Part 46 (1/2)

SEWING MACHINE SWINDLES.

The country newspapers are filled with advertis.e.m.e.nts of cheap sewing machines. From one to ten dollars is the price asked. The men who insert these advertis.e.m.e.nts are amongst the most unprincipled swindlers in New York. The machines they offer for sale are worthless.

A lady living in a neighboring State once sent five dollars to one of these fellows for his machine, and received in return a flimsy little instrument, so small that she could put it in her pocket. The needle could not be used at all, and after turning the handle a few times the cranks and wheels became bent, and twisted into one confused and useless ma.s.s. The machine was not worth twenty-five cents.

A fellow, some time ago, advertised a machine for fifty cents, and proclaimed it to the world as ”the most perfect ever invented.” It was simply a bra.s.s instrument in the shape of a fly, and the only use to which it could be put was to fasten work to a table. It was so flimsy that it did not last more than two or three days in this way.

THE POCKET TIME KEEPER.

Almost every reader of this book has seen in some newspaper the advertis.e.m.e.nts of the various ”Pocket Time-Keepers,” manufactured and offered for sale in this city. The price is usually one dollar. The article is merely a _pasteboard sun-dial_. The purchaser can make little or no use of it, and is swindled out of his money.

MOCK AUCTION'S.

The day of mock auctions has gone by, but there are still one or two of these establishments lingering in the city. These are managed in various ways.

At some of these establishments a lot of pencil cases, watches, or other goods, is offered for-sale. The lot generally contains a dozen or a gross of articles. Bids are started by the ”decoys” of the proprietor, who are scattered through the crowd, and strangers are thus induced to make offers for them. Each man supposes he is bidding for a single lot, and is greatly astonished to find the whole lot knocked down to him. He is told he must take the entire lot, that his bid was for all. Some are weak enough to comply with the demand, but others resist it.

Admiral Farragut, during the war, made a bid for a penknife at one of these places, and was astonished at being told he must take the whole gross of the article. The old hero was not to be caught in this way, however, and he quietly called in a policeman, and gave the auctioneer in charge for attempting to swindle him.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Mock Auction--Kicked Out After Being Fleeced.]

A well-known Broadway auctioneer was brought before the Mayor, some time ago, on the following complaint. A gentleman, who appeared against the auctioneer, stated that he had attended his last sale. The auctioneer put up a box containing twelve silver pencil-cases, and the gentleman, supposing from his manner and language, that he was selling them fairly, bid two dollars and fifty cents for the lot. To his surprise, he was told that he had bid two dollars and fifty cents for _each_ pencil-case, and that he must pay thirty dollars for the whole lot. The money had been paid and the auctioneer refused to return it, insisting that the gentleman should take one pencil-case or nothing.

The Mayor compelled the scamp to refund the money, and warned him that he would revoke his license if a similar complaint were again made against him.

In some of these establishments, a stranger who attempts to remonstrate against the swindle fares badly. He is hustled out by the confederates of the proprietor, and if he attempts to defend himself, is handed over to the police on a charge of attempting to create a disturbance.

Other establishments sell watches and cheap jewelry. A really good article is put up, and pa.s.sed around through the crowd as a sample. It draws bids rapidly, and is knocked down to the highest bidder. It has by this time been handed back to the auctioneer, and when the purchaser demands it, he is given some worthless article, which the dealer and his a.s.sistants swear was the one exhibited to the crowd. Remonstrances are useless. The bogus article must be taken or the money lost, unless the victim calls in the police. The city authorities have recently stationed a policeman at the door of one of these establishments, to warn strangers of its true character.

A friend of the writer--a ”verdant countryman,” too--once attended one of these auctions. A magnificent hunting-case watch was put up, and knocked down to John, as we shall call him, at the low price of ten dollars. As the announcement of the sale was made, John, who had his money in his hand, stepped briskly to the desk.

”Will you let me see that watch a minute?” he asked.

”Certainly, sir,” said the auctioneer, handing him the watch.

”That's a magnificent watch,” said John, admiringly, ”and I think I got it pretty cheap!”

”Yes,” replied the man, ”that's the cheapest watch I ever sold.”

”Well,” said John, putting the watch in his pocket, and laying his ten dollars on the desk, ”I'm very well satisfied with my bargain.”

The auctioneer, alarmed for the repeater, which was his own, exclaimed quickly,

”We generally give a case with our watches, sir; let us fit one on that.”

”No,” said John, quietly, as he turned away, ”I'm satisfied with the watch--I don't want a case!”