Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times, 1889-6-27, Page 2(CAMEAu F in:SU:bee limns or A araers.—Pianoo bey° been ritAuDz ON FARM.E1i$,.IN oN.Thxo ety the tentaxio Departnueut ot Agriculture, The followleg 13o11etin, c'ealinn with frande on farmers is: Ontario, is hued on ire formation stlinened by 820 of the replier cotrespondents of the 13tireau, under date of June 1, inst. 4, Beam, Secretary. TORONTO, June 12. The replies to questions: sootout by this Bureau regardizag frauds op farmers ads:it the timeliness oe the enquiry. In feet, the answers received would lead to the conclusion that the rural population of the province 18 still reckoned as good prey by certain glib - tongued and unscrupelous fellows, who are thriving on the igcorance, vanity or cupidity of their victims. But, on she other hand, the replies also show that the femurs are becoming well informed regarding the operations of the owindlers who infest the townships, and while this knowledge Imo sometimes been bought by a costly and painful experience, more frtquently it las been gleaned ftom the warning columns of the press of the proving°, whioh has done good service in exposing frauds on agricul- turists. With the exception of the noborious seed wheat and oet swindles, there appeara to have been a marked falling off in the num- ber of frauds practised on farmers during the past ewo years. Nevertheless, a system of:deoeption and roguery has been brought to light: which it is the purpose of this Bun Utile briefly to describe. SCOPE 03? TEE Fnearns.—Among the other ardeles reported as having been used in frau- dulent transactions are churns, washing machine, puraps, harnesa, eickk grinders, stove -pipe shelves, land rollers, plows, barb- ed wire, lightning rods, hay forks, weigh males, roofing paint, pianoe, sewing made- ines, fruit trees, etc., as well as various kinds of patient righte. Brief descriptions of the moat widely practised of these awin- dies are given, and they may be taken as samples of the whole. Tem Loo& -t, Aueur Reeneee.—The pump fraud was worked extensively in Bruce and other western counties a year or two ago, something after this fashion: A travelling agent comes to a farmer and asks him to be-. come an agent for the sale of iron pumps, offering. as an inducement to place one pump IA the farmer's .well free, The parties come to an agreement) by which the farmer consents to receive eleven pumps which he is to sell at $15 a pieta, keeping.$5 on each pump for his COMMIE.. eion, and sending the balance to the company as the articles are sold. The farmer then signs what he believes to be an order for the pumps on these terms, but the paper turns out to be a promissory note for $165, the retail price of the eleven pumps. Sometimes a note is asked for, merely to cover the value of thepumps "on exhibition' at the farm house, and occasionally there is a " verbal understanding " that the unsold puinps will be taken back; but, while the note invariably turns up, the man with whom the farmer had the verbal understand- ing never appears again. A number of these pumps are now rusting in western barus. This style of fraud, which is known as the " local agent racket," has been worked in the dbposal of several of the other articles :named in the preceding paragraph. fully poid •Or in oath by iarmere, who then ginned what they were told was en aokeemr, ledgement of the recant of the ineaureent, which, hovrever, b e lien upon the article until a teuond payment es :ramie. Old clewing meoliiime have been polithee up, royarniehed relined off ao new, end many clever but rascally Woke have been pracniaed by re - fakers of machinery in order to get a job or effect the sale of a rival article. Sirup1r PniennEns.---Shoddy peddlers are reported all over. These fellows generally travel in are, an the stories they tell re- garding their Mock are ingenions. They represent a greet Eng or Soon:le house which on afford to out away below Canedicen prima; an 'neuron:le eonmeny has forced the sale of the goods; a wholesale home is Anxious to deal direct: with the purolaser ; or some other plausible tale is repeated with unblushing effrontery. A little factory ootton is sometimes sold at two or three Dents a yard with the oloth, 80 08 to lead the buyer to believe that he is getting 41 the goods at Equelly favorable rates, and the ahoddy dealers also claim to have made arrangeznenta with Some looal tailors to make up :tufts from their done ati prices next to nothing. Sales are seldom made below $30. The goods are of the peered texture, and often will not stand Sewing together. BOGUS JEWELLERE.-1VI3rly farmers have been fleeced by peddlers of bogus jewellery and iznitation gold and silver watches. The alleged gold watohea are of no real commer- cial value, being made of some °heap com- poeition, bue as high as nee have been paid for them. Valuable jewellery and firat °lase watches are never peddled. Boon AuutiTs,-1330k agents are not peculiar to the rural districts; but many of our oorrespondenta charge this °lass of agents with fraud. And in some ins:tam:a the oharge appears to be sustained. Foot Sun.—Several correspondeats char- acterise as fraud the custom of selling foul seed, containing a plentiful admixture of mustard, red root and other weede hard to ....e4en'it get rid of. (knew GOODS.—The province has been flooded with circulars offering to supply counterfeit money, "printed from genuine plates used by former workmen." An al- leged newspaper clipping accompanies the circular describing a fictitious case, in which O Male charged with passing some of the notes was diaoharged upon go eernment ex - parts refusing to awear that the money was not genuine. "In fact they could not," says this remarkable expert, "as they were positive that the bills were as good ae any issued by government," do. Any man who is rogue enoneli to enter into this swindle will lose his own good inoney, and instead of the "green goods" so woneerfully described in the bogus court: report, he will get a package of sawdust and a lesson that he richly deserves. VIOTIMS or VANITY.—Many farmers have fallen victims to their vanity. A Simooe correspondent shows up this weakness in the followingsketoh, which is true to life: The principal resorted to by the hayfork and other agents is judicious flattery. Well - to do fa rmers are approached by. the swind- ler, who pretends to be slummed at the forethoughe of the farmer in the laying out of his farm and compliments him upon the convenienoe of the buildings, appearance of the mops, eto., and then when the farmer.. begins to feel that he is after all quite smart, the agent informs him that he has a very valuable labor-saving machine which he desires to get introduced into the neighbor- hood, and as he (the farmer) has been recom- mended as the most influential man in the vicinity he desires his aid. He offers him a high pereentage, and tells nim that he will not rEqiiine to pay or make returns until the article,: are sold. If the flattered farmer consents, he signs an agreement to act as agent, but in a few weeks the delivery man comes around with the goods, and to the horror of the farmer this simple agreement to act as agent has been changed to an order for goods to be paid for on delivery. Tem Pnobassonv Non Throx.—Space will permit the description of but two or three other kinds of hand. One of these le thus outlined by a Nassageweya correspon- dent; The plan of catehing farmers on these articles (washing machines'sickle grinders, etc.) was to induce them to become agents for their sale, and sign an agreement in triplicate, one paper to be held by the con- tracting party, and one to be sent to the manufacturing firm. The agreement held by the farmer was all right, but by some means the other paper always turned out to be a promiesory not for one hundred:dollars. A bold attempt at swindling is told by a. Norwich correspondent In the following wards: Mr. M. was asked by two agents who called on him to give his name as reference to whom could be submitted the names of purchasers of pumpe, in order to and out their financial standing. He wrote it, num- ber of lot and all, on a piece of paper sup- plied by an agent, who left it lying on the table while he drew Mr. M.'s atten- tion to something out of doors, the three men going outside. Agent No. 2. was cold and went in to warm himself, saw the paper, 'naked it up, and after reading it took it and went away with his commare ion. After they had departed Mr. M. looked for the papers, and was informed by the women in the house where it had gone. He started in pursuit of his late visitors and aftengoing five miles caught up to them. Being a powerful and determined man he was nob long in inducing them they give up the paper, when he found that he had signed a note for $300. This bears oub the charge made by other correspondents that a promissory note lies hidden under the paper the farmer believes he is singing, and than by a little manual defteriey the dishonest went can get an unsuspecting meat to sign any dominant. It is diffioulb to immure copies of at:cap- tive contracts, as the victims in many caz. es are ashamed to show them, and the swindlers are too shrewd to permit cop. lea of the forms to get into other hands than those inter. decl. Some of the document, however, are mese ingeniously arranged, a conditional orders or even a receipt for storage being easily transformed into a negotiable note. The agreeMent looks in- nocent enough, bub if it be tore off between the words "or" time "bearer " ie ie turned into an ugly promiesory nete. A MARRIAGE GAME.–.,The EWA impudent fraud yet recorded took piece only a short time ago, in a western COURty. A clerical looking gentleman, moompanied, by a blitah ing young couple, drove up to farmer's reeidenoe when it was explained to the master tithe place that the young lady, who was on her way to be married, had taken a white:deal notion to be married id the hand. some farrnhouee, and had maxedher intended husband and the mtniater to ask that the deremony be performed tinder such beautiful surroundings. The request Was moornpanied by the offer da liberal payment for the privilege. The braid- we delighted with the propositioh, and lent his assietance heartily, The couple were duly united, 'a sumptuons repaetr Wa8 spreed, and all went merry. The briclegrocen wag munificeett, eta preesed $40 upon the obliging host, for TEE RAY -FORE SWINDLE.—The hayfork swindle, like the Canada thistle, hes appear- ed ha nearly every section of the province. In many cases it b worked exactly as the pump fraud described above, bub occasional ly it takes a form of this sort: A represent- ative of the firm calla upon the farmer and offers to put up a key -fork for nothing if the farmer will accept an agency for the fork, terms which the latter is only too willing to accepb. A few days afterwards a second representative of the makers comes along and gets the farmer to sign a statement of his affairs, "jut to show that he is a res- ponsible party." In the course of a week or two the victim is surprised to learn that the so-called statement of affairs is really a skil- fully worded order for a number of forks, and that they have arrived at the nearest railway sta,tion. Sometimes the farmer gives an order for forks, there being a verbal agreement that he is to pay for the forks only as they are sold; but in such case a note k taken to cover possible loss by fire or other accident, and this note invariably finds its way inte the hands of a third party for collection. Eauu Rolm:B.—An agent for a patent roller a few years ago persuaded several farm- ers of Shame to join in a note to the extent of $10 &niece for one of his implements. The note was discounted, but the roller never ar- rived. PANNING Minas, —A peculiar fanning mill swindle is reported by,aMiddlesex correapon deni, who writes : Several years ago a firm started in the fan- ning mill buainess. They were not summa- nd in their canvassing, so they rented a room near London market and exhibited the mill in working order. Their method was to invite: farmers to inspect their mill and iss work,lwhich was apparently very good. They then asked the farmers to sign in a large book a recommendation of the mill and its work, and every ismer who signed had a mill sent to him, On refusal of payment they were aued. Some paid and some stood a mit, when the fraud was exposed and the busi- ness wound up. LIGHTNING RODS.—The hands la comm. tion with lightning rods are too well known to need description here. During the peer two or three yeare there has been o decidnd bill in this class of swindle, owing to expoaure in the western 0011rtS. PATENT PAGET Anunotes.--While faxmers have thrown away a good deal of money by accepting agencies for patent rights, the loss in the majority of 9ileee has resulted not ett much from the fact that the articles wete without value in tlaemseives, but rather on account of the poor judgment of the pur- chaser in taking an article for which there Wes no local demand, or in paying an um. reasonable sum for a too limited territory. widen he obtainen a receipt. ; and the bridal ovirieno° thab4Peculatiou was nab his %arty bit menet it sheWer of oongeetulatiens. Sene Repel to thie fiale is to b(i found in a court case, in which the elleged teceipt turn. ed tela b the hands ef 4 third party ae a peonziesory note for $401) 1 Reereeme. Meesitneee—Many and varied are the ways and tams suggestee& by alr 11) correspondents for the preventi 0 stud ours) of the fraudulent egeney peat. f these tne matority are impracticable; others are too cumbersome; very few even begin tee solve the diffioulty. Some eeeen to be laboring under the impression that the Legislature has but to lift its finger in order to sweep every offending agent from th laud. To r say the least, such have but a ange idea of the funotionr of the law oro the Legis lature. The Legislature cannonthink for a man, neither can it become as common mines or good judgment to him, As to instaroe of this, 11 18 suggested by several that the Government should eppomb offitiale in each (meaty who may be called in when teeth transactions are being negotiated to watoh the interest of the farmer, and to read over ID him the conditions of the °snored or the note so as to protect him generSily f min all sitoh ravening wolves as agenb and Red. dime It is needless to say thatauggeatione of thia kind are very inapredicable. It seems generally to be ooncedecl, however, that the farmers would read theneWsPaPera nerefully thete is no reason why they should not be fully informed regarding (the greater number of fraadulent transaoticub, Among the more teatible of the suggestions the fol lowing may be noted; That in every country agents be required to obtain a permit or license, to be batted at the diseretion of the Impeder of Licenses, or some duly authorised individual, after proving that their btu:into:is of a bona fide obaxaoter ; and that such licentie elan be shown to any ratepayer oe demand; failing to do this that they may be summar- ily dealt with. A correspondent writes that the municipal council of Amherst Island hos already edopted suoh a measure, and that it appears to work well. Akin to this are the ouggee- dons : "that every agent be required to pay a heavy license or deposit Wore pro- ceeding to do business, and that the law provide a very heavy penalty in all oases of conviction for fraud;" "that all implements subject to a lien be Mempod with a metallic, stamp bearinge4 penalty suffioienteo prevent its removal until discharge of mid lien ;" and "that fraudulent prat:tic:ea be discussed more unreservedly at tlae meetings Ed farmers' institutes, divhion grangea, eto." These, with greeter publicity by the press, appear perhaps to be the most convenient means that could be taken at the present: titne without special legislation. The Only steps that appear to have been taken to 'prevent fraud, excepting the by-law of the Atnherab Island council, already, referred to ap- pear to have been through exposures in the press, and by the distribution of hand bills and posters. There is considerable wisdom and advice contained in many of the follow - suggestions of correspondents, some of which may strike home: ,- (I) That farmers atick to their legitimate eznployment, and hasten slowly to accumu- late wealth. The man who devotes his time to agencies must necessarily do so at the ex- pense of hie farm. (2) Only a dishonest MAR drives to get the advantage of hia neighbor. (8) Deal with none but well established firms, and properly authorised agents. (4) Never tame anything for se .atranger, and in all oases read carefully what you te et Nnuseuv AOrerS,--From every quarter come complaints of frandulepe nursery agents. The °barge made against thin clam is that they eheab the farmer: (1) By charg. ing exorbitant pricea fot alleged new or rare varieties Of fruit and other treee whieh are either worthiest: or, at the best, old variatiee under a new name. (2) 13y repreeenting °ere Iain trees or ehrubs te be hardy When they are utterly unsuited for the eon or climate. (3) Bysending common and in- ferior trees nstead of the standard Borth ordeted. (4) By ahipping treen eto., at unseaeonable times,and often in a dead or dying condition, owing to oarelese, nem in peeking, Sometimes the agent will per. eonally agree to replace all trees dying with- in three years, but after the firet mason he is in paetures news. In,, this conneotioe a correspondent pante out the danger te meth. aerie from certain wandering graf tern, Ile etatee that One Of these peripatetic gatclertere seas heard to bomb that he never rem rthert oi aciotte while any orehatd wag near; Or itt other wore, any graft WoUld ao if their eupply ran out, motive for taking pert zu tne enterpriee, but chiefly to improve the quality of his steed. As mon at: the oonaignment was :emitted- by pied fttobhreem: rpo:f oe tie e e Ye tell: ;el b-134;:enn cb was the latter alternative, nosiring to see hoe would eurn out before pey- demanded by Hope, either in cash or in the Meat WAS MAde ; but after discovering the true natpre of ette transaction, and that engagerneate had not been entered into exeept in one or two came either tonow the seed or return half the crop, As represented by Rymal, he refused payment when the note fell dile and was presented by one mama Peter WOOIL The wheat had in the meantime been dietributed ae agreed upon, and in the majority of oases the samples were accepted and sown, although all the promeater received after harvest WAS Bonk three querters of a bushel. The wbeet turned out to be neither new nor improved and was in fad merely the old Senecas or Clawson variety, and in aorne cases the yield did not exceed 18 buehels or: the °ere, although at least 30 bushels webs guaranteed. The prosecutor then proceeded against Rymel, chewing him as above, with obtaining money under false pretence,:; and although 'the prieonerta eouneel contended thet the nutlibag of the note waaapat ,due to the repreeenta- tionstof the priecnier, and. aleolhat it pole' too remote a consequence to render him lieble under the AM, the County Judge °Moldered it to be the outcome of the defendant'a frau. dnlent and false prebnslona, and that ou thia ground alone he might be convicted. J wlq- mepb was given accordingly, sentence being suspended pencl-a reference of the Otitle jay theCounty Judge to thejtidgee of the Queen's Bench Division, and the defendant lying in goal in default of bail for his appearance when required for sentence. The higher court confirmed the conviction. Deems v. Cunner.--A, case tried at Ox- ford Spring Assizes, February 15, 1889, be- fore Juatioe Faloonbridge. The defendant was described as a man of respectable ap- pearance and bearing Mildew:es of education and intelligence of a high order. Re ac- knowledged having been quite conscious of the obligation he was undertaking. In Nov- ember, 1886, a man named Parry, represent- ing himself as an agent of the Ontario Seed Grain Oo., called on the defendant at his home in Blenheim township, together with an acqueintanoe named Lepiere. The de- fendant was induced by these parties to purcham 30 bushels of "White Star" oats, at $15 per bushel, for which he gave lib note, and signed a document attested by.all parties, setting forth that the Company agreed to sell to responsible parties, within one year from date, the proceeds of the defendant's crop when harvested, to the amount of 60 bushels, and to'pay the defend- ant at the rate of $15 per bushel (or $900) for whioh he agreed to take hie pay in notes, less a discount of 33A per cent. on all notes taken for all his oats sold at $15 per bushel, deigned as commiasion by the Company for their share in the transaction. By this means the defendant expected to get back a dear profit of about $120, allowing for interest. It was also stipulated that the transaction should be considered of a spoon- lative character, and that it: wee not based upcn the real value of .bhe grain. The de- fendant mowed the thirty bushels of oats and realised 180 bushels, but, needless to say, the Ontario Seed Grain Co. did not fulfil its agreement to sell 60 bushels of his oars. In the meantime, however, the note was negoti- ated (although the defendant was given to understand that such would not be the case), and ultimately fell into the hands of the plaintiff, who acquired it: for value, and be- fore it because due. ret snit ne recover, Was then brought against defendant, who had no remedy, the company having proved A myth, and the plaintiff pleading ignorant: of the °imamate:ices connected with the cam. Judgment was therefore awarded both° plain- tiff for amount of note and interest. EXTRACTS PROM REPORTS —Hundreds .of hest:ewes of frauds are given in the reports of correspondents, but those quoted below are in some oases open and saleable, but in other oases they are of a character °Mau- laten to deceive the shrewdest of men. Lewis Simpson, Dorchester S., Elgin: The greatest fraud imposed on the farmers throughout this nountry was the Red Lion seed wheat and seed oats swindle. This township alone has suffered a loos of $3,000 by the seed grain fraucba. Wm. Welsh, Huron, Bruce: I have seen six or seven oases where farmers have been badly taken in by accepting agencies. These "agencies," the farmer often finds, are simply a means of working in on the farmer a large order, for which he has given leis note. The farmer believes he is merely, accepting the agency but the sharper adroitly substibutes a note ranging from $100 to $400. Only a few cases 00Me to the knowledge of the public, as the parties are thoroughly ashamed ab being so simple.. The wheat frauds, owing to their peculiar features, have been more public. Peter Raid, Kinloss, Brum : There have been some very questionable deals made in pumps. I know of some parties who thought they had ordered one or two, and had one or two deem sent to them, and had to pay for them, too. John looth, Normanby, Grey: Orders for grain bays at half price have been taken here, but while the order reappears as a promissory note there are no bags forthoom. bag. C, Cross, Inniafil, Simaoe : A numbet of our farmers have been defrauded by taking agencies. About twenty were taken in on sickle grinders at $30 each, and three or four on hay forke at from $100 to $200 each. John Darby, Vespra, Shame: Several parties here agreed to become agents for the sale of plows and other implemente, as they thought on commission, but found that the agreement dgned turned out to be a promis. nary note for the full value of the goodie The hey fork and sickle grinder swindle:: were also worked here. James A. Glen, Westminster, Middle- sex : The Red Lion wheat swindle caught :some fanners, and has been ventilated in the courts. E. 11. Brown, Niesouri E., Oxfard : Hay forks have been used aft a means of many fraudulent transaotione in thie township. One farmer thought he wee getting one fork but hie oder turned out to be for twenty- five, and the forka proved to be worthlese and unsaleable. Alex. MeFarlane Norwich 8 Oxford A young men of my acquaintance aped ati order JO an iron thelf coating $1 to encircle a stove pipe, and was taken by eurpriee to find he had one hundred Shelves bri his hands °casting $100. Thome Good, Brantford, Brant: A good many farmers were taken in by the "Red Lion" Wheat and the "White Star" oats. A fete mare ago there WAS A large ewindle in fruit treee by an Ateerioan from Ohio selling the i‘WIltl, Goose" pium, lie took lerge atriourit Ot monay aft Of the tOW32- ship. Meet of the trees proved neelees, and many were AMA When they arriVed. Win. WhitelaW, Gaelph, Wellington: Three yeare ago last Marth etYlibh young gent ea:mend Clio part of Inc townahip, havieg With hire o very euperlor sebriplet of 5) Read the newspapers ated AO for 31114 ' 4 (6) Remember 110111 takee a rogue to oaten a rogue. (7) Attend your Fernier& Institute if you are a member ; if nob, pay your dollar like a man and become one. Numerous others are given, and from our more warlike correspondents come vague hints as to shot -guns, pitchforks, doge and boot leather, each of which is mid to be never a failing recipe. NOTES GIVEN' POP. PATENT WGETS.—An Aot of the Dominion Parliament (chap, 123, R. S. C. 1886) providee (1) that in the Me of a bill of exchange or promiesory note, the consideration of which oonsbts in whole or part of the purchase money of a patent right, or of a partial interest in a patent right limited, geographically or otherwise, it shall have written prominently and legibly across its face before issued the words "given for a patent right"; (2) than the transferee (if the note is transferred) shall take it subject to any defence or set-off which would have existed between the original parties; and (3) that anYperson who knowingly issues, sells or transfers by endorsement or delivery any ouch bill of exchange or promissory note not having the words 'given for a patent right" prbited or written across its face b guilty of a misdemeanor and liable to im- prisonment for a tenni not exceeding one year, or to such fine not exceeding $200 au court thinks fit. It is manifest, hem the information given by the correspondents of the Bureau, that there are many other crying nusiances in the country of the same character as those fraudulent potent rights which tha Act of 1884 was designed to prevent, and are equally deserving of special legislation. It may be difficult to frame a law whioh would meet every ease, but the principle of the Aot of 1884 is doubt:leo capable of wide appli- cation. Cesus 10 COURT.—.PWO eases have recent- ly been tried In the eourte in which the rights of parties have been determined. A summary of these oasea ia prettented 10 - bow: Ream v REIWAL.—In this ease of pro- secution for false pretences the evidences token before the County Court Judge of Ontario was submitted to the Court of Ap- peal in Toronto for decision, which was ren- dered Fehruory 14, 1889. In June, 1887, one John W. Bynriel, representing him- self to be an agent on behalt of one Themes Hope for a certain variety of seed wheat termed "The Blue Mountain improved Baileea fall wheat," fraudulently induced the prof:mbar, W. 0, St, John, a fernier, of the township of Beech, county id Ontario, by false representations to enter into certain contract, and afterwards to write hie name to e prombaory note,so that the maim might be need and &alb with no a valuable security ter the benefit of the mid Thome% Hope, by alleging that he (Rymal) had before then obtained from pertain farm. era in the neighborhood signed agreement)) to SOW certain bushels of fall teed wheat (amounting to 26 burthels in the aggregate), and to harvest, thresh and:deliver On the 1st clay of November, 1888, one-half of the wheat produced therefrom tothe farmer from whom they should receive the seed grain, It Was further agreed that unless wheat to the value of $200 wastettirtecl to tshe prose, outer he s(mid not be held responsible, and that hie expenses in the Mader should he pain, 137 this Wane Mr. Ste john Was in. clued to Alga certain papers. by Which he agreed to take 20 bushels Of the wheat, die, bribtiting it by shares as avranged, and to pay for the same at the rate Of $8 per bah - el an delivery. The promenitet stated in hie spring Wheat, te new variety he odd, which was grown on the shoree of lake Erie, and whion would yield. trent 35 to 44 bushel': on pore; and all tne farmer was asked to do was to ten° two or fear hnehele and -give his note, beading hintself to return half the produoe of en411 wheet iu the fall to a cer- coin mimed termer. The bait: took, and thirty Melnik ordered. by cerloia farinere were to be delivered in a week or two. A feet days after a atranger with a demoorot Warn name to my place and bought thirty hue els of apring wheat, put in bags of two bushels eaoh. Tee wheel: was taken to Guelph and given over to a third party, who distribueed it according to order. The farmer to whom the halt of the produot was 10 .10 delivered gave his note for $180 for the %vilest to be received be, him The note was add to a pereon in Guelph and that was the last seen or heard of any of the parties. The wheat was the very %gee thAt had been grown in the neighborhood for years, and spring wheat being a failure that year the purohseer for $1.89 lost nearly that amount. The same game was Denied on in the town- ship of Waterloo the same year. Samuel Kennedy, Gamete:roe Lincoln: Some years ago tbe Bohemian oats and El- dorado whet frauds were boomed here, but not reeently. Liglasning rote men also oper- ated here. George Hart, Saltneet, Wentworth: This township has nee been victimised be, any agents sinoe the Bohemian oat hand and Egyptian wleeat swindle. The lesson they reeeived at that time wee of a kind, to lisse. W. B. Terry, Gwillitubury N., Yoele The seed grain fraud here went under the name of the 'Blue Mountain White Wheat." Simpson Rennie, Soarboron York I have known horsemen who in order to make a sale of fillies, offered to buy the first living foal raieed at 5400; or they have promised to take the Oleo baok at the end cif one year if the purchaser was not satisfied, But did any person ever hear of one taken back pleasantly? J. C. Dunn, Brighton, Northumberland: The oat and wheat swindle was carried on to a large extent in this township lest year, and many more are being led away this year. James Benson, Ameliasburg, Prinoe Ed- ward : Some 300 bushels of oats have been sold in this township during the last six or eight months at $10 a bushel, the dealer agreeing to assist the farmer to sell his entire orop of oats at $7.50 per bushel. As the losses heretofore sustained have been slight, this Hullos oats scheme seems to take with the farmers, and a lot of them have been gulled. W. R. Leaven, Hallowell, Prime Ed- ward: Almost nine one of every ten farmers in this vicinity have been persuaded into giving notes varying from $100 to $500 for Bohemian or Hallos oats. Whether it is a fraud or not remains to be seen. They did as per agreement last year, and say they will do so this year, too. David Moran, Sophiaaburg, Prince Ed - word: I a acquainted with transactions be- tween farmers and the oat men to the extent of nearly $3,000 in Amelkabarg and Sophias- burg. H.A.Beker, Camden, Lennox and Adding- ton I cannot tell the Hulleas oata scheme - here, as the fraud. haft exposed in the toed pa- pers, and some purchasers are cteharned to let it be known that theywera taken in. I know of a number who have given their notes for $100 and all the wee, up to $400 for those Hulless oats within the past year. George Lott, Richmond, Lennox: The traffic in Haiku oats has but recently be- gun in dna county, and this township has not been mash affected. The township of Erresttown, Adolphustown, the two Fredericksburga and Antherat Ishend have been the base of their operations. The amount involved is estimated by some auth- odder: at $30.000, but it is probably over- estitnated. Only persons financially sound have been approached. The press of this county has strenuously endeavored to expose the infamous nature of the swindle, and their action has resulted in preventing itt contin- uance. William Doyle, Osgood°, Carleton : Among others we have had the linen fraud, * wonderful talker who was selling fine linen for less than half price. He said in no case did his firm allow him to take money, and orders for two or three dollars worth turned out to be for so many hundreds. FOREIGN NEWS. Educate Metternich ie revisiting Paris, and great attention is paid ta her. The growth of Ruseia'a naval power on the Black Sea is very marked. Besides an addl., tion to her fleet already under way one bee just ordered three kerne:see konolads of 11,s 000 tons, 12,0b0 home power, and 6 heavy gur. 000rding to the Gannett "Msgazbne of Shepogrephy" the proceedings of the jape - nese Parliament are reported verbatim by mean s of a stenographic system original in Japan. The characters are written 10 per- pendicular rams front right to lefb. That bhe lance is regarded in Garineny as the proper weapon for cavelry appeareml sin the :unitary review in Berlin in honokr of King Humbert:. The cuiraesiera, r' Who formerly were merely armed with sabre and cubicle, now carry lances like the uhlans, and it is even ia contemplation to give the same weapon to the humars The Frenoh are endeavoring to raise the funds f or a Congo railway, which will pull entirely through .Preneh territory in omen Bitten to the scheme for a railway from Vivi to Stanley Pool to the Elver Kwilu, 100 kilometres, Steps, it is said, will be taken to render the Kwilu navigable, and so establish direct communication between the Congo and the Atlantic. A Belgien journal gives an account of a beauty show held at Paris in 1655. In re - membrane° of the oldest competition of the kind the prizes were golden apples, The first prize was, of course, awarded to the Quen of France, and the second was obtained with 1,723 poinbs by a Mile, Se. mure. lifosb of the prize winnere Were ladies from Normandy. The globe in the Paris Exhibition re. p2088018 the earth on the settle of one - millionth, and is nearly 100 feet in diameter. Paris °couples about 10 third of an inch. AU the great lines of communioation by laud and sea aro ahown in. detail. The earth's daily rotation will be -preciaely imi- tated by clockwork, a point of the globe's equator moving an eightieth of an ineh per seerltdr.aveller recently returned from Tur- key says that the dress of the ladies of Con- stantinople has become so much like that of their "Infidel" sisters that a wife of the Sultan would attract very little attention in an English streeb. The " Feridje," the large shrouding mantle'is shaped almost like a dolman, and is feet at the back has &minima& to a collar which is fastened by a knot of ribbons in front, and is sometimes trimmed with lace. The "yashmak," or veil, is very thin, and long Reeves are worn. Heilesses to $75,000 000. There are two little girls in T0000a who are related, on their father's side, to ex -Gov- ernor Fenton, of New York, ex President Grover Cleveland Governor Hill, Mr. Fargo, of Wells, Fargo & Co., and on their mother's side to ex -President Jefferson Davis, and thus are a connecting link between the North and South. They can trace their Holland anceetry back 200 years to a wealthy nobleman named Wieber. He bIt a.will bequeathing $60,000,- 000, to be held in trust 200 years, and bhen to be divided among his descendants who should, at the Expiration of that time, be living, and, in addition, plate and jewels valued at $16,000,000 to be likewise divid- ed in the same way, Ten years wore, by the terms of the will, to be added to the 200, during whioh time the heirs were to be hunted up, and if all were found the vast sum, the plate, and the jewels were to be equally divided between them ; if all could not be found this great wealth was, to go to the orown of Holland. It so happened that one of the heirs was a sea captain, and he could not be found, though moat diligent and anxious :search RAS made for hirn. Ten years flew awiftly by and brought no tidings of the lost captain, though he was the necessary link in the chain thatconnectel the heits to the great treasure. He was never found and so the treasure was turned over to Holland's king and queen, and these little Toccoa ladies will never get their share, The present queen of Holland is dot, only a few years °icier than the Sweet little memo we sometimes see toddling along Toccoa's streets. The News suggests that a letter be sent from these little ladies to the young Qviman asking her to mad over some cf that treasure, and plate and jewels to the rightful bene --uroecoa (Ga.) News. M. Pietrement hae recently read a paper before the Anthropolegbal Society of Patin, on the origin and evolution of the pointer dogs in widen he states that fourteen sOolds of -house and hunting dogs are to be recog- nized on the monuments of Egypt, Assyria, and Nineveh. But neither on these mon- uments nor in the works of Greek or Roman writers whichhe Ina exhaustively starched, are there any indications that pointers and setters existed as sporting dogs before now. M. Topinard has been making a statied inquiry into the colors of the eyes and in France, and from his 180,000 observations he deduces many interesting malts, one of the most curious being that where the race is formed from a mixture of blondes and brunettes the hereditary blood coloring comes out in the eyes, and the brunette ele- meat reappears in the hair. To this tend- ency probably is to be attributed the rarity of a combination of light hair and dark eyes. Several observers have asserted that the American people, who are preeminently a mixed rale, are becoming a dark-haired and blue-eyed nation, and if this be true such a development must be owing to the working ef the law formulated by M. Topinard. The Austrian Count Hardegg, who died on May 12, made a most &rime disposition of his property. He left only a few small legacies to members of the Hardegg family. Fraulein Abel, premier danseuse in the im- perial Operte House at Vienna, was pro- vided with an annual income of 3,000 gulden. The great bulk of his fortune, upward of 700,000 gulden, hs gave to the school of the Vienne Untversity, on tbe conditions that the money should be allow- ed to accumulate at compound interest for ninety-nine yeare. In 1988, when at three and a half per cent interest, the property would have increased to some 18,000,000 gulden, tbe directors of the university are to begin spending the income from the Hardegg foundation in the education of worthy students of jurisprudence. Count Hardegg also stipulated that if the Austrian Emperor did not endorse the conditions of Ile inquest, the 700,000 gulden should be divided equally between the University of New York and the University at Rio Janeiro. A short time ago complaints were made to the management of the French Exposition that lust of the exhibits of Tunis, Algiers, and/Jerome were not African products at all but the manafacturee of the 'nue du temple, in Paris. An investigation proved that the complaints were true. The Perisian firm received twenty-four hours' notice in which to remove the bogus exhibits, and therewith vanished the major part of the department of the Barbary States. The north African manafacturers, who corn- plained of the Parisian firm alf10 told the management that they were being driv- en out of their native markets by French competition. The weapens rugs earpets, and leather articles which several years ago were supplied to the Barbary States almost entirely by domestic labour came now from France'they said, at prices far below tho met of the native products, In Paris 11 is an open trade :secret that almost all north Afi loan ourioa on sale are made in the eityl A new and noticeable figure among the numerous dignitariee and officials in the suite of the Shah of Persia is a young boy of 12, whom the Shah has covered neith dignities and titles, and who is an objedt of envy and feat to Meet of 11h4 Majeety% istere. His lame is Goolamali Khan. tie , is the director Of the Corps of Royal pages, and one of his titles is Admit Staten, "Favorite of the IVIonarch." Neither Mb. ister Vizier, nor royal Prince hem ever yet been allowed to Olt at the Shah's table, but Goolamali Khan is an exception to *le law of the Parham, He is constantly by his master's side, and has more servants to wait upon him than any two of the royal Mins fitters. The explanation of this extraordin- ary treatment hi to be found in the Persian monarch% conviction that his life is bleeper - Moly and mysteriously bound up With that of Goolaraali Khan, teed that WIN meri have foretold that the Shah's death will be pee - ceded only a few days by that of his young favorite, that the health and prospetity of the latter will mean the health and prosper- ity of the for:nets, and that generally what- ever befalls this little One will ale., happen to his royal protector. Thio belief has re - stilted in the boy'l leading a life of ease and luxury unknown to the most fertunate out, km in Teheran. Ile was: mated on the 'knees of two maser:16cent grandees oh the Shahs entry WO St, Peterebtree A strange epell lingere about the work of Joeh Billinge, A prominent resident of Richmond, Ind., has a) pony which) beddes feeding as horses usually do, Will etstisfy omnivorous Metes if he gets a chance. He hoe been known to devour very young chickens strayiog within his reach, and the sudden disappearance from the stable of o litter of kittene, while their unsuspecting mother had just gone away for a few moments' change and rest from her perentitl duties, hes been, on good grounds, changed to him. There is no dog or otheranimal on the premises to date the blame. This pony was brought from Leland, where all horses aro of bbs SiZe ; IS A well, shaped animal, with a ttredy dita ()Oat, light-colored mane and and is very good for driving or riding, KO WAS imported by an American gentleman who has travelled extetudeely bo It:eland, knows the language, and is learne4 shalt A° sages of that country.