Page:The Great American Fraud (Adams).djvu/151

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

145

of quacks whose letters are for sale by letter-brokers. In your letter you had set forth at great length the symptoms you thought you experienced, the diseases you thought you had. This letter of yours was bought by the Astropathic Institute. Then the Astropathic Institute sent you a circular. This circular said the company was in the business of reading your past, present, and future—they sold "astrological readings" of your life. Just to show their good faith, they would send you a "sample reading" free of charge. Glad to get something for nothing, you write for the "sample reading." To your great astonishment, you would get a reply saying that you were troubled with frequent pains in the left arm, poor appetite, and all the details told by yourself, but long forgotten, in your letter to Blosser, or Noel, or Ozomulsion. This proof of capacity on the part of the Astropathic Institute would usually impress you so strongly that you would willingly give up the ten dollars demanded for a "larger and fuller reading."

Quantity Letters of ⁠Catarrh Letters.		Quantity Letters of ⁠Rheumatism Letters.
8,470	Anglo Amer. Chem. Co.	1,194	Associated Drug Stores.
29,713	Quaker Oil Co.	51,920	Turnock Medical Co.
19,988	R. T. Booth Co.	7.918	Jebb Remedy Co.
79,009	C. E. Gauss.	22,038	Dr. C. S. Ferris.
8,234	Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.	11,948	Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.
7,110	E. J. Worst.
6,724	W. A. Noyes.	Obesity Letters.
52,997	Dr. Blosser Co.	11.330	Dr. O. W. F. Snyder.
Asthma Letters.		6,055	Howard Co.
1,826	Cinarsium Co.	Kidney Letters.
4,286	D. .T. Lane.	51.632	Pape Medicine Co.
946	National Research Co.	23,479	Pape Medicine Co.
7,609	W. A. Noves.	51,920	Turnock Medical Co.
6,104	Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.	9,077	Pape Kidney Clinic.
	Dyspepsia Letters.	3,094	American Buchu Co.
7,315	Absolute Remedy Co.	39,639	Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.
4,923	Absolute Remedy Co	6.321	W. F. Smith.
1,336	Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.	854	Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.
Stomach Trouble Letters.		Narcotic Letters.
6,420	John Morrow.	138	Dr. R. H. Brown.
2,833	Orange Manna Co.	948	St. Anne League.
3,592	Dr. A. H. Swinburne.	1,983	Peru Remedy Co.
3,874	Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.		Hair Preparation Letters.
Deaf Letters.		36.419	John Craven-Burleigh.
8,533	Dr. C. M. Jordan.	46,652	Pacific Trading Co.
5,184	Morley Co.	5,786	Burleigh Cash Orders.
907	Dr. C. S. Ferris.
1,030	Henry Ullrich.	Heart Letters.
1,434	John Garmore.	8,288	Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.

Here is a letter sent out to a prospective customer by the Star Book Company, which is one of the names under which one of these letter-brokers, C. A. Davis, does business:

"W. W. Selden;

"June 16.⁠

"Dear Sir:—As a usual thing I only rent letters, and the medical letters would be worth $4 for a copy, but if you will buy outright I will dispose of any lots as follows:

"50,000 Dr. Pierce.
"20,000 Ozomulsion.
"30.000 Theo. Noel.

for only $2.50 per 1,000, in order to make room. This is certainly a good chance to get No. 1 medical names.

"Let me hear from you at once

"Truly,

C. A. Davis."⁠

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.