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Show Old Picture Frame Swindle' Has the picture frame-up man culled on you yet? Have patience, ho will. A revival of the ancient swindle originating in the universal craving to have a life-sized painting of deceased Uncle Abner, or the late lamented, has cropped up in the east and is reported re-ported to be headed toward other regions re-gions where the shekels may be more easily separated from , the gullible. The enlargement shark plays a pretty pret-ty game It is his scheme to enlarge photographs photo-graphs Cor a nominal price and then to sell his victim a frame for the enlargement en-largement at almost quadruple ifs value. This swindle has been practiced prac-ticed for upwards of 75 years. Many thousands of dollars have been taken from the purses of the middle and lower classes, whose sorrows and griefs are being played on to the advantage ad-vantage of the crooks. Have You Fallen? How many Ogdenitcs fell for- the picture frame-up? Along canio the picture agent and with glib Hongue and suave, 'manner he told the housewife that tho enlargements enlarge-ments were free. "AVo want them for our students at the -art school to practice prac-tice on." Remember that yarn? And in a week or two the picture was delivered in a frame. "Doesn't it look nice in the frame it sets the picture off so." Many of tho frames that wore sold at from $5, ?S to $20. So the woman who had expected to got something for nothing found herself caught in an unexpected and forced outlay. But the way of the picture enlargement canvasser grew risky and he got lo be about as welcome as the book agenl and other similar pests. The 'door was slammed in his face and the poliro were told to look into his game and keep him moint; Tho people aWak-j enetl to the fact they could take the enlargement and get it framed in their own town for far less than Uio price asked by the canvasser. Something had to be done. About this time a resourceful artist! came forward with the convex oval' enlargement requiring especially mold-! ed glass and a patented frame. This Idea at once displaced all previous forms and brought back the picture enlargement game to greater proportions propor-tions than ever beforo. It was as if the decrepit old swindle had taken a. fine treatment of monkey glands. Few Sell Them. The virtue of the convex enlargement, enlarge-ment, from the point of view of 'I he canvassors, is that the glass and frame j can only be bought from them. , Appearing at the door the canvasser canvas-ser pushes his way Into the house on some pretext or other. Once inside and when it Is no longer possible to islam the door in his face, he says: I "Madam, I represent the Art Insti-I Insti-I tute. We teach painting and make I portraits. Please remember we don't! 'make our monoy off the ladies of the! 'homes. We get ours from the students.) We don't ask you to obligate yourself! in any way. By tho way. have you a photograph? Let me see it and I'll explain." This is done at high speed, the woman is not given time lo think, but is carried away by the canvassers and Invariably produces a photograph. If you do you're a goner. If it is that of a baby, beloved husband hus-band or some deceasod relativ, ,all right, if not he inquires for others until un-til he gets ono that salisfies him. It is explained that the professor sets up tho photographs before his students and enlarges it, meanwhile lecturing and explaining lo the students the ' principles of art. If the salesman finds himself in an I Irish family, tho professor's name is Murphy. An Italian artist paints lho ! picture for 'the Italians and for Hie jjews il is a Russian. The canvasser j (goes on dilating upon, tho skill an.li Imputation of this great artiBU Tuj , possess a painting by him is a great I honor, indeed. So lie gets the picture. Second Man Appears. After a few days a second man appears. ap-pears. He is generally garbed in slouch hat and flowing tie, as the artist. He displays lo the woman a plain print of the enlargement. Inquires about Ihe color of the eyes, the hair, clothing and such, and makes notes. Generally he wheedles a deposit ou llio picture. Ah. the frame! Of course such a wonderful picture must have a frame. There's no question ques-tion about iU Out comes a fake catalog vflth prices about four or five time's too high. If lho. woman refuses to take a frame, she is threatened. Unless the frame is purchased the picture cannot be delivorod. As thep icture most likely is some cherished possession, tho woman gives in. In Ihe end sho had paid about $2. GO or $3 for the enlargement; the frame maybe sho got for $10 to $15. The enlarging costs less than a dollar and th'e' frame would not cost more than $4 at tho most. Sho pays $12 to ?18 for a $5 pidture, but hold i Didn't a chap used to deliver thej picture, -garbed' in expressman's cap and coat? He appears at the door I with the picture and demando $2 for express. "But this picture was paid for in full," protests the woman. Extra Charge Obtained. "What's that got to do with me?" growls the psuedo expressman. In this way an extra charge is gouged out For the benefit of all persons who may bo approached by these, grafters read what one in autohrity says: No garnishments can be brought in these cases. The picture concern con-cern will not attempt to go to law. The nearest policeman can recover re-cover your photographs. Under no circumstances sign any contracts con-tracts with picture canvassers of this tjrpe. Do not advance any money. Do not give pictures to wandering agents. And you'll have all of your valued pictures safe; you will be out nothing and you will have saved a lot of patience pa-tience and maybe a few gray hairs. oo |
