth century. 1t appears that the
attention of our correspondent was attracted
to an advertisement which set forth that cash
gifts to the amount OF nine hum
dred and ffty-fve thousand dollars in sums
varying from one hundred thousand dollars
to one hundred, besides sewing machines,
pianos, melodeons, silverware, jewelry, &c,



would be distributed by the Prize Association
among subscribers Of twenty-five cents who
might be fortunate enough to secure prize.
Although he belongs to the wide-awake city Of
Chicago, famous for monte dealers, confagra-
tops and divorces, he venthred his twenty-five
cents, and received in return the gratifying
information that he had drawn o piano, valuo
three hundred and fifty dollars, which would
be forwarded to him on receipt of nine dollars.
cash, by the Association, 'sno goods being
forwarded G. O. D." Our correspondent
desires us to inform him whether the concern
is genuine, and whether he will really receive
the piano if he complies with the request Of
the Association. We have no doubt whatever
that if he sends his nine dollars he will be
fully enlightened on all these points.


The laws of the State of New York do not
sanction these gift enterprises, and hence any
of them which profess to be acting nnder
State law make q false pretence. The HERALD
never approves or recommends such concerns.
and hence any Of them that may make the
stupid assertion that they are endorsed by the
HERALD are clearly frauds and q person Of
common sense would SO understand them
But these gift enterprises are, after all, only
another branch of the Buchu banking busi-
ness and the Buchu railroad business and the
Buchu mining business. To be sure they arc
on q less princely scale than their more pro-
tentious brothers, but their object is the same
They endeavor to make money out Of the GRE
dulity of the. people; they are lies and
cheats upon their face; their golden promises
are made for the purpose Of imposing upon
the unsophisticated they swindle their
victims without scruple or remorse. Do they
differ in this trom'the Buchu banker and the
Buchu protector? Not at all. Indeed, the
latter are the most dangerous and the most
criminal Of the class for, while your gift
enterprise fraud only takes trifle out of the
pockets Of fools, your Buchu bankers and
your Buchu spectators beggar the confding
and make paupers of the widow and the
orphan. Our counsel to all who are tempted
by the golden promises of the one or the
other is to keep their money in their pockets
We think our Chicago correspondent will be
richer, if not WISER if he follows this advice.