" To your great astonishment, you would get a reply saying that you Avere
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.
Adams-Great-American-Fraud
With them the patent-medicine scheme was not so successful as with the more elaborately organized newspapers of older and more populous states.
Just now is the North Dakota editor's time of trial. The^ law went into effect July 1. The patent-medicine association, at their annual meeting in May, voted to withdraw all their advertising from all the papers in that state. This loss of revenue, they argued self-righteously, would be a warning to the newspapers of other states. Likewise it would be a lesson to the newspapers of North Dakota. At the next session of the legislature they will seek to have the label bill repealed, and they count on the newspapers, chastened by a lean year, to help them. For the independence they have shown in the past, and for the courage they will be called on to show in the future, therefore, let the newspapers of North Dakota know that they have the respect and admiration of all decent people.
"What is to be done about it? " is the question that follows exposure of organized rascality. In few cases is the remedy so plain as here. For the past, the newspapers, in spite of these plain contracts of silence, must be acquitted of any grave complicity. The very existence of the machine that uses and directs them has been a carefully guarded secret. For the futvire, be it understood that any newspaper which carries a patent-med- icine advertisement knows what it is doing. The obligations of the con- tract are now public property. And one thing more, Avhen next a member of a state legislature arises and states, as I have so often heard: "Gentle- men, this label bill seems right to me, but I can not support it; the united press of my district is opposed to it"--when that happens, let every one understand the wires that have moved "the united press of my district,"
? [The folloiviny aiticlt is reproduced, hy permission, from Collier's Weekly, Nov. 17, 1906. 1
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. "
What Becomes of Letters Written "In Confidence" to "Patent Medicine" Firms and Quacks.
WHENyou write to a patent-medicine house or a quack doctor,
whose advertisements solicit letters of inquiry about health, the reply in nine cases out of ten will address you in an intimate personal way, as "Dear Friend," or "Esteemed friend. " And the reply will be marked, in conspicuous let- ters, "Strictly confidential," even, in some cases, "Sacredly
confidential. " Every art is used to make the dupe believe his letters are kept safely locked in hidden archives, where the things he has said about his health, his affairs, and his person are carefully guarded from any eyes but the so-called "doctor's. "
CHICAGO BROKERAGE COMPANY
riAlLORDERLETTERS 4Wvv)^^\ BOUGHT,
4i7 DEARBORN ST. , CHICAGO, ILL.
SOLD. RENTED. V^^^^^^fe^ C. A davis, naneger.
We want to buy all kinds of lettersj-eceived in answer to newspaper'" advertisements^ If
Now the truth about what really happens to these letters is eloquently told by the documents reproduced herewith. When the patent-medicine man, or the quack, has, in the language of their shops, "jollied" the dupe along with false hopes and lying promises until even he becomes suspicious, and he can no longer be induced to send another dollar for another bottle of medicine, then his letter is sold to some other quack who pretends to cure the same disease. That quack coaxes as much money as he can from the victim, and then turns him over to a third; and so the dupe is passed along, in many cases, for several years.
To facilitate this exchange of letters among the quacks there are five or six so-called letter-brokers. They are really clearing-houses where patent- medicine frauds and quack doctors exchange, sell, and rent letters. On
Vandewater street. New York, is a big warehouse owned by one of these let- ter-brokers,FrankB. S^vett. Inthatwarehouseareoversevenmillionlet-
your
i
MEDICAL
MEDICAL. 5,<<O0. Dr. Stevens & Co. , Co-^ lumbus, Ohio. Nervous debiliTy,
MEDICAL. 2,000. L. West, Avon. N. ~f: Mervous debility, first replies. 1
ters. It is quite possible that if you, any time Avithin the past five years, have written a letter to a quack doctor, your letter is somewhere in that warehouse, and men familiar with the business could find it. Probably your letter has been sold over and over again, and rented and re-rented to every quack who plays on the victims of 3'our particular ailment.
One of the largest of these letter-brokers is the Guild Company of 132 Nassau street. New York. They issue a large circular describing the letters they have for sale. A portion of the list is printed on the next page. The part here produced is only a Aery small portion, and that the less unprint- able part of the circular.
If you liave ever been foolish enough to icrite to any of the quacks and frauds m that list, you may Jcnoio that your letter is noio for sale. You
may knoio that all the things you have
said about your health and your
LETTERS FOR REm
a>>,0(>>Jas. Wm. Kida medical file cards, repre- senting ail kinds of diseases (will sort) 1904-
180,0(X) men's matrimonial, 35. 000 women's '04, 1st. 200,000 agents and canvassers,
50,000 Dr. Pierce OJder blanks, '02, '03. 20,0(X) OzomuLson order blanks, ? (^
. 30,280 Theo. Noel, '02. '03, medical file cards. 59,(X)0 Agents' directory. '03, '04, '05.
250,000 Home work, '03, '04, '05.
27,500 Rosebud trust, firsts. '03, '04. 19. 500BondJewelrypayups,trust,'04,envelopes. 52,(XK)10csongorders. StarMusicCo. ,'04 '05. 17,500 Dr. May & Friar. ladies' regulator. '03, '04.
&,<m Nervous debility, '03, '04, Appliance Co.
Over 1,000. 00) letters on hand, all kinds. Caller writemeforsamplesandads. fettersbought. e. A. Davis, 1634 W, Ohio Street. Chicago.
JaikDJCAL. Dr. Fierce Order liianks. 50,000. 19O2-"0;}.
I
MEDICAL. Ozomiilsion. 20,000. 1903. ,MKD1C-AL. 8ti,2S0. Then. Noel file card&J':
ltXi2--03.
iMKDl<\iL. 24. r)00. Pfiysieian-g Inst. ancT
i
I
I
i
Ldsmi France. Womt. n's, ItWo. T,fW30 first"rcpiiPS fate'i9M". "
13,000 late 02-"03-'04 letters in an- swer to above ad.
Portion of a circular sent out by one of the concerns to which "patent medicine" men and quaclj doctors sell the letters they receive from their victims. There are five or six concerns similar to this, acting as clearing-houses, through which pass many millions of letters.
An advertisement originally printed in the Hail Order Journal offering to rent letters. These letters are the ones which aupes all over the country write to "patent medicine" and quack concerns. When the original quack has squeezed the dupe ary he sells the letters to other quacks.
>>/
person--i--ntimate details tohich you carefully conceal from your friends and neighbors are the property of any person loho cares to pay four or five dollars for the letters of yourself and others like you.
One very interesting fraud carried on under the name of the Astropathic Institute by means of this traffic in letters, was unearthed by the Post-office Department recently. The following is quoted from the records of the Law Division of the Department, which drove this fraud out of business
"The company begins its operation by purchasing large numbers of let- tersfromletter-brokers. Theletterspurchasedbythecompanyrefertothe desire of the writer for a treatment for nervous diseases, and have been addressed to some other company dealing in such matters. "
The remainder of the explanation of this fraud, as set forth in the Post- Office Department records, is rather technical and legal. But the way it worked was this: You had written a letter, let us say, to Dr. Blosser, or to the Ozomulsion Company, or to Theo. Noel, or to any other of the scores
I
,'
[
:
? 144
19. 988 79,009 8. 234 7. 110 6,724 52,997
1,826 4,286 946 7. 609 6,104
R. T. Booth Co.
C. E. Gauss.
Dr. J. W. Kidd Co. E. J. Worst.
W. A. Noyes. Dr. Blosser Co.
Asthma Letters. Cinarsium Co.
D. . T. Lane.
National Research Co. W. A. Noves.
Dr. J. W. 'Kidd Co.
Dyspepsia Letters.
7,315 Absolute Remedy Co. 4,923 Absolute Remedy Co 1,336 Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.
Stomach Trouble Letters.
6,420 John Morrow.
2. 833 Orange Manna Co. 3,592 Dr. A. H. Swinburne. 3,874 Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.
Deaf Letters. 8,533 Dr. C. M. Jordan.
5,184 Morley Co.
907 Dr. C. S. Ferris.
1,030 Henry Ullrich. 1,434 John Garmore.
:
? 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 AstropathicInstitute. ThentheAstropathicInstitutesentyouacircular. 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 Avere 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 readinof. "
Quantity Letters of Catarrh Letters.
8,470 Anglo Amer. Chem. Co. 29. 713 Quaker Oil Co.
Quantity Letters of Rheumatism Letters.
1,194 Associated Drug Stores. 51,920 Turnock Medical Co.
7. 918 . Jebb Remedy Co. 22,038 Dr. C. S. Ferris. 11,948 Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.
Obesity Letters.
11. 330 Dr. O. W. F. Snyder. 6,055 Howard Co.
Kidney Letters.
51. 632 Pape Medicine Co. 23,479 Pape Medicine Co. 51,920 Turnock Medical Co.
9,077 Pape Kidney Clinic.
3,094 American Buchu Co. 39,639 Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.
6. 321 W. F. Smith.
854 Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.
Narcotic Letters.
138 Dr. R. H. Brown.
948 St. Anne League. 1,983 Peru Remedy Co.
Hair Preparation Letters. 36. 419 John Craven-Burleigh. 46,652 Pacific Trading Co.
5,786 Burleigh Cash Orders. Heart Letters.
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. DaviSj does business
"W. W. Selden;
"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. ''
"June 16.
? 146
Another mail-order medical concern, the Dr, Burleigh Corporation of Boston, seeking investors to buy shares ia it, uses this argument:
"We are now able to purchase medical letters in lots of 100,000. These letters are from people who have been patients of other advertising doctors. These names we thoroughly circularize with our attractive and convincing booklets and follow them along for several months, and they always produce extra good results and at a very small cost. "
The Chicago Brokerage Company sends out a circular, part of which reads as folloAvs:
"For 30-Day Copy. "High-Orade Letters.
"We are willing to rent for 30-day copy any of the following lots of mail- order letters at a very low figure. Write for samples of ads. that drew them and any other information desired. We have over one million letters in stock and are constantly buying more. If you have any letters for sale, send us full particulars and lowest cash price. Many parties using our letters are getting rich quick quietly working some good legitimate schemes. With attractive, con- vincing literature, they circularize 100,000 or more people who are directly inter- ested in their line in two weeks. Returns sure and quick. No expensive news- paper advertising. We shall be pleased to give you any pointers asked for. Our prices for rental of letters are lower than elsewhere. Our word can always b>> relied upon. Write us or call.
"50,000 Dr. Pierce, medical, 1902-3.
"20,000 Ozomulsion, medical, 1903.
"300,000 Jas. Wm. Kidd, medical file cards, all diseases, will sort, 1903-4.
"30,280 Theo. Noel, medical file cards, 1902-3.
"24,500 Physician's Institute and Edson France, medical, 1903.
"56,000 Nervous debility, English, Swedish, Spanish, Norwegian, etc. . will
Medical--all kinds, such as rheumatism, dyspepsia, kidney, etc. "Chicago Brokerage Co. ^ Chicago, III. "
Such is the destination of most of the letters Avhieh poor dupes send to quack doctors, medical specialists, and patent-medicine concerns, under the cynical assurance that their letters are kept "strictly confidential. "
sort in original envelopes.
Just now is the North Dakota editor's time of trial. The^ law went into effect July 1. The patent-medicine association, at their annual meeting in May, voted to withdraw all their advertising from all the papers in that state. This loss of revenue, they argued self-righteously, would be a warning to the newspapers of other states. Likewise it would be a lesson to the newspapers of North Dakota. At the next session of the legislature they will seek to have the label bill repealed, and they count on the newspapers, chastened by a lean year, to help them. For the independence they have shown in the past, and for the courage they will be called on to show in the future, therefore, let the newspapers of North Dakota know that they have the respect and admiration of all decent people.
"What is to be done about it? " is the question that follows exposure of organized rascality. In few cases is the remedy so plain as here. For the past, the newspapers, in spite of these plain contracts of silence, must be acquitted of any grave complicity. The very existence of the machine that uses and directs them has been a carefully guarded secret. For the futvire, be it understood that any newspaper which carries a patent-med- icine advertisement knows what it is doing. The obligations of the con- tract are now public property. And one thing more, Avhen next a member of a state legislature arises and states, as I have so often heard: "Gentle- men, this label bill seems right to me, but I can not support it; the united press of my district is opposed to it"--when that happens, let every one understand the wires that have moved "the united press of my district,"
? [The folloiviny aiticlt is reproduced, hy permission, from Collier's Weekly, Nov. 17, 1906. 1
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. "
What Becomes of Letters Written "In Confidence" to "Patent Medicine" Firms and Quacks.
WHENyou write to a patent-medicine house or a quack doctor,
whose advertisements solicit letters of inquiry about health, the reply in nine cases out of ten will address you in an intimate personal way, as "Dear Friend," or "Esteemed friend. " And the reply will be marked, in conspicuous let- ters, "Strictly confidential," even, in some cases, "Sacredly
confidential. " Every art is used to make the dupe believe his letters are kept safely locked in hidden archives, where the things he has said about his health, his affairs, and his person are carefully guarded from any eyes but the so-called "doctor's. "
CHICAGO BROKERAGE COMPANY
riAlLORDERLETTERS 4Wvv)^^\ BOUGHT,
4i7 DEARBORN ST. , CHICAGO, ILL.
SOLD. RENTED. V^^^^^^fe^ C. A davis, naneger.
We want to buy all kinds of lettersj-eceived in answer to newspaper'" advertisements^ If
Now the truth about what really happens to these letters is eloquently told by the documents reproduced herewith. When the patent-medicine man, or the quack, has, in the language of their shops, "jollied" the dupe along with false hopes and lying promises until even he becomes suspicious, and he can no longer be induced to send another dollar for another bottle of medicine, then his letter is sold to some other quack who pretends to cure the same disease. That quack coaxes as much money as he can from the victim, and then turns him over to a third; and so the dupe is passed along, in many cases, for several years.
To facilitate this exchange of letters among the quacks there are five or six so-called letter-brokers. They are really clearing-houses where patent- medicine frauds and quack doctors exchange, sell, and rent letters. On
Vandewater street. New York, is a big warehouse owned by one of these let- ter-brokers,FrankB. S^vett. Inthatwarehouseareoversevenmillionlet-
your
i
MEDICAL
MEDICAL. 5,<<O0. Dr. Stevens & Co. , Co-^ lumbus, Ohio. Nervous debiliTy,
MEDICAL. 2,000. L. West, Avon. N. ~f: Mervous debility, first replies. 1
ters. It is quite possible that if you, any time Avithin the past five years, have written a letter to a quack doctor, your letter is somewhere in that warehouse, and men familiar with the business could find it. Probably your letter has been sold over and over again, and rented and re-rented to every quack who plays on the victims of 3'our particular ailment.
One of the largest of these letter-brokers is the Guild Company of 132 Nassau street. New York. They issue a large circular describing the letters they have for sale. A portion of the list is printed on the next page. The part here produced is only a Aery small portion, and that the less unprint- able part of the circular.
If you liave ever been foolish enough to icrite to any of the quacks and frauds m that list, you may Jcnoio that your letter is noio for sale. You
may knoio that all the things you have
said about your health and your
LETTERS FOR REm
a>>,0(>>Jas. Wm. Kida medical file cards, repre- senting ail kinds of diseases (will sort) 1904-
180,0(X) men's matrimonial, 35. 000 women's '04, 1st. 200,000 agents and canvassers,
50,000 Dr. Pierce OJder blanks, '02, '03. 20,0(X) OzomuLson order blanks, ? (^
. 30,280 Theo. Noel, '02. '03, medical file cards. 59,(X)0 Agents' directory. '03, '04, '05.
250,000 Home work, '03, '04, '05.
27,500 Rosebud trust, firsts. '03, '04. 19. 500BondJewelrypayups,trust,'04,envelopes. 52,(XK)10csongorders. StarMusicCo. ,'04 '05. 17,500 Dr. May & Friar. ladies' regulator. '03, '04.
&,<m Nervous debility, '03, '04, Appliance Co.
Over 1,000. 00) letters on hand, all kinds. Caller writemeforsamplesandads. fettersbought. e. A. Davis, 1634 W, Ohio Street. Chicago.
JaikDJCAL. Dr. Fierce Order liianks. 50,000. 19O2-"0;}.
I
MEDICAL. Ozomiilsion. 20,000. 1903. ,MKD1C-AL. 8ti,2S0. Then. Noel file card&J':
ltXi2--03.
iMKDl<\iL. 24. r)00. Pfiysieian-g Inst. ancT
i
I
I
i
Ldsmi France. Womt. n's, ItWo. T,fW30 first"rcpiiPS fate'i9M". "
13,000 late 02-"03-'04 letters in an- swer to above ad.
Portion of a circular sent out by one of the concerns to which "patent medicine" men and quaclj doctors sell the letters they receive from their victims. There are five or six concerns similar to this, acting as clearing-houses, through which pass many millions of letters.
An advertisement originally printed in the Hail Order Journal offering to rent letters. These letters are the ones which aupes all over the country write to "patent medicine" and quack concerns. When the original quack has squeezed the dupe ary he sells the letters to other quacks.
>>/
person--i--ntimate details tohich you carefully conceal from your friends and neighbors are the property of any person loho cares to pay four or five dollars for the letters of yourself and others like you.
One very interesting fraud carried on under the name of the Astropathic Institute by means of this traffic in letters, was unearthed by the Post-office Department recently. The following is quoted from the records of the Law Division of the Department, which drove this fraud out of business
"The company begins its operation by purchasing large numbers of let- tersfromletter-brokers. Theletterspurchasedbythecompanyrefertothe desire of the writer for a treatment for nervous diseases, and have been addressed to some other company dealing in such matters. "
The remainder of the explanation of this fraud, as set forth in the Post- Office Department records, is rather technical and legal. But the way it worked was this: You had written a letter, let us say, to Dr. Blosser, or to the Ozomulsion Company, or to Theo. Noel, or to any other of the scores
I
,'
[
:
? 144
19. 988 79,009 8. 234 7. 110 6,724 52,997
1,826 4,286 946 7. 609 6,104
R. T. Booth Co.
C. E. Gauss.
Dr. J. W. Kidd Co. E. J. Worst.
W. A. Noyes. Dr. Blosser Co.
Asthma Letters. Cinarsium Co.
D. . T. Lane.
National Research Co. W. A. Noves.
Dr. J. W. 'Kidd Co.
Dyspepsia Letters.
7,315 Absolute Remedy Co. 4,923 Absolute Remedy Co 1,336 Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.
Stomach Trouble Letters.
6,420 John Morrow.
2. 833 Orange Manna Co. 3,592 Dr. A. H. Swinburne. 3,874 Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.
Deaf Letters. 8,533 Dr. C. M. Jordan.
5,184 Morley Co.
907 Dr. C. S. Ferris.
1,030 Henry Ullrich. 1,434 John Garmore.
:
? 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 AstropathicInstitute. ThentheAstropathicInstitutesentyouacircular. 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 Avere 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 readinof. "
Quantity Letters of Catarrh Letters.
8,470 Anglo Amer. Chem. Co. 29. 713 Quaker Oil Co.
Quantity Letters of Rheumatism Letters.
1,194 Associated Drug Stores. 51,920 Turnock Medical Co.
7. 918 . Jebb Remedy Co. 22,038 Dr. C. S. Ferris. 11,948 Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.
Obesity Letters.
11. 330 Dr. O. W. F. Snyder. 6,055 Howard Co.
Kidney Letters.
51. 632 Pape Medicine Co. 23,479 Pape Medicine Co. 51,920 Turnock Medical Co.
9,077 Pape Kidney Clinic.
3,094 American Buchu Co. 39,639 Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.
6. 321 W. F. Smith.
854 Dr. J. W. Kidd Co.
Narcotic Letters.
138 Dr. R. H. Brown.
948 St. Anne League. 1,983 Peru Remedy Co.
Hair Preparation Letters. 36. 419 John Craven-Burleigh. 46,652 Pacific Trading Co.
5,786 Burleigh Cash Orders. Heart Letters.
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. DaviSj does business
"W. W. Selden;
"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. ''
"June 16.
? 146
Another mail-order medical concern, the Dr, Burleigh Corporation of Boston, seeking investors to buy shares ia it, uses this argument:
"We are now able to purchase medical letters in lots of 100,000. These letters are from people who have been patients of other advertising doctors. These names we thoroughly circularize with our attractive and convincing booklets and follow them along for several months, and they always produce extra good results and at a very small cost. "
The Chicago Brokerage Company sends out a circular, part of which reads as folloAvs:
"For 30-Day Copy. "High-Orade Letters.
"We are willing to rent for 30-day copy any of the following lots of mail- order letters at a very low figure. Write for samples of ads. that drew them and any other information desired. We have over one million letters in stock and are constantly buying more. If you have any letters for sale, send us full particulars and lowest cash price. Many parties using our letters are getting rich quick quietly working some good legitimate schemes. With attractive, con- vincing literature, they circularize 100,000 or more people who are directly inter- ested in their line in two weeks. Returns sure and quick. No expensive news- paper advertising. We shall be pleased to give you any pointers asked for. Our prices for rental of letters are lower than elsewhere. Our word can always b>> relied upon. Write us or call.
"50,000 Dr. Pierce, medical, 1902-3.
"20,000 Ozomulsion, medical, 1903.
"300,000 Jas. Wm. Kidd, medical file cards, all diseases, will sort, 1903-4.
"30,280 Theo. Noel, medical file cards, 1902-3.
"24,500 Physician's Institute and Edson France, medical, 1903.
"56,000 Nervous debility, English, Swedish, Spanish, Norwegian, etc. . will
Medical--all kinds, such as rheumatism, dyspepsia, kidney, etc. "Chicago Brokerage Co. ^ Chicago, III. "
Such is the destination of most of the letters Avhieh poor dupes send to quack doctors, medical specialists, and patent-medicine concerns, under the cynical assurance that their letters are kept "strictly confidential. "
sort in original envelopes.
