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."