HOW PEOPLE WILL BE SWINDLED.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1645, 27 March 1884, Page 2

HOW PEOPLE WILL BE SWINDLED.

. : Not long ago three French journalists were discoursing of human credulity ill a caK, and the question of "; Where is its limit V was raised, One of the three maintained that human credulity had no limit. It was finally agreed that each of. the trio should insert in the newspapers au advertisement the most eccentric, improbable, and absimltliat.it was possible to devisa.each advertisement to bo accompanied j with, a. demand for stamps—and to watch the result. The first of the trio published the following extraordinary | announcement; -

" The Hand in the Hair.—Send one franc fifty centimes in postage stamps for tho theory of an entirely new sensation. It gives love and freshness. Address'A.B.,'Post-office"

The second conspirator, taking advantage of the old and familiar superstition, advertised as follows : "Return from the other world.Send one franc fifty centimes in postage stamps. Accurate news from tlio better land, Mysteries revealed, and everything made clear. Address,' B. 0.; Post office."

The third, abandoning all subterfuges, advertised boldly, as follows :- , "I promise nothing nothing nothing; I engage to perform nothing.—But, send one franc fifty centimes m postage stamps. Perhaps there is a little surprise in store for you. Who knows? Address,'O.D.,'Post office."

These advertisements produced a result far greater than the conspirators had hoped. Postage stamps rained for several days. And when the people found that they were not receiving their quid pro quo, they sent on more postage stamps, And the most successful of the three advertisements was the last, Finally the three journalists turned over their ill-gotten gains to a charitable society, and told their story in the newspaper, in order that the dupes.might know wbafc became of their their postage stamps, They had satisfied themselves, that human credulity had, indeed, no limit,