p. 107 | Look out for Humbugs

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 19, 1861

Look out for Humbugs.

SAYS an exchange : There is scarcely a family in the United States or British Provinces, whose post-office address is not recorded in from one to a dozen establishments in some of our large cities, and tempting, plausible circulars will be sent through the mails to them, offering all sorts of inducements to get their money.

Each scheme, no matter how tempting, is so much of the character of a hundred others that have gone before, that it is surprising how there can be found foolish persons enough to keep these humbugs alive.

One of the most wily schemes to be pushed this winter, is the offer of so-called gold articles, such as magnificent gold pencils, pens, etc. A few statistics obtained at one of the manufacturies of these articles, show that they are being turned out by the ten thousand. A "gold pen and magnificent case" are stamped out of some cheap metal, and then galvanized over with the thinnest possible film of gold. The whole is done so skillfully that the common observer will find it utterly impossible to distinguish between a bona fide article worth $3 to $6, and the bogus one costing 6 to 15 cents! The outside film of gold, though less than the two-hundred-thousandth part of an inch in thickness, is yet enough to cover up the inside base metal, and protect it from the usual acid test, while the filling of cheap metal prevents detecting the deception by the weight. We have seen a pen and case that cost 16 cents to manufacture, that was offered as a $3 premium or "gift," and no one but a practical goldsmith or jeweller could detect the deception. The same remark applies to various other gilded (not gold) articles.—Let it be remembered that the more splendid and plausible the scheme held out to the public, the greater is the concealed deception.