To THE EDITOK : DEAR SIK : If the work herewith transmitted shall be found useful in your neighborhood, in any degree, may I request that you 1'avnr me with copies ol' an J < or coo iis ib which it may ^~ ;- lead '. n 1 ! \ . T. F. M. THE COMMERCIAL AGENCY "SYSTEM" OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA EXPOSED. IS THE SECRET INQUISITION A CURSE OR A BENEFIT ? THE COMMERCIAL AGENCY "SYSTEM" OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA EXPOSED. IS THE SECRET INQUISITION A CURSE OR A BENEFIT? BT THOMAS Y. MEAGHER. "I love agitation; the fire-bell which alarms the inhabitants of a city saves them from being burned in their beds." EDMUND BURKE. NEW-YORK. 1876. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by THOMAS F. MEAQHER, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. TO <% gdmfrants, Bankers, Patrafactorers, an& ftrabers OP THE $ttiteb Plaits anb Canaba, WHOSE CHARACTERS AND COMMERCIAL CREDIT HAVE BEEN SO LONG AND SO UNSPARINGLY TRAFFICKED IN, AND SO MANY OF WHOM HAVE BEEN FINANCIALLY CRIPPLED OR RUINED BY THE SYSTEM HEREIN EXPOSED, THIS BOOK, WRITTEN IN THEIR INTEREST, DESIGNED FOR THEIR IN- FORMATION, AND INTENDED TO PREVENT GREATER IN- JURY TO HONEST COMMERCE IN THE FUTURE, IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR. 203C174 TO MY READERS. AN intelligent examination of the claims of the Commercial Agency system, now seeking permanent incorporation into the business life of the United States and Canada, and refused hospitality or encouragement every- where else, has been a want long felt by the business men of both countries. Up to the present moment, no one, whether from lack of facilities or de- ficiency of information, or a prudent disinclination to engage in a labor so certain to be onerous and so sure to be followed by bitter controversy, has seen fit to satisfy the general desire ; and the writer, consequently, is not alone the first in an untried field of investigation, but has had to undergo the treble work of exploration, classification, and commentary. As he pro- gressed, the dimensions of his subject seemed to expand, and he found himself quite as much embarrassed in choosing what he should exclude as in selecting what he should publish. This difficulty, inseparable from the topic, is relied on to explain and excuse any defects of style or method. For the rest, he believes he has kept within the limits of legitimate contro- versy, and prevented his unpleasant task of exposure from taking the ob- jectionable and customary form of a rancorous criticism or a splenetic pas- quinade. In essaying to set forth clearly the cardinal tricks and devices of a scheme of business of elaborate pretension and ramification, three condi- tions arc essential : practical knowledge, a painstaking collation of evidence, and a disposition to draw just conclusions from proved facts. The author submits his work with confidence as an illustration of the first two. The reader must determine whether or not he has kept within the scope of fair discussion or substituted sophistry for reasoning. From the men who find their profit in the Agency system, favorable opinions are not expected. In- deed, their bitter opposition is desired, and, so far as possible, anticipated. The silversmiths of Ephesus naturally favored image-worship ; and the iconoclast need not look for reward or commendation from the devotees and beneficiaries of imposture. But just in proportion to the violence and unreason of deeply and selfishly interested persons should be the desire of the press and the general public to assure the writer a fair and full hearing on the merits. The author would be unjust to his own feelings if he omitted to ac- knowledge the many kindnesses of the press and leading merchants when the work was first announced. His hearty thanks are due to over a hun- dred daily newspapers published in English, German, and French, and over VIII PREFACE. five hundred weeklies, literary, religious, and polemical several being addressed, in the vernacular, to small constituencies of Welsh, Bohe- mians, Scandinavians, etc., etc. Their considerate and elaborate encour- agement, following quickly and spontaneously after the publication of our Prospectus, in addition to private letters from editors, con- vinced us, more than any thing else, that our purpose would be fairly judged, and induced us to enlarge our original plan from a mere col- lection of evidences of wrong-doing into a ready handbook of means for reparation. We felt it was not enough to put the trading public on its guard, and that we should go farther and place it in a position to retrieve loss and assert the rights of reputation. Beside the facts given in the text, a first instalment of the names of merchants depreciated in capi- tal or character will be found in the Appendix. This list will be increased in future editions. A complete one would entail the publication of a book ten times the size of the present one, and place it at a .price which would greatly curtail the circulation (for the present, at least) of the more im- portant part of the publication. To the trading public, more than to any special efforts of our own, the results of the agitation inaugurated herein will be mainly due. The individual merchant Avho discovers in the follow- ing pages, for the first time, his best defence against attempted or successful libel, will naturally assist in circulating the book in self-defence ; but it is respectfully submitted that what would be a wise self-interest in the instance of such a person is a just precaution or a judicious preventive for every one who expects to lead a successful commercial career, and to enjoy the un- impaired confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens. THE AUTHOR. NEW- YORK, January 3, 1876. NOTICE TO THE VOLUNTEER CORRESPONDENTS OF THE MERCANTILE AND COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. WHEN he commenced the publication of this work, the writer proposed to insert in the Appendix the names of the known correspondents of the several Agencies. Whilst it was passing through the press, he learned that large numbers of these persons were already ashamed of the business, fearful of ex- posure, and, for other reasons, dropping out of association with the Agencies. It occurred to him that great injustice might be done and needless annoyance given to these converts to self-respect by a publication of their names after their withdrawal, and that some more time should be given to permit the remaining libellers of neighbors to reflect, repent, and sever their connection also. As his purpose is reformation rather than exposure the permanent destruc- tion of the detestable habit rather than the punishment of its dupes and acces- sories he has finally determined to withhold the names of correspondents for the press or a future edition. Whoever desires to drop his connection with the system meantime, can inform me by letter, and his name will be taken off the list. The incorrigible or negligent can not complain if they find themselves duly announced as in the active exercise of a disreputable practice. THOMAS F. MEAGHER. Post-Office Box 4309, New- York City. TABLE OF CONTENTS. -CHAPTER I. PAGE Preliminary 1 CHAPTER II. The prima-facie Difficulties of safe Inquiry The special Defects of Investi- gation by Bureaux or in Mass CHAPTER III. Further Difficulties of the System considered The Agencies creating them. 16 CHAPTER IV. What the Agencies receive What they do for it, and how it is done How they thrive without deserving The " Health-Lift" and "Moth-Exter minator" 23 CHAPTER V. The " Keys" which unlock nothing How Business Confidence is regulated. 29 CHAPTER VI. How the " Keys" are played and Ratings made up Who sit in judgment and dispense Agency justice 36 CHAPTER VII. Further Illustrations of Agency Ignorance, Cupidity, and Avarice Do they contribute to mislead confidence ? 46 CHAPTER VIII. The Changes in Subscriptions What causes them ? The Agencies as Wit- nesses against themselves The Old and New Agreements and the Se- cret Circular Attempts to Dupe Subscribers ... 55 CHAPTER IX. Dispensations of Providence or what ? The Secret Black List What it is, with Illustrations 62 CHAPTER X. Wheels within Wheels Doctors differ And what they say of their Pa- tients. . . .67 xii CONTENTS. PAGE CHAPTER XI. The Weekly Change-Sheets Their incompleteness Their age 74 CHAPTER XII. Tampering with the Legislatures of certain States and the Parliament of the Dominion of Canada More Secret Circulars Facts and Methods 80 CHAPTER XIII. Spreading the Plague The Foreign Offices and their uses Jonathan the only Suspect 87 CHAPTER XIV. Do the Agencies contribute to or lessen Panics in Trade ? 90 CHAPTER XV. Do the Agencies make the Corrections which they claim to make ? Betray- ing Inquirers to each other 96 CHAPTER XVI. The relations of Agencies to Non-Subscribers and " Street" rumors Could Credits be guaranteed and Business Profits made to depend more exclu- sively on the amount of Sales ? 102 CHAPTER XVII. The legal Difficulties of the Agencies How they strike their Colors or es- cape from the Field Straws from the Bar 112 CHAPTER XVIII. The Agencies' Estimates compared and applied to Individuals in various cities The ridiculous Figure cut by the " Wisdom-Sellers" 121 CHAPTER XIX. Important Legal Decision The McLean Case in Toronto The Agency prin- ciple of non-accountability denied by a Canadian Jury A Verdict for the Plaintiff in a Test Case 144 CHAPTER XX. The best means of reducing the danger from the Inquisition Correspon- dents behind a Mask What Merchants think of the need of change- Free Talkers about others sure to be brought to task 159 CHAPTER XXI. The enormity of the Black Lists The number of Persons and amounts of invested Capital placed under ban Muddled Credits and paralyzed Trade 167 CHAPTER XXII. Last Words , . 173 SEOEET BLACK LISTS. PART I. PAGE New-York City 179 Brooklyn, N. Y 218 Albany, N. Y 223 Atlanta, Ga 224 Auburn, N. Y 225 Baltimore, Md 226 Bangor, Me 228 Binghamton, N. Y 229 Boston, Mass 229 Buffalo, N. Y 232 Burlington, Iowa , 233 Camden, N. J 234 Charleston, S. C 234 Chicago, 111 235 Cincinnati, O *. 237 Cleveland, 240 Columbus, 242 Davenport, la 243 Dayton, 243 Denver, Col 245 Detroit, Mich 246 Dubuque, la 247 Elmira, N. Y 247 Erie, Pa 248 Evansville, Ind 249 Fall River, Mass 249 Galveston, Texas 250 Grand Rapids, Mich 251 Halifax, N. S 251 Hamilton, Ont 252 Hartford, Ct 253 Houston, Texas 254 Indianapolis, Ind 254 Jersey City, N. J . . . . '. 255 Kansas City, Mo 256 Lawrence, Mass '. 257 Leavenworth, Kan 257 XIV CONTENTS. PAG* Lockport, N. Y 258 Louisville, Ky 258 Lowell, Mass "... 259 Lynn, Mass 260 Manchester, N. H 261 Memphis, Tenn 261 Milwaukee, Wis 262 Mobile, Ala 264 Montreal, Que 265 Nashville, Tenn 266 Newark, N. J 267 New-Haven, Ct 267 New-Orleans, La 269 Norfolk, Va 270 Oswego, N. Y 271 Paterson, N. J 271 Philadelphia, Pa 272 Pittsburgh, Pa 274 Portland, Me 276 Portland, Or 277 Poughkeepsie, N. Y 278 Providence, R. 1 278 Raleigh, N. C 280 Richmond, Va 281 Rochester, N. Y t 282 Sacramento, Cal 283 San Francisco, Cal 284 Savannah, Qa 286 Scranton, Pa 287 Springfield, Mass 288 St. John, N. B 288 St. Joseph, Mo 289 St. Louis, Mo 290 St. Paul, Minn 291 Syracuse, N. Y 291 Toledo, 292 Toronto, Ont 293 Trenton, N. J 294 Troy, N. Y 294 Utica, N. Y 295 Washington, D. C 296 Wilmington, Del 297 Worcester, Mass 298 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY. " BUSINESS SOCIETY" in the largest sense, the inter-communi- cation of civilized man for admitted purposes of protection, profit, and culture is a phrase representing an infinitely complex activity ; but its definition, for the purposes of this work, may be properly expressed by calling it " that body of men who live by traffic in each other's goods, and profit or lose by reliance on each other's integrity." The earliest recorded commercial transaction, involving money, is that in the Book of Genesis, 33 : 19, where Jacob is re- ported to have bought " a part of a field from the children of Hamor for a hundred pieces of money." Barter, exchange of commodity, must have been general, however, during the lifetime of Adam, and, either toward the close of his life, or very soon after it, must have reached a condition of fixed values suited to the wants of his immediate descendants ; for we begin to find the word Jiesitah which means, indifferently, " a lamb " or a " por- tion " used as a standard among them : so many lambs, so much land. When the purely shepherd character changed into the more fixed patriarchal form, " flocks" came to be a means of com- parison with " herds," and cattle and oxen signified relative values. From the tiling itself to the symbol was the next step. One piece of money was marked with an ox ; and thus money, as a represen- tative and medium of exchange, took its names and devices from the first subjects of commerce. A circulating medium may be anything, provided it be a current representative of value. In the Birman Empire, tin ; on the coast 2 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. of Africa, shells; in the interior of the continent, salt; within the territory of the oldest Asiatic and European monarchies, gold and silver each became a medium ; but since Jeremiah bought the field of Hanameel, his uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and " weighed him the money, seventeen shekels of silver," or the later time when David bought "the threshing-floor, cattle, and agricultural implements of Oman the Jebusite, for six hundred shekels of gold," silver and gold have been the principal media of trade for the far-scattered descendants of Shem and Japheth. The modern trader, unlike the ancient, or even the mediaeval one, need not bring gold or silver with him to effect purchases. All he requires is to have the reputation of possessing enough, and of being willing and able to discharge his obligations punctually. This reputation is called Commercial Credit. As the first act of monetary trading was an Exchange, the latest one is neither more nor less. An executed exchange leaves undetermined merely questions of False Representation, Guaranty,. Warranty, etc., as to the things exchanged. An executory exchange bargain and sale, etc., turn almost wholly on the reputation of the persons proposing it, either in the sense of means to respond in damages, or, wanting adequate means, their assisting reputation for honor and integrity. In ordinary dealings between men, executory traffic proceeds on a belief in the sufficiency of the means of the buyer ; in exceptional cases, on their personal character, cum their means; but it is safe to say that society, in the commercial and trading sense, is con- stantly enlarging its demand for the security of tangible and ex- ecutable goods, and relying, less and less daily, on the mere moral character of the owner. Whether this tendency be wise or un- wise whether it indicate a lowering of public morality, or a mere extension of relations incompatible with opportunities of personal knowledge of men's characters for honest dealing is nothing to our purpose. It shows that a just estimate of the trading resources of individuals, firms, or corporations is a first condition of traffic, and that a false one endangers, limits, or destroys the opportuni- ties of traffic, and either suspends, or causes to be withheld from business effort, the chance of honorable competition and the meed of appropriate success. Since a correct estimate of men's means to fulfil their business THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 3 obligations is a first condition of successful business, a false esti- mate, either because of its being a wrong conclusion from true data, or the result of reasoning on an insufficient collection of data, is, to persons engaged in traffic, an injury and wrong of prime im- portance, which can only result in restricted trading, or inade- quate profit, or final ruin. Either consequence is to be avoided and dreaded. For what do men work, from year to year, if not for the probability of greater growth in confidence and multiplied profits ? And, even if their capital be so large and assured as to render criticism or misrepresentation comparatively non-destruc- tive or non-ruinous, is the escape from failure to be solely regarded, and not the unjust and exacting struggle which they have been compelled to wage when fully entitled to a prosperous peace ? In the United States and Canada the trading public, for the first quarter of this century, had no settled terms of credit, as now understood, which they applied indifferently to all whom they credited ; and none which depended, in any noteworthy de- gree, on what we may call extrinsic knowledge. Men trusted on the basis of their own estimate of purchasers, whether as to morals or means, assisted, perhaps, by the friendly advice of some local trader who had experience of the habits of the particular appli- cant for credit. Where their knowledge was insufficient to justify dealings, or they could not quickly get reliable corroboration, they contented themselves with their stock, and allowed the proposed trader to go elsewhere. A secret inquiry was a wound ; and while the seller felt " above it," the buyer was too high-mettled to pur- chase from the inquirer. Such a state of business was, of course, a healthy and safe one, but it was also restricted. It was not suited to a homogeneous political society like that of the United States, where some States of the Confederation produced rice, sugar, tobacco, and cotton, and others wheat, wool, iron, and lead natural exchanges and the citizens required the facile substitution of products to attain and enjoy the benefits of their climatic ad- vantages, their inter-State free-trade, and liberal political institu- tions. The steamboat, the railroad train, the telegraph, the tide- water canals, all conspired to quicken enterprise, to enlarge com- mercial relations, to make one seat of special activity promptly re- spond to the excitements and fluctuations of other seats of energy or capital : and hence arose the necessity, with increased population 4: THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. and production, for more extended markets, for more intimate ac- quaintance *with the resources of traders and the character of go- betweens ; and with these came the want of some authentic, or approximately authentic, substitute for the old-time restricted and personal inquiry of the individual merchant into the integrity and means of his proposed customers. When Astor's agents bartered for peltries with the Indian and French habitans, he drove a cash business, and his agents had no occasion to inquire into the existence of a capital which they could see and touch whenever they chose ; but when checks, bills of ex- change, and promissory notes passed into general vogue as com- mercial substitutes for the issues of the First National Bank, and indicated the expanding energies of invested capital in forcing a market, it became the interest of producers to acquire a knowledge of the resources of the makers, drawers, and indorsers. The earliest effort in this direction was by means of what are now known as Commercial Travellers persons in the employment of a particular house, and accustomed to give the result of their investigation to the particular merchant for whom they worked. . This method was expensive. It compelled two or more business firms in the same city to pay twice within a year for practically the same information. It had a further drawback in the eagerness of these travellers to sell under a risk, and so deserve either an in- crease of salary or an increased commission on sales. These allow- ances made, the device was sufficient for the occasion. While the American Hercules was yet engaged in his earliest feats of con- scious power and beneficence ; while the internal seas, lakes, and rivers of the country were throbbing with new forces, and distant communities coming together to traffic in the long and slowly-ac- cumulated wealth of the Arcadian age ; when to go or to be in debt, except for a brief period, or without resources treble its amount, was accounted madness or dishonesty, a post-office address w r as as assuring as a deed of trust, and a man's full Christian name almost the business equivalent of a chattel mort- gage. In such a state of society the casual traveller served his purpose well enough ; and what he failed in was amply compensat- ed for by the strict old-time determination to pay the last penny in satisfaction of an obligation. Even the law was rather a re- served than a i^sed corrector and collector of unsettled accounts. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 5 The East (there was, properly speaking, no "West then) sold and the South bought ; and the year's end found the balances adjusted and the temporary debtor a desired customer for the next year. What has more recently come to be called " Southern honor" had its origin in these justified confidences, and the commercial travel- ler was quite sufficient for all the demands arising out of them. But the spirit of change entered into the people with the new discoveries. It soon seemed barbarous to imprison for misfortune in business, when speculation and energy, in tossing the dice of desperate chances, came to be regarded an individual honor and a national characteristic. The statutes in reference to arrest and imprisonment sensibly relaxed in several States. A bankrupt law followed. The introduction, outside of cities, of double-bolted doors, of burglar-proof safes, of a more general carrying of arms on the person, typified the growing sense of insecurity and the re- cedence of confidence. Some new contrivance had to be impro- vised to meet the new conditions of society. The formation of an association of merchants in New- York was the first step; the next was the joint appointment of a common agent, S. P. Church, to secure and forward weekly reports of the condition and business relations of merchants dealing or proposing to deal with the metropolis. His letters were copied and distributed among the members ; were afterward printed, for greater expedi- tion ; and, finally, were bound and preserved under the title of " Church's Keports." Mr. Church was succeeded in the business by his brother, John R. Church. Lewis Tappan followed John R. Woodward and Dusenberry next entered the field ; and in 1812 the feeble voices of two competing bureaux of Business Intel- ligence might be heard in New- York, only to be increased, some years later, by the addition of Bradstreet's, piped for a time on the banks of the Ohio, and transferred to the Hudson in the faith and trust of attaining a lustier pitch and more profitable perfection. We have traced the need, and introduced the applied remedy. We admit the need. We deny the efficacy of the remedy. THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. CHAPTER II. THE PRIMA-FACIE DIFFICULTIES OF SAFE INQUIRY THE SPE- CIAL DEFECTS OF INVESTIGATION BY BUREAUX OR IN MASS. LIFE insurance is based on the certainty of death to a particu- lar number of men in a particular period. The Northampton tables are found, by long experience, to be equivalent to a mathe- matical demonstration of this number. But who can formulate solvencies or insolvencies? or, if this can not be done in the 'mass, who could affix the term of either to any particular man or firm? Quetelet, in his Sur Vliomme, has shown a recurring series of crimes, preserving a close approximation to uniformity of number in a given period, but he reaches the result by considering crimes as deeds of violence and, of course, the effective cause of death, and not as mere breaches of moral or statutory law. In other words, he takes the same known certainty of death as the North- ampton tables, and merely differentiates, with the aid of census and prison reports, from the result of violence to the variety of methods of its illustration. But there never can be a Table of Fraud compiled or loga- rithms of insolvency perfected. In its very essence the former is elusive, and, resting in intent more than in consequences, human ingenuity would be taxed in vain to seize it, in any stage of pro- gress or development, in the individual or in the community ; whilst the latter, as it may be the result of a single. bad bargain, as well as of a succession of bad bargains, or the incalculable acts of others, is no less incapable of calculation. No system can be devised, therefore, to overcome, or accurately anticipate, condi- tions and circumstances so complex and variable. In life in- surance, besides, the insurer proceeds not only on the proved average of deaths in a community, but he secures a scientific opin- ion of the state of health of the applicant at the time of his ap- THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 7 plication. Constitutional maladies are readily discovered. Apti- tudes, or conditions specially favorable to the acquisition of con- tagious diseases, are noted ; and a simulated health, or a fraudu- lent withholding of indicative symptoms or facts, is made suffi- cient to avoid the policy. The insurer,, too, is in receipt of bene- fits long before he is called on to discharge obligations ; and dur- ing the running of the policy, as well as afterwards, he has op- portunities of detecting whatever might be used to defeat his liability. The merchant, on the other hand, must act at once, and give or refuse credit within a brief period. lie must judge of ap- pearances without scientific assistance. If he inquire personally and at the moment, he may either receive correct or false infor- mation, the value of which can only be truly determined when the time of credit shall have expired ; and if he inquire through third parties like the Agencies he is only substituting their presumption for his own. Anything approaching a basis for a credit formula, is plainly out of the question in commercial trans- actions, however recent may be the examination or however thorough the examiner. Wanting a basis of certainty, or method of averages, all attempts to define what are and what are not judicious estimates of credit must drop from the pretence of sys- < tern to the plane of guess-work, with less or more chances in favor of or against the guesser. Whoever can best acquire the greatest amount of proximate truth in reference to the condition of a trader can (other things being equal) best determine whether credit should be given or withheld ; and as the most recent and thorough investigator is most likely to arrive at a wise conclusion by procuring the latest information attainable, the individual who is incited by the greatest pressing interest is more apt than any one else to guess with less hazard of being every time, or in the majority of cases, mistaken. All men do not fail in business ; the majority of traders prosper; few of the prosperous become fraudulent to become more prosperous temporarily: these are the rules for guidance possible, in all events ; and these leave the whole inquiry of the application of credit to particular individuals to be only safely prosecuted by the person who might suffer per- sonally through negligence, or by some one who bears an almost identical relation to the credit-giver. In a later chapter we shall apply agency estimates to indivi- 8 THE COMMEECIAL AGENCIES. duals, compare agency estimates with each other, and demon- strate, from the comparison, the infinite superiority of individual over agency guesses; but, meantime, we proceed to notice the salient elements of business life on which both must proceed to form and express opinions. The prime causes of business failures are, besides overtrading or illegitimate speculation, personal and family extravagance, gambling, and harlotry. We do not mention drinking ; for it is, as a rule, the effect of failing fortunes, and not the efficient cause of them ; whereas the other operative vices usually spring from excessive hopefulness or a luxury begotten of success. It might even be doubted whether or not indulgence in ardent spirits short of habitual incapacity to do business has ever, of itself, produced a business failure. Commercial honor :never stood higher in this country than when the act of trading was opened and closed by a social glass in the very temple of Juno-Moneta. This habit led to intimacies and offices of hospi- tality and friendship. The fact of barter was only one incident of a social intercourse which the veriest cheat could not bring himself to disregard with impunity. Individual honor was pledg- ed -as well as commercial fidelity ; and if reverses followed and the latter was not redeemed, the seller had no occasion to expect the pretended unfortunate had only passed from foraging on friends to an opulent privacy. The shamefacedness which now drives the professional gambler, and almost him alone, out of a society in which his word has been broken, was then so potent with all classes of men that our oldest merchants cannot recall an instance of one of their craft flaunting the profits of a fraudu- lent failure in the faces of his victims. Suicide or exile removed the dishonored ; and public opinion enforced the alternative with greater vigor and remorselessness than courts or juries have since been able to exercise. The far-reaching and secret habit of speculation with business capital in gold and stocks " operating," as it is called in the lan- guage of the street presents, in itself, an obstacle so great to the attainment of any sort of average certainty in calculating business risks, as to be practically impossible for the Agencies. It is no longer confined to the avowed brokers and speculators of our money cen- tres. The artisan, the farmer, the merchant classes, all contribute their quota of enthusiasm and supply their share of margins, and THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 9 the merchant class, notably and naturally, more than all the rest. With a broker in Wall street and a stock indicator at his elbow, the trader has every opportunity of taking a hand in that im- mense traffic in gold and stocks whose annual sale by means of the Gold Room and New- York Stock Exchange alone is computed at $22,000,000,000. A fortune may be made or lost in a day. A third, one half, all the capital and credit of a firm may be risked and swamped in less time than it would take to remove the shut- ters or open the safe. The temptation afforded by this kind of speculation is not limited to any class of persons or any kind of business. It reaches everywhere. The clerk and his employer, the confidential mana- ger and the senior capitalist, the company's secretary and the bank- ing-house cashier, feel the insidious influence of the rise and fall of gold and stock in Wall and Broad streets. It has become so uni- versal that its results can no longer be separated, with any accuracy, from such heretofore controlling processes as the procession of the Seasons, the growth or failure of Crops, or Peace or War at home or abroad. Outside speculation is no longer an exceptional fact in the lives of our business men a Tulip-Fever or a Cochin- China madness ; a " put," a " call," or a " turn" have become a general language* and express a general activity. In the era of knee-breeches and silver buckles, people pointed at a wagerer in the few stocks then in vogue as a man apart from the ways of men. To-day the difficulty would be to show a man who is not a wagerer on the possibility of a possibility a secret thrower of the dice of chance a tossing Bull or a squeezing Bear of some State or municipal security, preferred railroad, mining or manufac- turing stocks. There may be no account of his transactions in the ledger. They may be generally are kept secret from his busi- ness friends. But they write themselves in his care-worn face, and either lift him to sudden affluence or precipitate him into as wondrous poverty. How can a mercantile or commercial Agency learn, calculate, or approximate the extent of this universal habit on business men's capital and credit ? How can it foretell by an hour, a month, or a year, whether an unknown investment shall prove fortunate or unfortunate, when the investor himself is so often mistaken and deceived ? Many times the whole available floating capital of 10 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. the country is turned over in Wall and Broad streets within a year. "Who can predicate of any particular part of it that the places which knew it once shall know it any more forever ? "We do not ask how it is possible for the Agencies to anticipate a Black Friday or some lesser calamity at any time for prescience like this could not be pretended ; but we inquire, what can they know of the ordinary daily dealings of any single man in the Stock Board or in the Street ? Absolutely nothing. The reader versed in the names and fortunes of Wall and Broad streets need only look at the ratings of any dozen of his acquaintances to learn the consequence. A more perfect bal masque cannot be conceived. Every one will be found to have a different character from what the reader knows him to possess, and one just as different from his "street" character as it is possible to be variant. Relations find poorer relations, who could not control one thousand dollars over and above the value of their seat, rated in the hundreds of thou- sands ; others, with hundreds of thousands, not rated, or despitef ully used. It would occupy too much space to give instances which must be at the finger-ends of .every banker, broker, and operator. While we pay from $150 to $5000 yearly subscription, we must not be surprised to find Henry Clews & Co. standing as high in credit as A. T. Stewart & Co. when the firm was not worth one tenth of its liabilities, and Jay Cooke & Co. exalted to the skies in credit and capital at the very moment when courts of Common Law and Bankruptcy were contending, preliminarily, which should dole out his shrunken values and appease the cries of speculating widows and investing orphans. Harlotry and concubinage are just as difficult of estimate as secret speculations. They are mainly modern in our commercial classes. The leman and the kept-mistress were, forty years ago, the luxuries of the professional classes and the hereditary capitalist in lands or slaves. The growth of great commercial fortunes, and the decreasing horror of libertinism, transferred the custom of two households to the sons of trade, proper ; and investments of this kind are now, very generally, elements of disturbance and doubt in the computation of business risks. Whilst we think the moderate use of ardent spirits should not be weighed, if it could, in credit ratings, we concede that the dual family establishment is of prime significance to the creditor class. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 11 Its progeny are recklessness, desperation, shame, and ruin. In- dulged in, at first, as a contrast to the even tenor of conjugal love ; persisted in afterwards from a sense of choosing between the evil of loss and the disgrace of exposure, but always a source of present prodigality, and an inducement to hazardous ventures pro- mising large returns, the meretricious relationship affects the busi- ness community more than all other causes combined. The ex- penses of the admitted home may be estimated by the careful creditor at all times, and curtailed by the debtor in emergencies. The exactions of the hidden hospice of lust are under the direc- tion of the imps of whim and caprice, and are only certain to be uncertain, sure to be selfish and profligately persistent. "Worse than wine, worse than faro, the hidden liaison corrodes and crushes the man of business. Faro may select one from thou- sands to load with a special luck ; wine may make friends who shall prove of service in the day of trouble ; but Lais, never com- pensative, hastens to plant the poppy of forgetfulness over her latest victim, and celebrates his ruin by advertising it to his suc- cessor. Personal and family extravagance in dress and living is an- other subject of consideration in estimating business risks. It is undoubtedly carried to great excess, but it is under the restraint of publicity, and therefore subject to approximate computation. It is not always voluntary or a proof of poor business habits, the thriftiest and most prudent often submitting to it from necessity, and making up for prodigality at the house by parsimony at the store. Again, is not this the era of show ? and how can we always be positive that the front pew at the church, for a fabulous price, or the sumptuous entertainment, or the costly equipage, are not so many judicious advertising tricks, and well calculated to lead to business advantages in extremity, or even go far to compensate for restricted capital ? All these subjects must, in one form or another, enter into the calculations of the circumspect seller. They should be considered carefully by the agencies, if agencies are to attempt supplanting individual investigation. In this connection, inquiry, to be effi- cient, must be impersonal, dispassionate, direct as possible, and thorough. Is it ? ]S"ot at all. The chance phrase of some chance acquaintance is picked up by the readiest or most attentive ear. 12 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. It may mean a fast life with abundant means, a fast life without means, or a fast tendency, with the highest commercial standing and integrity. To Deacon Sniveller, of the basement, a Park outfit is proof of coming bankruptcy in the case of Solomon Lightheart, of the first floor front. An equal expenditure for the support of "The Home for able-bodied Pharisees" would insure a very different interpretation. What is mere energy and dash to the critic of forty years is dare-devil ism and recklessness of the worst kind to the eye of sixty or seventy years. Weston, without explanation, is only a " tramp," and Bennett unexplained, with his yachts and wagers and walking matches, is only a younger Jim Mace, with the Herald newspaper thrown in. So controlling and important are these shallower judgments of the tattlers of trade, which the agencies represent, that the heartiest, the purest, and the financially strongest men are obliged to resort to a self- protecting hypocrisy and make-believe in their exterior life and bearings. From these persons, too, rather than from the straight- laced, churches receive their best aids and charity finds her most munificent benefactors. By a further and parallel necessity, almost every great business scandal and fraud recently broached and practised has had a religious phase to it. Howard's Washington Steeple rested on the empty vaults of the Freedrnan's Savings Bank. The Clergyman's Retreat in Lake Erie prefigured the bank- rupt glories of Ogontz. And almost all the wildest or least-prin- cipled of the disciples of Mammon, from Fisk and Gould to Cooke and Clews, raised temples to Christ in veriest mockery of the iNazarene. We have indicated a few of the obstacles to any kind of accu- racy in business estimates ; we proceed to notice the one above all others which produces inaccuracy and injustice. Any one who has read the reports of the agencies knows that they are suffused with the essential essence of the spirit of Cant. Liquorish praise or deadly ichor distinguishes them. That set of men who may be classed as the old maids of the sex, whose spleen is greater than their judgment, and their active malice greater than both, are the fact and surmise gatherers and the true authors of these under- mining commentaries.' Their test is a simple one : Is he a church member in good standing ? Does he subscribe to the Tract So- ciety, direct a Sunday-school, help in a choir ? In either event a THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 13 cheery certificate passes. Lesser claims to piety are also recognized, but in a descending scale. An " A 1 " heathen will generally be found to bear, in the private archives, a worse financial character than the struggling " brother." It is not alone the tendency of the shrewdest and most politic business men to anticipate hostile cant by acquiring a church membership. The owners and city and country reporters of the agencies affect the same judicious show of moral pretence. McKillop, of McKillop & Sprague Co., acts as pastor to a congre- gation at Flatbush, L. I., in a church partially erected and wholly supported by him. The admitted reason of his ministration is to save the expenses of a regular clergyman. The profane allege that it is to preserve, in fullest opportunity of weekly iteration, the standing advertisement of his own godliness and contributions. Tupper, of Dun, Barlow & Co., carries his mortified body at- tenuated by many fasts and vigils across the rapt visions of the Seventh Avenue United Presbyterian congregation. Anderson, of the game agency, is an active Methodist and hot revivalist. Wiman was a rigid Presbyterian in Toronto, a Baptist in Mon- treal, and is now an Episcopalian on Staten Island. It used to be the pride and boast of Tappan, the foster-father of the system, that he retained no man in his employment who was not a church member, and who could not give the text of the Sunday sermon. The device is a natural one. In all ages the shrines of piety possessed a special attraction to the most adventurous spirits. Silly nobles, weak kings, here and there, attempted to escape oblivion by a stained window, a tapestry-lined chancel, or an en- during sculpture ; but the most lavish givers have always been the boldest getters, from the Borgias of Florence to the church- building Plantagenets and Tudors of England. The comment holds good in our own time. The church not raised on the profit of adulterated food, watered stocks, or a well-timed " corner" sel- dom or never rises outside the granger districts of our God-fearing society. Science is the beneficiary of the successful literary or professional man. Humanity or philanthropy attracts the ingots of the honest and humane. The religion of rewards and punish- ments secures the greater portion of the deceitful favors of the profitably time-serving and advantageously corrupt of every trade and calling. 14 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. In these church associations, mainly, the agencies procure their private history of business men. You may live long next door to a city merchant without knowing his private history. Belong to the same church with him, or know a brother who belongs to it, and your greatest difficulty will soon be to cut off or lessen the flow of scandal which the connection pours by unknown processes out of his home and into yours, and vice versa. The agencies dabble in these waters of bitterness for want of better. They must accept the measures in which they are meted out or go unrefreshed. The blind, the halt, and the lame, in the outside world's opinion, here drop their defects and crutches and go forth new men. The hearty, and upright, and straightforward, in the outside world's opinion, are admonished and soon made to feel their unworthiness. The results to character are astounding j udged from a non-church standard ; but they are certain, and con- tribute more to the tone and temper of agency opinion and litera- ture than the inquisitiveness of the press, the disclosures of the courts, or the loquacity of traders, combined. Let us not be misunderstood : we make no war on the grand inquisition of the churches. We merely inquire of the business men of the country if they are content to be judged by the knaves and hypocrites who may enter into these leagues for the purpose of more recondite fraud or the more facile satisfaction of malice. The truly good members are not the tale-bearers and slanderers. They are too busy serving God to injure their fellows. But the splenetic, the suspicious, the sore-headed press forward in the work of slander and detraction, and assume and hold the places fitted for modest merit and true piety. The narrow-minded zealot ; the addle-pated professor of some pet social fanaticism ; the knave who fawns on the prosperous only to assail the aspiring with more successful malignity : who would, who should, be content to be judged by these ? or, being judged, who would submit to have these horned beetles and stinging wasps of the social hive pass current for the correct in conduct, the best in manners, and the highest in business dealings ? Into these church reservoirs of news, backbitings, profitable malice, and passionate phariseeism the agencies go for material for opinion. They contribute the " facts" often, the "tone" always; and the agencies, from neces- THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 15 sity or design, receive the darkest pigments in their reports, and the most bleaching lotions as well, from the dripping of the sanctuaries. The reader can estimate the chances of accuracy in the pre- sence of these complex difficulties resting in the very nature of the agencies' investigations, or arising out of the initial efforts to prosecute them. He can, we think, already agree with us in our first proposition, that the agency pretence of aiding trade by correct estimates of credit and capital is sadly marred at the very thresh- old of our criticism; and that between elements which would embarrass and deceive the very best individual examination into a man's circumstances, and others which go merely to disturb the transmitting medium, the agencies are powerless to intelligently advise risks or to regulate credits. 16 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. CHAPTER III. FURTHER DIFFICULTIES OF THE SYSTEM CONSIDERED : THE AGENCIES CREATING THEM. GIVEN a perfectly honorable management, a mercantile or com- mercial agency such as McKillop & JSprague Co., Dun, Barlow & Co., and J. M. Bradstreet & Sons possesses certain inherent de- fects. No man can serve two masters. An agency cannot, in the nature of the thing, take pay from the buying and selling classes and do full justice to both. It must be two-faced, under the opera- tion of its conflicting purpose. The Western subscriber who pur- chases imported goods on credit in New- York finds the seller a subscriber here. The New- York subscriber who goes to Boston, Lowell, Philadelphia, or Cincinnati for particular lines of manufac- ture, finds the seller a subscriber in those cities. Vendor or ven- dee, both pay the agency, and the agency must strike an accommo- dating mean to secure their support, or, to be fully just to one, must take the other's pay while it depreciates or destroys his re- sponsibility. The first consequence is a natural and inevitable one. To get and keep subscribers the agencies must approximate their opinions of themselves (when it reports them as they really are) ; and, efficiently for others, it must depart from what they con- ceive themselves entitled to, and incur the loss of patronage. Be- tween the caution of the seller, which always exacts a large allow- ance of surplus assured assets, and the halcyon opinion of the buy- er, who always places a flattering rating on his own resources, the agency finds its first difficulty, and enters, in self-defence, on its first deception. As it takes pay from both it endeavors to satisfy both. To cater to the seller's sense of caution it indulges in cheap general- ities and crams of business wisdom. To a grain of even hypothet- ical statement it adds a pound of flimsy phrases which may mean anything or nothing to the eager and suspicious inquirer. The rat- ings dance up or down like colored balls in a toy fountain, as the THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 17 stream of drivel rises from " good for a reasonable credit " up to " good for all engagements, but of little reputation in the trade, and worth watching," and falls again to " the man has capital to some amount, which cannot be ascertained," or " pays promptly, but the money is presumed to come from his father, who failed in business last year and is supposed to work on a salary." To add to the Delphic doubtfulness and wary inconsequence and attenuated meanings of these reports, a language of symbols is adopted, where the Arabian Alphabet and Roman Numerals do ser- vice in affording lurking-places for ignorant guessing ; labyrinths of inference where the seeker of information may wander in end- less mazes, lost ; covered ways where character and credit may be " knocked in the head " or not with sublime indifference and benign impartiality the end and object of all the finesse being sim- ply to shield and shroud in a twilight haze the tricks and devices by which wholesalers and retailers, buyers and sellers, are all ex- ploited, and neither benefited, intelligently rated, nor intelligently advised. This is not merely an intermittent vice of the system of at- tempting to reconcile two irreconcilable interests ; to extend and preserve a clientage in practically antagonistic classes : it is the first and insurmountable consequence of the enlargement of the system beyond the service of the selling classes, and its per- version, for the simple purpose of clear gain, to every one who will buy a reference-book and advance a subscription. A second intrinsic and insurmountable difficulty of the system is the remoteness'of the persons affected, whether as seekers or givers of credit, from the information giving and receiving centres. We do not mean remoteness in space for the telegraph, if parsimony did not prevent its use, might be made to overcome that element of inconvenience but remoteness, in degree, from the original sources of information. The chief office or district one, or the manager of cither, has never personally met five hundred of the hundreds of thousands of persons who figure in the agency pages and reports ; of this five hundred the true financial position of a single one has never been personally inquired into and determined by the person in charge of the chief office or district offices. The collection of names and pretended data in the agency books is sim- ply the result of chance contributions of intelligence from, generally, 13 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. the least self-respecting and least-liked man in his own community : self -reporting, which is taken for granted, if joined with any professed interest in or service for the agency, or is accepted with thanks because costless, and merely toned down with a judicious respect for the benefactor ; or the reprinted and revamped ac- cumulated odds and ends of business directories and former or other agency reports, of ten to thirty years 1 standing. Xot a par- ticle of this agglomerate of names, figures, guesses, self-praise, dis- praise, malice has been subjected to critical examination by the agency managers, in the first instance. They collect it in Xcw- York from the country, receive and dump it into print, and trust to luck whether it shall ever be inquired into ; or, if inquired about, shall be powerless for good or evil because of its vagueness; or, if erroneous and harmful, that it will be viewed as an attempt in the interest of trade to be commended or overlooked. Now, while it is manifest local sources of information are the very best and the only reliable means of data, persons in the vici- nage, even if in high standing, are the most likely to be passionate and prejudiced estimators of its value and importance ; and the reader can readily judge of the original value of data furnished by unpaid volunteer censors, inquisitors invited to judicial functions by haphazard selections from a lawyer's directory and their own reference-books, or the eager witnessing of some competitor in the same line of business u over the way." The volunteer informer is sure to have a reason of his own in meddling with his neighbor's affairs. Human experience disqualifies * him as an unsupervised collector of facts or opinions. The substantial men in a commu- nity never sink to this work. It can only be performed or tender- ed, therefore, by the ill-at.-ease, struggling, acrid spirits of the place the meddlesome, mischief -making busy-bodies, whose moving- springs are envy, greed, un charitableness, or disappointed ambition. The requested legal inquisitor generally bears the same relation to his profession that the volunteer informer bears to society at large. He is never the leading man, never among the leading men of the local bar, if the town have three thousand or over inhabi- tants. In small places, he may be among the least engaged of the two or three who can survive in such restricted pasturage. But he is sure to be asked, either because he is not engaged in lucrative litigated practice (for such a man would be too much related to THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 19 and associated with the business men, and too self-respectful to speak), or because he is engaged in some accessory employment, like that of a notary, commissioner, etc., which indicates in itself, to the legal profession, a struggle for life on the stray planks and spars where some higher purpose, some nobler ambition, went down in storm or darkness; or, finally, because some satisfactorily rated subscriber engages him for cheap collection work, at low prices, knows him best, relies on his friendly obsequiousness, and refers to him in furtherance of his own ends, and, perhaps, for bet- ter injury to his most hated competitors. Postmasters, postmis- tresses, and medical doctors, whose names are readily found in the post-office or town directories, are also picked out at random, and transferred by the agencies to what they term their " Correspond- ents' List," which is drawn upon when necessary. As these per- sons act without pay, their punctuality is the only qualification re- garded. These are the only sources of supply possessed or used by the agencies outside of New- York and the larger cities. Their only recommendation is their cheapness, for they cost the agency no- thing ; and it is from these sources, and long accumulations of their tinged, muddy, and credit-destroying contributions, that the agen- cies pretend to dole out, at from $150 to $5000 yearly, the elixir of a lusty business life, and the healing water of business salvation ! The agencies, in fact, do not know the people inquired about ; they do not know the persons from whom they inquire about them ; they do not know, and can never learn, except through the intelli- gence of a libel-suit or the crash of a bankruptcy, whether or not these persons report falsely or only a tittle of the truth ; and it is this unrevised, unauthenticated hearsay of hearsay, this secret cloaca of the most distressed and desperate of the community unfiltered, undeodorized, and infected that the agencies pretend to be the product of their paid attaches, examination of original re- cords, and the impartial judicial result of a process of searching examination pursued under their own painstaking and dispassion- ate supervision. Judged by every personal test, it is just the anti- thesis of their representations. Indeed, it may be conceded that the agencies could not do otherwise ; the expense of becoming ac- quainted by record, and keeping acquainted weekly, even with the fluctuations of business men in the city of ]STew-York alone, would exhaust the resources of the strongest agency. It is not attempt- 20 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. ed; it could not be effected, if attempted, by less than a million of capital, confined to a single city ; and hence the second radical and insurmountable difficulty results, as we have noted, in not alone a necessarily vague and indefinite, but a prejudiced, passionate, and purely haphazard expression of what one person, with motives all unknown to the agencies, says of one or more other persons, with means or character unknown to the agency or its office employees, who cook the books and dish up the reports. The work of revis- ing the financial standing and credit of the business men of the United States and Canada, which Dun, Barlow & Co. claim to be done by their own travellers four times a year, so as to render their quarterly reference-book of some value, would require the aid of 1424 men constantly employed as travelling reporters only. If their entire staff of paid employees (numbering less than 500), from errand- boys to managers, in all their branches in America, worked in that capacity twelve months in the year, a period of not less than three consecutive years must elapse before the affairs of each trader could undergo a single personal investigation ! During all this time their offices should be deserted and closed, and the work of soliciting subscriptions wholly abandoned. The same argument is relatively true of the other agencies. Besides these inherent difficulties, the avarice of the proprietors of the agencies, assisted and encouraged by the indifference or gullibility of the trading public, has fastened several additional causes of difficulty and embarrassment on the original project. The publication and sale, for profit, of yearly, half-yearly, and quarterly reference-books, is one of the first and worst of these. This is a plain temptation to the dishonest or doubtful trader to secure the agency for his own purposes, since he is apprised of what he is rated at, and is naturally anxious to propitiate the critic of his solvency, or actively mislead the impugn- er of his integrity. "When the rating is an agreeable surprise, the trader naturally encourages the enterprise. When it is not favorable, he sets to work to make it so by propitiating the pre- tended arbiters. Failing in this, by oversight or otherwise, in one year, he turns to the publications of some of the competing agen- cies for the next. The consequence is seen in the contradictory ratings given of the same person or firm by two or more agencies for the same year or a series of years. When the ratings are not copied from each other by the rival companies, the fluctuations of THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 21 reported standing and credit are largely produced by these active methods of interference. The observer sees one needle violently recording changes of direction, while the other is fixedly pointing to a settled course of prosperous voyaging ; while one pilot shouts " all's well," the other shrieks " breakers ahead ;" and while the in- terested inquirer watches the whirling indicator, and listens in doubt and amazement to the confusing assurances, he becomes only certain of one thing that he has learned nothing more valuable than his conviction that " all hands," except himself and others financially interested in the outcome of the venture, are busily and profitably occupied in trading on its purely speculative features. As a pru- dent man he will trust to neither ; as a cautious man he will trea- sure his experience in his own breast ; as both, he will take care not to attract attention to his discovery, but leave the public to find out the secret for themselves by a saddening realization of the as- sault on their judgment and pockets. He may be pleased to read the truth in these pages; but if he be wanting in public spirit and a leek-eater, he will renew his subscription and buy the next reference-book ; and the agencies will go on making money by the yearly traffic in the fears or credulity of the trading public. Another indication of the determined greed of the agencies, and one also largely injurious and destructive to any policy of learning the true standing of business men, is the development of Collection bureaux in connection with them, and owned and con- trolled by them. J. M. Bradstreet & Son, alone, have not yet adopted this specialty. The subscriber who entrusts his claims to the agency for collection advertises, T)y so much, his doubtful or valueless credits ; suffers from having them placed in the hands of the cheapest, least expert and self-respectful lawyer, such as we have indicated ; and in very many instances, in the h'ands of the attorney recommended to the agency by the creditor's debtor, or only self -introduced to the agencies by his own necessities and want of responsibility. Friendly delays, inefficient prosecution, the need of employing additional counsel in case of litigation, arc a few of the earlier consequences to the creditor. The later ones are : compromises, cooked up by a man capable of becoming an eavesdropper on his neighbor for the mere love of the employment, and, therefore, capable of being bribed to produce them ; bank- ruptcies precipitated, in which the attorney, as attorney for the 22 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. moving creditor, will be paid out of the debtors estate three or live times as much as he could have collected from his client, the creditor, in case of collecting the full amount of the claim ; or a return of the claims, particularly if unliquidated, with the pur- chased assurance that they would cost more than they are worth. The scheme of collection, however, although of no value to credi- tors, except in cases where the debtor is eager to pay, and the laughing-stock of the bar in every other case, serves one purpose for the agency. It enables them to call on the attorney, who hopes to secure any chance patronage which they may have to dispense, for his opinion of any citizen in his vicinity, suddenly in- quired about, and, as it costs nothing, this is reason enough with the agencies for its introduction and existence. Its damaging in- fluence to the selling classes is easily traced. Whom this incom- petent and always uninfluential limb of the law is acquainted with personally or through the medium of a douceur are discovered to be rated far above their means ; whom he dislikes or is not 011 profitable relations with, are marked down ; and the business pub- lic have to bear the consequences of the latest devices of the agencies to secure the opinion of the only man in the community who sets no value on his pretended knowledge except what he can make out of it by indirection. " Like master like man." Why should he trouble himself, for a possibility of patronage, to ac- quire by a laborious search the true resources of a merchant, when he knows that the agency, which receives immense remuneration, does not condescend to pay out any portion in securing it ? He forwards his gratuitous guess, or his bribed opinion ; finds satis- faction in gratifying a spite or making a point for a crony ; and turns to negotiate for some fire or life insurance company, which might occupy the talents or reward the industry not illustrated so much in contests in court as in applications to the Governor for vacant notaryships, or in wire-pullings for some justice-of-the- peace nomination. We have sketched the intrinsic difficulties in the way of the usefulness of any mercantile or commercial agencies whatever ; indicated the accidental impediments to usefulness added by the avarice of their managers; and cleared the road for that detailed and more searching analysis of their interior workings which it will be the province of the following chapters to enforce by precept and example. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 23 CHAPTER IY. WHAT THE AGENCIES EECEIVE : WHAT THEY DO FOR IT, AND HOW IT IS DONE, HOW THEY THRIVE WITHOUT DESERVING. "THE HEALTH-LIFT," AND "MOTH-EXTERMINATOR." THE three agencies, J. M. Bradstreet & Son, McKillop & Spraguc Co., and Dim, Barlow & Co., having their principal offices in New- York, claim, together, some 150 branch offices in the United States and Canada. Each endeavors to start as many self-supporting and paying branches as it can; neither ever con- tinues a losing branch " for the promotion of trade," that is, the advantage of subscribers in other places. In all the principal cities the agencies are found competing for local subscriptions ; in those of small population they sometimes try the experiment, but desist when the receipts fail to justify the expense. The three institu- tions extract nearly $8,000,000 yearly from the merchants, manu- facturers, and traders of both countries. This enormous drain on the resources of the business com- munity has not been going on for more than a few years ; but it is safe to say that since 1841 more than $60,000,000 have been col- lected by the present agencies or their predecessors in the same line of effort. Allowing for the payment of salaries, printing re- ports, rents, etc., a net profit of between $20,000,000 and $30,000,- 000 must have been received and divided among the proprietors ! One would expect to find some very heavy items of disburse- ment for procuring the information which produces this royal revenue. Surprise will become wonder when we assert that, out- side of the city of New- York, where reporting and subscription- getting go hand-in-hand, the agencies, together, have not spent $50,000 for collecting information which .they dispense with such magnificent profit, and that even this sum was largely spent in the effort to get subscribers, and not a dollar of it, purely and simply, to learn the business standing of business men ! In other words, the 24 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. whole aim and object of the agencies are to expend only to profit themselves, and they care nothing for the acquisition of true and useful information, if it must be costly, for its own sake. Their expenses are incidental to the receipt and disbursement of their revenue ; nothing, or next to nothing, is applied, outside of New- York and the principal cities, to earning or deserving it. If a subscriber wants definite intelligence, he must pay for telegraph- ing : the agencies will only pay for postage if the applicant can afford to wait from jive to thirty days for an answer by mail. Whatever they can get for nothing they sell ; what they would be required to pay for is never purchased. For instance, if H. H. Shufeldt & Co., of Chicago, or Smith, Angus & Co., of Milwaukee, desire to inquire about the credit and standing of M. J. Cummings or Irwin & Sloan, grain merchants in Oswego, N. Y., the agency's part in supplying the information entails an expenditure of exactly 12 cents. The application is first made to the Chicago or Milwaukee offices, which pay each from $50,000 to $70,000 yearly profit on subscriptions alone ; either office posts a letter to the Syracuse branch, which office either re- plies by returning the information on its record (which may be one or more years old), or mails a query to E. M. Fort, the unpaid Oswego correspondent, whose particular qualification for answering is that he is a coal dealer, doing business only as agent, having recently no business of his own, for reasons currently understood. If the letter is sent to Fort, he replies at his leisure to the Syracuse office, which, in turn, mails its opinion of Mr. Fort's opinion, con- cealing his'name, to the Chicago or Milwaukee branch, as the case may have been. After this pilgrim's progress the wise result is communicated to the original inquirer, who meantime may have had the luck to either have lost a good customer or to have escaped the possibility of being deceived into trusting a bad one. In this process, it must be apparent to the reader, that the agency would not presume to inquire from a person or firm of first-class business principles, and only imposes the loss of time on one whom they have already favored beyond his deserts, or who expects they will do so. This illustrates the role of the commercial Volunteer cor- respondent. Now let us take the course pursued in the instance of the At- torney-detective-correspondent, whose sole compensation is the THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 23 hope of having claims sent to him for collection, and being repre- sented by the agency as the most reliable and brightest legal lumi- nary of that neighborhood. Suppose Richardson & Co., of St. Louis, or A. Thomson & Co., of New-Orleans, or Drexel, Morgan & Co., Eaton & Cole, and J. M. Thorburn & Co., of New- York, inquire in the New- York or local offices for the antecedents of Martin F. Braisted & Co., bankers, New- York City, and it tran- spires that one of that firm formerly lived in Westchester County, N. Y., the agency drops a letter (return postage, 6 cents) to James P. Sanders, of Yonkers, N. Y., their reliable attorney and legal luminary aforesaid, who, in reply, retails whatever the glibbest tongue may tell him or the least laborious investigation may result in. Of course, an examination of the county records is not thought of, nor is any other source than rumor consulted ; for remitted claims are few and far between in Yonkers, and shoe- leather must be saved for respectable intermittent appearances in justice courts. Just here it is proper to add that the agencies' habit of recommendation cuts both ways. No attorney is recommended to subscribers or others who is not a correspondent, although the agency will unblushingly deny the fact, and the inquirer is refused the opportunity of choosing the generally better and abler men at the local bar, who will not condescend to resort to such an association for a practice. It may be said this course is not in accordance with a true economy, for they must expect to be found out some time, or be- come generally discredited, and business men are not apt to con- tinue paying for nothing. The suggestion would have force if applied as a test to any business involving an exchange of a real commodity whose defects could arid would be discovered by every buyer in every place ; but it has no analogy to the case of an enterprise which 2>ossesses tlie coercive power of rating every man in the community as its managers or clerics may see jit. To fully understand the agencies we must always bear this fact in mind : that they practice an exceptional business, with excep- tional means of affecting the purse or the pride of every man whose name they choose to put into print. To appreciate the consequences w T e must remember that human nature is a limited quantity, and that whoever can do what the agencies can do by 26 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. rating and printing to say nothing of private reports will al- ways find more dupes or sycophants than assailants. If a dozen palpable errors are discovered in the reports by a business man in an interior town, he concludes that they occur through the partiality or cupidity of the local correspondent objects to apply the experience to the whole field of agency re- porting and determines that, since error and falsehood are so easily passed for truth and accuracy, he had better join the enterprise, and purchase a favorable rating or guard against an arrantly false one. He does not buy or sell on the agency dicta / but he de- termines to join the vast array of approved souls whom he finds translated by a subscription into the higher heaven of business beatification, and to avoid the fate of the less thoughtful and prudent, who are sent to the limbo of mercantile discredit. The errors of the agencies in this manner, far from being de- terrents to patronage, are most urgent and active inducements to patronage. Thousands of honest and reliable men subscribe in self-defence; other thousands subscribe for utilizing the aids which such a system supplies to contemplated fraud. Between both classes, the lists increase with a growing rapidity, and the example is only lost on the strongest minds or the strongest capitalists. Suppose a business man is convinced of the inutility of the insti- tutions, and carefully avoids contributing to them. They rate him notwithstanding. They rate his competitors. At some point his interests will be found to conflict with his opinions. The agencies have an additional subscriber, if not a convert. Another consideration is also operative. As business fraud is best effected by means of a credit-giving agency which pretends to be indifferent, and circulates largely where applicants are other- wise unknown, the knave and swindler know where to find an ally under the mask of an enemy. Their own opinion of them- selves would not go far or yield fruitfully. A single false repre- sentation might cut short a career of roguery by giving occasion and justification for an order of arrest and putting in of bail. If the rogue can keep his tongue quiet, and have an agency to do his talking, the danger is averted ; opportunities are multiplied ; and a scheme, which might otherwise be rendered futile after a single effort, in a single city or town, is enabled to achieve an elaborate and far-reaching failure with comparative immunity. It may well be doubted whether any plan was ever devised THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 27 appealing to so many of the worst and lowest human, motives at once. The quack-medicine business proceeds on one principal national weakness : the known peculiarity that almost every one considers himself or herself ailing, in some way, in a country whose prevailing sickness is dyspepsia and the attendant hypo- chondriacal affections. The patent-right fever appeals to the well- known traditions of suddenly acquired wealth, by means of even simple inventions in. an era of inventions. The New-England Genealogical Bureau was never a real success, although it flattered family pride in a particularly sensitive portion of the country, anxious, somewhat, to compete with the un tabulated pedigrees of the Southern chivalries. But the agencies touch the weak, the vindictive, the unscrupulous, in their greeds, their fears, their rivalries, their passions, their hopes of betterment, their anxieties to guard against loss, and, at every point, present an inducement or excite a sense of danger or insecurity. Deeply considered, the wonder is, not that they have succeed- ed so greatly in procuring wealth from the community, but that, assisted by the supineness of their victims and the prevailing love of ease,. they have not yet passed beyond the pale of damaging criticism and deserved and adequate exposure. "Whatever may be thought of the agencies, their own conduct betrays a consciousness of weakness. Their latest device to give something for nothing is apt and illustrative. They have caught at the conceit of a Health Intelligence Bureau, whereby insurance agencies and others may learn the condition of health of any per- son in a neighborhood for two dollars one for the agency and one for the medical diagnoser. This small sum, we are to suppose, in- sures valuable medical information as valuable in proportion as any furnished in regard to men's commercial standing. The reader can conceive the social and medical " rating " of a doctor whose restricted practice or estimate of the value of his own opinion in- duces him to examine, certify, and report a patient for one dollar, and can also approximate the caution of an insurance company which would accept a life risk on the recommendation of so cheap-priced and remote an JEsculapius. " All premiums, no responsibility" must be the motto and purpose of such a company, just as " all subscriptions and no accountability" is the true shibboleth of the agencies. The revenue derived from this experiment is not large, however, and we only allude to the matter to show the mean 28 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. minuteness of rapacity which actuates the policy-makers of the institutions. By a natural sequence, projects known to their au- thors to be hollow and unsubstantial are constantly accreting ac- cessories and helps to buoyancy. The " seventh son of a seventh son, born with a caul " is the natural progenitor of the boy who invents an insect-destroyer or becomes a corn-doctor, and supple- , ments his precarious business by the sale of rat-paste. Credulity may have an end in one direction : and it is the part of conscious insolvency of merit to devise a change of base which may enable the old furniture to be applied to new uses. Following out this idea, the gentlemen of the agencies may in the end drop on something useful. Why would not a matrimonial bureau, with its tin photos and weekly circular, graced with cha- rades and rebuses, be an appropriate adjunct "? Next to the need of being married is the need of being married well. How many aspiring widows and languishing young ladies would spend a dollar or two privately in the delusive hope of exact information in reference to the affairs of Mr. Scroggs, of the Swamp, or the ex- pectations of Adolphus Boggs, of Madison avenue ? Neither is the exchange of love-tokens in hair trinkets and cheap jewelry"" an exhausted field for profit. Arrangements for private interviews would justify extra charges. The distribution of garden-seeds might also be adopted, at slight additional expense. Cures for the toothache, salves for wounds, recipes for cooking, phrenological charts, adapted to any head, might all be dispensed from the prin- cipal and branch offices, with the special advantage that the pres- ent clerical force would not find the employment beyond its ca- pacity. As for fortune-telling and palmistry, that would entail the hiring of a madam ; but could not her salary be readily produced by rating down one or two young merchants and calling their at- tention to the change ? We throw out these hints. They are suggested by the idea of the Health Bureau, or " Health Lift," as we prefer to term it. If the agencies have not determined to act on all of them already, they will be pleased, we are sure, at the appropriateness and timeliness of our suggestions. * By tlie bye, as these pages go through the press we find our idea carried out by at least one agency. Dun, Barlow & Co. are now agents for the cheap French brass and leather jewelry of the period ; and they are given as reference, in a late Xew-York Herald, on the efficiency of a moth exterminator. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 29 CHAPTER Y. THE KEYS WHICH UNLe drawn to the minds of subscribers ; these surely must be fit and proper guardians of business men's repu- tations and gangers of commercial honor ! But the force of this circular lies in something else than its inculcation of deceit, and dissimulation, and paltering words. It concedes away the whole raison d'etre of Agencies, their reason to be, or to be regarded as, l)on'a-fide establishments. If the Agencies THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 61 can never say " a man or firm is good for any amount ; " if " no " one can tell what amount any man is good for on an individual " transaction without knowing all his other transactions at the " same time ;" if the Agencies do not pretend to know these, or enough of them, to have an opinion ; if they can only say they " have an impression" of a man, or the man is " thought to be," or only " supposed to be," good, or in credit, what can the Agencies do to earn $8,000,000 a year ? They concede their incompetency by stipulating to evade responsibility. They admit their ignorance by providing for its expression in the most self -protecting words. They say, in effect, all we can say of them : they are willing and anxious to get the public's money, but what to return for it except facilities for fraud, by third parties, must remain a, profound mys- tery to themselves and the public, " passing understanding." 62 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. CHAPTER IX. DISPENSATIONS OF PROVIDENCE OR WHAT ? THE SECRET BLACK LIST WHAT IT IS, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. A REFERENCE to the Secret Reports and Black Lists, preserved, read, and circulated on request but never published, is now in order. In Banking and negotiating Railroad Securities there are few older or more stable houses than M. K. Jesup, Paton & Co., 52 William Street, New- York City. Their credit has never been doubted. They are reported in the Reference Books as " in un- " doubted credit." Call on Dun, Barlow & Co., and you will be forthwith put on your guard. The person in charge of their New- York City Department will tell you, with a knowing leer, " Jes- " up has taken care of No. 1 all his life, and will continue to do so." If this be not sufficient to startle you, he will add, " He is not " considered by some very reliable, not strictly reliable, and only be- " lieved safe for engagements when strictly denned." What effect these sardonic utterances may have had on A. T. Stewart & Co., the Merchants' Bank of Canada, and the various others to whom they have been retailed, we know not ; but they are strange things to say or write of a gentleman whom the Agency is obliged to ad- mit is worth over one million dollars and free of outstanding debts ! We think it may be said, however, that A. T. Stewart has bought no exchange through Jesup & Co. since this coward- ly and unmerited imputation was imparted ; and that Mr. Jesup has continued to forward subscriptions to his secret assailants, with- out " caring so much for No. 1" as they would have people believe. With the information now first imparted to Mr. Jesup, is it too broad to advise that he increase his subscription and await results ? Among the long catalogue of merchants favorably reported in the Reference Book and subjected in the Secret Reports to such THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 63 aspersions on their business ability, and sucli imputations on their integrity of character, as we have noticed, J. & W. Seligman & Co., the well-known German Banking House, whose estimated cash capital is $10,000,000, fills a conspicuous place. This great house has stood above criticism or suspicion since its organization. Panics have come and gone and left it unaffected. The especial favorites of Mercantile and Commercial Agencies have sunk around it by the hundred. Trial may be said never to have reached it, for its foundations were laid in the eternal verities of a practically inexhaustible capital operating on an unchangeably re- liable German constituency. It could not be assailed or depre- ciated openly without stultification to the assailant ; yet it is secretly represented as " not considered entirely reliable," and as a house " only believed safe for engagements when clearly defined, " and which Ioo7^s, above all things, well after its own interests." Not reliable ! Where did any Agency find reason or authority for so sweeping a characterization ? Only fit to be dealt with as a man would deal with a notorious rogue on a "clearly defined" basis ! Who has ever had such a thought of the Seligmans ? The base fling is without the slightest pretence of truth, and must have been in- dulged in for some purpose discreditable to the utterer. How can it have an honorable explanation ?, The contrasted case of Duncan, Sherman & Co. is more recent and as suggestive. William Butler Duncan, the Maecenas of New- York Merchants, the exemplar of high business and personal honor if the Agencies were to be trusted was hopelessly in- volved when they complimented him as highest in credit and means; and it sounds odd to learn now, from the Courts and Orders of Arrest, that his father was a secret creditor all the time, holding the greater part of the son's real estate in unrecorded Deeds, placed on file for the first time two days before the failure. It turns out now that the firm was only worth a third of their in- debtedness at the very hour when the Agencies were heralding their "money-making investments" and advertising them to all comers as in " unlimited credit," when many merchants, taking their information from more reliable sources, knew them to be embarrassed for years and in hourly danger of failure! In other words, the Agencies rated them worth " one million and over ;" that is, over all liabilities ; so that, in sober fact, they were about G THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. three millions in error ! Besides, it is now stated that, instead of having 30,000 to their ^ credit in London, they really owed 139,000 to the Union Bank of that city a further error or fraud of nearly $700,000 ! Of course they subscribed to the Agencies and paid them liberally. How other subscribers were led into the catastrophe is best known to the sufferers. From these seriously-meant accusations of incapacity and want of reliability against the very best men and firms in New-York, and false and fulsome eulogies of the insolvent or fraudulent, the transition of the illiterate ghouls of the Agency is easy and natural to the drivel of scandal and stutterings of doubt against less re- markable but equally solvent persons and firms. One gentleman, prominently identified with a leading Hotel, and in excellent credit and standing judged by the Reference Book, is announced in the Secret Reports to have " no, or only a " doubtful, capital ;" as a " frequent borrower of money, largely in " debt to Mrs. James Fisk : from this source he has facilities for "raising money; is of expensive and extravagant, as well as some " disreputable, habits." We do not know what the commentator meant by collocating " disreputable habits" with the source of the means ; but a more malignant and dangerous attack on the sacred- ness of private reputation, male or female, is not often made. In the successful Publisher of some of the best, purest, and most enjoyable literature of the day, a man whose capital and credit are certified in all the Agency Books, and whose social life is certainly respectable judged by any standard, the same ghoul has discovered a monster " a man of notoriously bad character, a " free-liver, a keeper of fast horses, and an as'sociator with males " and females of doubtful character." The gentleman so assailed never had a fast horse, as matter of fact ; but if he had, Belmont has a dozen, Bonner more, and Yanderbilt enough to deserve the stigma. The gentleman so assailed never associated with males and females of doubtful character any more than every one is compelled to do who passes through the world in any public posi- tion and is obliged, by his daily duties, to extend the courtesies of life to those with whom he may come in contact. But there are men who, in pursuit of some hobby, go out of their way to asso- ciate with persons of whose " character" there is no doubt whatever, as that abused word is applied, and yet the Agency moralist is THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 65 exceedingly careful to overlook matter of common notoriety. We can point to at least one hundred names, highly complimented by them for " character," who travel away from their ostensible busi- ness, whenever an occasion offers, to frequent gambling-hells, to play " sport" on race-courses, and to lead a life of extravagance, excitement, and conspicuous sensuality. How these persons have escaped censure when better-conducted men have been singled out for attack and condemnation, the experts in human motives must imagine for themselves. Did they strike their colors and lighten their coffers on sighting a piratical craft ? Did they pur- chase exemption from the penalties of the proscription by a timely ransom ? The mendacious details which enter into these infamous records are not worth further illustration. How some respectable and reputable business men are spoken of as " only fit for a public "institution where they could get their board and lodging for "nothing;" how family affairs of great age and no value are mable to serve a present resentment ; how matrons' names are associated with fraudulent transactions of which they never heard, may be readily inferred from what has been written. It is sufficient for our present purpose to say : Over eight thousand four hundred Merchants and Firms in the City of ^New-York alone are rated well and favorably as to capital and credit in the Reference Books of the Agencies, and scandalously assailed, to every applicant, in their honor, character, and business integrity in these Private Reports. Throughout the United States and Canada over ninety thousand others are treated to the same public compliment .and secret detraction. Is it possible to reconcile the printed report and spoken lie coming from the same origin ? If the slander be true, or believed to be true by the slanderers, why do they lie in print ? If the printed statement be true, why do they asperse and falsify privately ? The manner of these secret reports is as bad as the matter of them. The same hand can be traced in the same catch-phrases throughout. It is apparent to the initiated that ignorance and as- sumption have joined together to produce the worst possible kind of character-killing by the clumsiest possible kind of weapons. And yet is it not an additional indignity to be assailed in such sort by men whose own reputations have stood at zero, and whose first success in life was attained by obliging others, in self-defence, to CG THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. support them ? We may forget that the assailers of Seligman and Jesup are the eulogists of all the most disastrous failures of the last five years down to Yyse & Co., Duncan, Sherman & Co., Allen, Stephens & Co., Henry Clews & Co., Howes & Macy, Jay Cooke & Co., and innumerable others throughout the* entire country ; but how can we become reconciled to having persons dispense reputation to our great and reputable Merchants when one of them waited ten years to announce to the writer that he performed a wise and honest act by not absconding once with a sum of gold entrusted td him by the Board of Trade of Toronto ? The ancient Thersites was a low-minded and vulgar-faced ruffian. He had human characteristics and at least one qualification excellence in blackguardism. But to be trampled in the dirt by a set of Satyrs whose lower passions might be typified by a Goat's extremities, and whose highest ornament is an Ass's ears can human patience be asked to stand such an extremity of ill-fortune ? THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 67 CHAPTER X. WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS DOCTORS DIFFER AND WHAT THEY SAY OF THEIR- PATIENTS. IF the Agencies appreciate friends like Macfarlan, Browne, Morrice, Herrick, et id omni genus, the timorous merchant who visits them voluntarily to show his real means, or try to correct their misrepresentation, must not always expect justice or security as the complement of a subscription. The rule is that subscriptions mollify just in proportion to the amount paid ; but the volunteer needs also to remember that all the owners of the concerns have not equal control of the private reports. If, for instance, you con- fess your business matters to Dun, of Dun, Barlow & Co., you may look for reprovals from the City Manager for this person cannot suffer any one to think lie does not hold the key to the in- nermost chambers of commercial credit. The importance of this hint is readily made manifest by the following facts : R. "W. Cameron, of R. W. Cameron & Co., shipping and com- mission, carried his heart on his sleeve to R. Gr. Dun, in January, 1872. He satisfied the senior, who knew him well, that his re- sources were adequate for all needs, and his right to credit, if he desired it, perfect. The manager of the New-York City depart- ment, however, was not consulted, and he accordingly acted on the constructive slight. Mr. Cameron has now for the first time the mortification of knowing that, although his capital was 60,000 ($240,000), the city-department manager could only find it con- venient to place it at $60,000 to $70,000 while communicating with Charles Pratt & Co., Central National Bank, Bank of British North-America, Hanover National Bank, and others in and out of New-York City; and that, "although standing high among his "friends, he had conveyed the idea of unreliability to persons not CS THE COMMERCIAL AGEXCIES. " so intimately connected with him;" that is, like the manager, who probably never saw him in his life. He soon learned " he was, in "the main, an enigma, and of doubtful reliability, although cer- " tainly prompt, energetic, and capable." The mistake of calling on the wrong man in this case shrunk 60,000 into $60,000, and entailed on a merchant and firm of indubitable resources and the highest commercial standing, who should never have entered such a place, an ill-favored aroma still hanging, without any intentional fault of his, around all his enterprises. In the closing words of the manager, " If he should get into trouble to-morrow it would " not create a great deal of surprise, and the universal remark " would be, 'I told you so ! ' ' : This is what he gets from praying at the wrong shrine, and not recalling that a brass serpent was the idol to neutralize the poisons of the pilgrimage. O. K. Dorman, president of the Metropolitan Collar Company, doing the largest business in the line in the world, made the same mistake as Cameron^ Dun and he were acquaintances of twenty years. Dun thought him to be as he knew him to be. The city manager did not know him at all, but he saw through him in a flash through him and his admitted half million capital and gazetted him "as not the most reliable man in the world." He was not indeed " unsafe," but " your account with him ought to "be watched" as if every man's account ought not to be watched, only his. These words of golden wisdom did the manager indite and cause to be communicated to A. T. Stewart & Co., Wheel- wright, Anderson & Co., Minot, Hooper & Co., and Kibbe, Chaf- fie, Shreve & Co. what time K. Gr. Dun, under the softening thoughts and pressing duties of a prospective day's recreation after the manner of Isaak Walton, committed his departing friend to the mercies of the guardian of the vestibule. Dun may have been hospitable for the hour ; but why, when he left the shores of his ever-flowing Pactolus for Lake Simcoe, did he forget to whisper to Dorman, Cave canem beware of the dog ! Even the paths of Law and Literature do not escape these per- turbations. A well-known legist, over whom the shadow of the Tribunes tall tower erstwhile cast its genial shade, has com- mitted (in Agency opinion) some dire offence against the stringent rules of morality and conduct favored by the Agency. He had had the fortune, or misfortune, to be retained and to plead THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 69 for (say) a criminal and convict. He had had the further fortune, or misfortune, to be counsel (say) for an impeached judge. Both acts were in the due exercise of his profession ; were, indeed, duties in a professional sense ; but their due performance did not exalt him in Agency eyes ; relegated him to doubtful company, and drew down on his unconscious head these potent dicta : "He " is not very popular with some of the leading members of the " bar ;" is only " in some quarters regarded responsible for legiti- " mate business wants; is suspected of having no property in his " own name ; is dabbling in outside operations, and cannot be re- " commended to credit." It may be of slight importance to the learned gentleman what " some leading members of the bar," in opposition, think of him ; less, how " some quarters" regard him ; none, what the Agency recommends or omits to recommend in his behalf ; for his credit is unimpeachable. But we should really like to know whether he lost the chance of a lawn-cutter, a plough, or a client in consequence of the inquiry of Vanderbilt Brothers, or the ignorance, malevolence, or political or personal prejudices of thia Agency representative. A well-known lawyer, residing near Rye, with an office in Liber- ty street, and estimated worth from $500,000 to $1,000,000, the owner of dozens of houses and the director of a bank, is another victim. He is denounced as a " sharp, shrewd man, who will get "the best of a bargain, and rather unscrupulous. Transactions " with him should also be clearly defined, and in ' black and " white.' " The iteration of the same phrases palls on the ear and indicates the poverty of language which may consort with sly malice and devious detraction. What Mr. C. did to merit these opinions, complimentary to his legal, at the expense of his moral, character, we know not ; but we would wager a ducat that their utterer merely spoke from his own inner consciousness to Cleve- land and St. Louis inquirers, and wholly without a tittle of personal experience or other justification. Passing from the legal fraternity, who are naturally measured by the Agency's standard of professional ability and integrity itself indicated by their selection of one Whelp to superintend their collections and bark, in return, at the citizens of Staten Island we come to the treatment of literary men and literary ventures. In this category of Agency effort, the jealous nature of ignorance 70 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. and also the cautiousness of cowardice assert themselves. Where there is great risk of discovery, the Agencies either omit to rate newspapers as such, or rate them highly. This is a rule of the trade. But where the chance of discovery is lessened, and the publishers or editors come to be treated of in the private reports, they fare worse than others, in proportion. It seems as if the acrimony withheld for prudential reasons were poured out with greater unction because of the compelled restraint in regard to journalism proper. Our first example under this head will be the treatment of a Dey street company of publishers. Their papers are declared to be valuable property, and rated very highly ; but between the months of February and November, 1874, a remarkable change must have come over the men engaged in the publications. In February they were " smart fellows " a favorite term .with the familiar bumpkins of the agencies and, " on the whole, sat- isfactory." In November the same gentlemen are persons " in w r hom little' confidence is felt ;" who " will take care of their " own interests, at all risks" and who " are managing the much to the dissatisfaction of the proprietors," although " paying promptly and making money." It is not for us to re- concile these sudden contradictions of feeling and circumstances. But it is fair to ask how the same gentlemen, " satisfactory" in February and " making money" up to November, came, in No- vember, to be without public confidence and possessed of go little moral sense as to " take care of themselves, at all risks" ? And it is also fair to ask whether or not these gentlemen, and men like these, connected with the honorable profession of journalism, are pleased to find the boobies of the agencies presuming to say what is and what is not " good management " of one or more leading news- papers ? We do riot know what effect the wise-saws of the Agency may have had on H. C. Hulbert & Co., F. G. Green & Co., J. F. Anderson, Jr., & Co., Bulkley, Dunton & Co., "W. H. Parson & Co., and others. "VYe do know that the assailed gentle- men could graphically resent the impertinence if they saw fit. The publisher of another daily newspaper, and known to pos- sess a great deal of wealth, variously estimated from $500,000 to $1,000,000, a member of the Manhattan Club, and a Director of the Associated Press, is denounced in the severest terms as a THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 71 " slippery, unreliable man, unfitted for credit except on the basis of " net cash." This is said of a person whose word of honor passes current with all who know him for any amount of money ; who has never contested a claim unless he believed it fraudulent, and who is rated in the Reference Book in " very good " credit ! We learn his libellers are anxious to retract their aspersions now that their secret defamation is exposed ; but we should think as little of the person who would be satisfied with such a requital f or so grievous a wrong as we do of his traducers. The family circle is no safer from attack than the Bar or the Press. Thus we learn of one H that " he takes too much " wine, and is possessed of an extravagant wife and fast horses." Of another " II ," that " he has recently been made 110- " torious by his love for the drama ; by being sued for divorce u l)ij a notorious so-called vocalist of the Variety, and by it being " alleged that this is the last of three marriages, and that his first " wife is still living in Brooklyn" The second "H." is conceded to be in " excellent credit," but the opportunity of recording these useless details in a record could not be missed. Of another gen- tleman it is told that " he is doing a large business and thought to " be making money, but is involved in a suit with the widow of " a man he is said to have killed in a melee" Of another, who " is worth from $200,000 to $250,000," it is carefully related that lie is " amply safe and responsible for all contracts, but was at one " time an inmate of the Binghamton Inebriate Asylum." An- other will be surprised to learn that his daughters, living in his house since their birth, " left him on account of a second marriage." Indifferent to the reserve of home, the agencies are also indiffer- ent to the sanctities of conscience, and betray the bigoted prepos- sessions, of every temporary manager, in the record. Charles H. Applegate, doing business in Dry Goods at 330 Broadway in 1874, and associated as partner with a house reputed to be worth $200,000, is made the scape-goat of a narrow religious prejudice. He is de- nounced as " an ardent Methodist, erratic, difficult to place, easily " persuaded, sharp and tricky." As if " ardent Methodists" lost a certain amount of business qualification in proportion to their ar- dor of religious belief and their eagerness in practising it ! The editor of the " Quebec Saturday Budget," quoted in the Montreal Sun of September 14th, 1875, is our authority for an- 72 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. other instance of offensive bigotry. Writing of the agencies under a, recent date, he says : " We well remember an occasion when, in " reply to an inquiry concerning a certain house in Quebec, one " of the agencies flashed back the reply by telegraph, ' They are "jRoman Catholics; do not give them any .credit? " The descent from bigotry to dirt is natural and inevitable. On the record of one of the agencies in Albany, and New- York, is this entry in re- ference to Potsdam Junction, St. Lawrence County, New- York : " Miss L. E. K k. Is an orphan, twenty years old, comely, " residing with the widow A y, who is a woman of wealth " and has no children of her own." And of another lady in New- Jersey it is said " she has a neat millinery store, with a cozy room " in the rear, and an inviting lounge." Two others partners will find something more surprising still in these ruffianly reports, namely : " that each enjoyed the " companionship of the other wife's with her husband ' consent." We stop here. If the reader has any patience left after perusing these examples of agency literature, we must ask him to exercise it over a few questions which we submit to him in per- fect sincerity. I. Are men moved by the impulses displayed in the fore- going examples fit to be associated with on terms of equality, or any terms, by self-respecting citizens ? II. Are men who live by the sale of the false where not puerile ; scandalous, where not inane ; malicious where not in- consequent reports, hints, surmises, guesses, criticisms, and down- right blackguardisms detailed in this chapter, fit to be recognized as public benefactors ? We select for our illustrations of the influence of personal bias, etc., on Agency Reports these sample facts of a great number germane to New- York City, because the principal office cannot elude responsibility for them or pretend that it is not affected by the spleen, narrow-mindedness, and ignorant preten- sions to which we have referred. The effect of having the same fellows who play these antics on citizens of assured wealth and character in a position to gratify like feelings on gentlemen of less means and equal integrity can be readily conceived. Assuredly the knaves who receive men's money and rate them well openly only to depreciate and degrade them pri- THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 73 vately are not likely to respect less wealth or greater sensibility to abuse, if a purpose may be served or a feeling gratified, in disre- garding both. It occurs to the writer that there ought to be a limit to public forbearance. The Courts, whose breath is publicity and whose prerogative is sovereign to correct and reprove things tending to the destruction of society, seal up from prying eyes the inevitable records of human frailty. Legislatures pass Statutes of Limitation to restrain and prevent discussions of personal character only cal- culated to foment strife and endanger social peace. Municipal governments set apart a time for removing the natural accumula- tions which might affect the health of localities by being brought in contact with the air at less propitious hours for human rest. The Agencies alone, bound up in their own selfish objects, and in- capable, from their very constitution as depots of ignorance and ra- pacity, of respecting any tie however sacred, any reserve how- ever urgent, any misfortune however retrieved, set no bounds to the accumulation of matter obnoxious in itself, and display their indifference to honor, and the comities of Society, by giving it a permanent hospitality and a perpetual circulation. 7-1 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. CHAPTER XI. THE WEEKLY CHANGE SHEETS THEIR INCOMPLETENESS THEIR AGE. BESIDE the yearly, half-yearly, and quarterly Reference Books, the three Agencies indulge their subscribers with " Notification Sheets." These are supposed to be a true exhibit of the changes happening within the period mentioned to over 800,000 persons. The average number of names on these Sheets is not over three hundred. Whatever the Branch Offices can pick up they report to the Principal Offices, and the Principal Offices print and distribute weekly or monthly, as their custom may be. The first objection to these Sheets is apparent. Among 800,000 persons the fluctua- tions of business, of a decisive kind, must number thousands week- ly. Let any single Merchant in any town in this Country or in Canada recall the changes in business men's affairs within his own knowledge during a single week, and he will immediately discover how incomplete and inadequate the few hundred in- stances given in the Sheets must be to represent the changes by Death, Dissolutions of Firms, Insolvency, Judgments, Fire, and the thousand and one casualties incident to the business life of 45,000,000 of population. There is not a State in the Union, or a Province in the Dominion, which would not supply a larger roll; and single counties in the mercantile portions of either country, would, if adequately reported, require a much greater exhibit. The second defect of these Sheets is that they are old when printed and older when received, as well as incomplete. The Post-office is the means of first communication with the Branch Offices ; these offices transmit news also, by Post, once a week : the Principal Offices make up the Sheets from this slowly gathered matter, print it during two days, and, instead of mailing directly THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 75 to subscribers, return the Sheets in packages to the Branch Offices for final distribution by mail. In this manner the weekly list, when received, generally con- veys information three weeks old. ]STow, it is the common experience of business men that the period most dangerous to honest traders is always the period just previous to unexpected changes, or within a short time after they have happened, and in advance of their becoming notorious. If the Agencies meant to serve their subscribers in any way, the greatest expedition would be shown in this critical time. If they could not aid them by approximating correct ratings, they might, at least, make an effort is promptly announce such open secrets as Failures, Suspensions, Receiverships and Fires. They know better than to attempt it. However the defects and incomplete- ness of their arrangements may be to subscribers, they are fully appreciated by the Agencies. Festina lente is a meaningful motto to them. It is safer and better for them that the subscribers should wait and suffer, in their pockets and goods, than that the Agencies should be put to the additional cost and responsibility of telegraphing changes, etc., by means of the Associated Press, or report a financial death until it had stunk beyond providential resuscitation. This niggardliness and self -convicting caution dis- tinguish all they do and determine all they decline and neglect to do. The use of the telegraph to and from their Branch Offices would cost from $20,000 to $30,000 yearly, perhaps more ; but if it saved ten subscribers out of 30,000, during the whole time, from loss arising from want of information, it would be a partial, however inadequate, requital for the $8,000,000 extracted yearly from the business capital of the country. Even this slight chance of recompense is disregarded. The coercive features of the insti- tution are relied on to make up for every shortcoming or omission. The Agencies know they may snore if they choose, on the principle that Apollo semper arcum tendit, and a man capable of communicating contagious disease may thank no one for showing him a Hospital. A small-pox patient finds plenty of room and encounters little controversy in any community. Let us, however, suppose the Change Sheet received in due course. Consignments have had plenty of time to reach the buyer's hands, or his Receivers, or his Assignees. Pro rata distri- 76 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. bution, instead of recovery of the goods or payment in full, is the first consequence. The second is : entailed costs for Attorneys, and, in case of collection being made through the Agencies, profit from the very loss which their negligence of subscribers' interests had already entailed or aggravated. If the Change Sheets arrive pending a negotiation instead of after an executed contract, the absence of a credit applicant's name is a deceiving assurance ; while, on the other hand, if the name ap- pear in connection with an honorable change or a suspension, nothing is said to show whether the change is for the better or the suspension likely to be short, protracted, or distinguished by circumstances justifying forbearance rather than pressure. It is of common occurrence to find Firms that had resumed within a week after suspension dropped out of the Change Sheets entirely, and thus excluded from the community of active traders to which many Merchants and Manufacturers look for desirable customers. But if the resumption be announced, it comes months after the time of happening ; and the resuscitated firm has had a chance to secure new associations before the old ones could wisely take ad- vantage of their longer acquaintance and former relations. Of the Notification Sheets of McKillop & Sprague Co., J. M. Bradstreet & Son, and Dun, Barlow &, Co. the general charge holds good : that they are made up from the same sources as the Reference Books ; are slow to come, and useless or confusing when they do come. In a country of quick transportation, a device which gives contemplated or accomplished fraud even a week's start is necessarily valueless except as a test of patience ; and after-the-fact knowledge becomes likewise a work of supereroga- tion, in the instance of honorable business misfortune ; for who ever heard of an honest man attempting to incur obligations when in a state of flagrant failure without apprising the credit-giver of his condition ? They are, therefore, too tardy to prevent losses ; too meagre not to deceive the trusting ; and, although the most pretentious sign of activity and alertness of the Agencies, are of a piece with the decoy of the Prize Package and the trick of the Sawdust swindle. As the yearly, half-yearly, and quarterly Reference Books are the standing capital and menace of the Agencies, they are made to do double duty extort the yearly subscription THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 77 principally, and extract a biennial tax of $10 besides from subscribers. One would think the yearly charge monstrous enough for the mass of trash supplied; but this supplemen- tary piece of highwayism partakes more of the condign neces- sities of the footsore and barefaced " Secesh " who peeled his victim to the buff than the genteel Turpinism which should characterize already well-mounted and well-appointed foot- pads, which the Agencies are not. "Tis the old story over again. The business public did not resist beginnings. They might have singly and cheaply overcome the first assault. They have paid fifty or sixty millions for their remissness, and must now essay, with greater labor, to render unprofitable the very capital supplied by themselves, and used to harass the weak and levy tribute from the irresolute. The half-yearly and quarterly volumes are merely the yearly matter with the Notification Sheet alterations. As subscribers re- ceive the yearly volume for the subscription-price, and the little Sheets to modify a few of its many discovered inaccuracies, they have the very matter in their possession for which they are re- quired to pay the additional $10. This is a very considerable item for Dun, Barlow & Co., and in a lesser, but also proportionably profitable, degree to McKillop & Sprague Co. and J. M. Bradstreet & Son. The cost of these absolutely-needless books is merely the paper and printing, about $2.50 or $3.00 per volume. The difference is clear profit. But the dodge produces a further advantage. It makes the subscribers pay for the yearly Books : the profit of sales supplies enough to pay salaries, rents, and contingencies. The system of calling in the old volumes serves a treble purpose. It contributes to prevent Merchants from discovering the extent of obsolete or identical matter, by comparison ; destroys the primary evidence of information which may have induced losses, or might furnish ground for libels, and enables the Agencies to recover all the paper and binding material of every edition to work up again into a next issue or sell to the paper manufacturer. A calculation will indicate the exquisite adaptation of means to ends in all this arrangement. It will show the absurdity of the popular impres- sion that Jack cannot eat his cake and have it too. The Agencies prove the contrary. They can eat their cake a dozen 78 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. times ; be paid for the successive exertion ; and only lose a few crumbs in the whole series of operations in the interests of Trade ! The yearly subscriptions are, therefore, either wholly or nearly wholly, clear profit ; so that, which ever way we turn, we find every appliance disadvantageous to the subscriber and of profit to the publishers. As to the yearly volumes themselves, they can only contain, additional to the half-yearly or quarterly ones, as the case may be, the substance of the Change Sheets issued within the time of the publication of the last quarterly, and previous to the opening of the yearly, term. If no changes be reported, none, of course, are entered ; if they are reported, they make a very inconsiderable addition to the last volume's ; and, in all events, apart from these alterations, the old ratings of capital and credit are sold over again, year after year, with commendable persistence and constantly ac- cumulating profits. The merchant who has not failed, and who has been quadrupling his means within three or four years, sees his old rating occupy the same place with the proverbial persistence of error. The merchant who has failed will, in ninety cases out of a hundred, either find himself paraded in all his pristine credit or overlooked, as is natural where only about jive per cent of the business population of the United States and Canada is noticed in any m aimer. Administrators and Executors who have passed their accounts and been discharged, find their long-buried testator in active life and high credit. The members of long-since dissolv- ed partnerships discover themselves still allied in effort and respon- sibility. Once in every two or three years a crusade for new sub- scribers is entered on, from the district offices, into the towns which appear to justify the effort, and these itinerancies have the effect of burying some of the notoriously dead, and bringing into agency life and meshes some new, traders ; but as the solicited merchant who refuses to subscribe is sure to be remembered as a penalty to himself, an inducement to reformation, or a terror to others, the amount of consequential misrepresentation added is generally in startling excess of the correction made. Between the necessity and policy of lying in. favor of sub- scribers and the necessity and policy of lying against non-subscri- bers, Truth, it might be thought, is crucified with all the concomi- THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 79 tants of gall and wormwood, while Barabbas is let loose, with loud acclaim, to rob and plunder. If the agencies were even conceded to preserve, in a tempting employment, even the average morality of the day, why, it may be stated, should we expect them to properly perform a function more delicate than legislation; more remunerative by its abuse than lottery schemes ; more involved and far-extending in purpose than any single enterprise of the time, excepting the United States Revenue Service ; when we have just seen a national Legislature given over to the infernal gods by the rapacity of its most trusted members, and a carnival of greed for dishonest gain sweep into its vortex Cabinet Officers, Ministers Plenipotentiary, and thousands of the most revered characters in and out of places of official trust in the country ? What right have we to imagine illiterate boys, working on a salary of $10 a week, more upright than Colfax, or managers, earning one thousand, and living at the rate of six, more self-denying than Tweed ? '"We do not. But this is merely their apology for being as they are. It is no excuse or justification for their existence, as such. The agencies are certainly not officered or controlled by men of exceptional mortification. Their staff is a promiscuous gather- ing that can have no other purpose in such a line of life than to make money quickly and retire. As with- all enterprises attracting public odium, appeals to self-interest must preserve a constant excess of persuading force over deterrent or disgusting features. There must be compensation for shame suffered as well as labor done. The demeaning performance over, the petty assistant may be expected to count his petty knock-downs in rear of the establish- ment, while the higher priced and placed manager or confederate may be presumed to openly pass through the front door, to a luxu- rious retirement, with just such a portion of the goods of the con- cern as a feeling of perfect immunity from legal reprisal on the part of associates, or his own opportunities, may have defined for him. The reason is natural. Hangmen have always had, as of right, something for the executions, over and above the fees. The rope, or a part of it, is one. Other analogies will suggest them- selves. 80 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. CHAPTER ' XII. TAMPERING WITH THE LEGISLATURES OF CERTAIN STATES AND THE PARLIAMENT OP THE DOMINION OF CANADA MORE SECRET CIRCULARS FACTS AND METHODS. CONSCIOUS wrong-doers fear the law. Are the Agencies an exception? Ever since their introduction they have been haunted by the fear of Legislative interference. As they progressed in wealth and increased in age, fear gave way to attempts at precau- tion against it ; and a large part of their energy and no insignificant proportion of their profits are now devoted yearly to anticipat- ing hostile movements set afoot by their victims, or suppressing the honest efforts of enlightened and thoughtful law-makers to abolish or restrain their abuses. Dun, Barlow & Co. make, no mention in their Secret Circular, which follows, of the first inte- resting episode had with the Canadian Parliament. They wholly overlook their experience at the Dominion Capital in 1873. A merchant of St. John, New-Brunswick, conceived himself grossly aggrieved, and induced the local member to propose a General Act of Parliament. A committee was appointed to take testimony. Middlemiss, of McKillop & Sprague Co. (and then representing that firm in Montreal), was summoned before it and examined. An agent went in hot haste from New- York to appear for Dun, Bar- low & Co. and give his notions. Feeling ran high high enough to induce the rival Agencies to confer together against the common enemy. They conferred to advantage. The Agencies were something poorer for a period ; the Act was not urged ; several ambitious members were flush for a month or two ; and the people of the Dominion found themselves temporarily turned over to the Agencies for further phlebotomy. The connection of McKillop & Sprague Co.'s representative with the Canadian Credit Mobilier business, known as the " Canadian Land Swap," and the subsequent THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 81 judicious investments of Dun, Barlow & Co. at Harrisburg, render it unnecessary to assure the reader that both institutions used only honorable arguments, and persuaded one or more Canadian Legis- lative Committees solely by the innate force of truth and the ex- ample of uprightness. The second instance of Legislative interference with the nefa- rious business was that originated by some excellent gentlemen in the Lower House of the Pennsylvania Legislature. The statesmen of that Commonwealth, brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, in all that pertains to popular rights, and fully appreciating the sacred rights of persons and character, early noticed the inroads of the new claims on the old-time reserves of business and society. They felt, too, that if privileges so general were asserted in the name of Eight, they should be met at the "threshold, and denied admittance in the name of the Commonwealth, without conditions calculated to insure safety to Merchants and traders in purse and character. This course was worthy of the Keystone State, and especially honorable to the legal profession, which has so long made its Councils a bulwark against individual wrongs and lax constitution- al interpretation. The home of a Sharswood, a Black, or a Gur- ney was naturally the first in the Union to challenge the bold pre- tensions of the Agencies; and the ease with which the following Act passed an Assembly, largely composed of lawyers reared in the same school of jurisprudence, showed that there were not wanting many men who appreciated the danger and sought to avert it. "AN ACT " To punish commercial agents for false representations of the business condition "of certain persons " WHEREAS There are persons travelling from time to time in different parts of the " Commonwealth claiming to be conducting or representing commercial agencies to " ascertain keep a record and publish the financial responsibility of business men in " different parts of the country " AND WHEREAS Such persons from malicious or corrupt motives often wilfully and " knowing exaggerate and misrepresent the financial condition of persons engaged in "different kinds of business to the great injury of such persons and the general public " Therefore "SECTION 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Common- " -wealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met and it is hereby enacted by the authority " of the same " That any person conducting the business of what is known as a commercial agency " established in this commonwealth or elsewhere for the purpose of ascertaining pub- 82 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. " lishing and keeping for public or private information a record of the financial re- " sponsibility and business condition of bankers merchants traders builders manu- facturers or other persons engaged in any commercial business and any person " claiming to be the representative of such commercial agency who shall knowingly " heedlessly or wilfully exaggerate or misrepresent by writing printing or otherwise in "book form or otherwise the credit financial responsibility or business condition of " any banker merchant manufacturer tradesman builder or other person or persons en- " gaged in any commercial business shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon con- " viction thereof shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than two hundred and fifty " dollars nor more than one thousand dollars one half of the fine imposed to be for the " use of the informer A conviction for the foregoing offence shall not bar au action " for damages by the person or persons injured." l$o sooner liad this Bill passed the Lower House than the Agencies discovered it and took alarm. They counselled together how to avoid the threatened restraints on unlicensed libel and irre- sponsible slander. One of their modes was the writing and pri- vate circulation, throughout the State, of the following confiden- tial letter, copied from the original in the writer's possession, re- ceived from a merchant too honorable to act on it : "THE MERCANTILE AGENCY. ". ,1874. "Dear Sir: " On the next page you will please find an Act that has been introduced into the Le- gislature of Pennsylvania, and which, with the very slightest consideration, has actually " passed the House of Representatives. There is a good prospect, however, of stopping " its passage in the Senate, and we beg, therefore, to ask your good services to that end. "If you can assist its opposition by letter, or otherwise, to the Representative of your " District in the Senate, we beg that you will do so at once. As you will see, the Act is "very loosely drawn, and contains a false declaration at the start, that information is " ' often ' wilfully erroneous, and moreover offers a bribe to unprincipled informers to " annoy respectable persons for the hope of reward. The laws of the land are already " adequate to protect the public, and the penalties now in existence for slander and libel " are heavier than even this Bill proposes. It is therefore uncalled for. The merchants in " the various cities are petitioning against the measure, and you will not be singular in "your opposition to it if you will do us the favor to bring what influence you can to " bear in the Senate. Inasmuch as action is likely to be taken very shortly after the 7th " April, prompt measures are necessary. We should like to have a line from you " whether you can help us in the matter or not. " Respectfully yours, The FIRST falsehood in this shameful document is self-evident. Xo bill could pass the House " with the very slightest considera- tion." It was referred to the Judiciarv Committee. It had THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 83 received their full consideration, and we know that no law of this import could pass from that committee back to the House without having received the approval of the best legal minds in the State. The SECOND falsehood is meanly malignant. The wiseacres of the Agency affect to think the act " loosely drawn." To further this impression they print it without punctuation and with verbal in- accuracies, just as we have produced it. Every one knows, who can read it, that, even with these disadvantages, it is an exceedingly clear and well-expressed statute. The THIKD falsehood is worse than the other two in effrontery. The public are already better protected by the laws of slander and libel than the bill proposes ! Why, as we have shown elsewhere in this work, the Agencies have always claimed immunity from the operation of these laws on the double ground that their communications were privileged between master and employee principal (merchant) and agent (themselves) and further, that their interest in the character of merchants and traders was a legal protection against either the claim for private damage or public prosecution ! The FOURTH falsehood is " that merchants were petitioning against " the passage of the bill. There was not a word of truth in this statement. The circular was in- tended to induce them to do so, and in the hope that some might be got to sign against the bill, on the promises of special recogni- tion from the Agency. A few were caught by this bait, after a time ; but their number and character were so insignificant that the names were never presented in the Senate, and the bill was de- feated by very different methods and ones more distinctly within the Agencies' immediate control. A member of one of the Agencies went on from New- York to Harrisburg, with means fur- nished by the Agencies, to persuade certain majorities of certain committees of the Pennsylvania Senate that the bill ought not to pass. It cost money to travel. It cost money to live in hotels. It was not without large additional expenditure, and much intrigue, that this agent was enabled to telegraph that all was right at last ! The exact outlay will only be known in a court of justice ; but it is safe to say the contingent or expense accounts of the Agencies show a marked rise in these spring months of 1874 to whoever may secure access to them. The third interference with the Agencies occurred on the 4: THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. banks of the Mississippi and Missouri. In December, 1874, King, the St. Lonis office manager, learned that a bill was about to be introduced at Jefferson City creating greater responsibility, for false reports by Agencies, to the slandered and deceived, and de- fining their liability to parties injured by their espionage. These restrictions were barely just ; but they would have destroyed the institution in the State within an hour after their passage. The fact was communicated to head-quarters in New- York, and the Agencies took alarm again. If this example were to spread, their career would be brought to a close. If it wei;e generally known and canvassed even, there was danger that, although legis- lation might be prevented in Canada, Pennsylvania, and Missouri, some of the other States would legislate in the like wise spirit, and, by making the Agencies responsible for their malice and mistakes, practically prohibit them. In this emergency a consultation was had in New-York. As the result of the conference a telegram was agreed on and sent through the Western Union Telegraph Co. to King, instructing him to "spare neither money nor labor to kill the bill." King spared neither. The sum of thirty thousand dol- lars, at least, was expended among the Black Horse Cavalry of the St. Louis Delegation, and a few effective society men in the coun- try districts ; but we are bound to state, expended in a legal way : what we believe is another matter ; and the proposed bill dropped out of sight after serving a few evenings as a scarecrow at the Capitol. There is still, however, in that and other States, the germ of an active opposition which may lead to efficient legislation. Several energetic attorneys are badgering the Agencies in the courts ; and we should not be surprised if the spring and winter of 1870 wit- nessed a new campaign led by honest men and supported by the leading presses of that and other high-spirited commonwealths. Warned by this troublesome business in Canada, Pennsylvania, and Missouri, the Agencies conceived the idea of guarding against future surprise and, if possible, cheapening their legislative pro- cesses, both. In execution of this purpose the following circular, dated January 19th, 1875, was printed and sent to all branch- offices by the Mercantile Agency. It indicates the anxiety of the Agencies on this head : THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 85 " LEGISLATION. ' To MANAGERS : " We particularly wish to impress upon you the necessity of constantly perusing the official reports of your State Legislature, in order to discover if any bills or re- solutions are introduced affecting the Agency business. We had a great deal ofh-oubk: last winter from Legislation, especially in one or two cases, not having been advised sufficiently early to combat it as successfully as we could otherwise have done. The moment you discover anything affecting our business do not fail to notify us at once, and to send us copies of the documents. We presume the daily paper published at the State capital will contain all that is necessary, and a hasty glance at each day's proceeding will enable you to keep track of what we so much desire to know. " Yours truly, (signed) "Dux, BARLOW & Co. " NEW-YORK, January 19, 1875." The indorsement by the Manager of a Southern Branch on one of these circulars is curt and to the point. u Don't think the " Legislature, composed as it is of two thirds negroes, will ever " think of a ' Mercantile Agency,' much less pass laws affecting it. " All they care for is the money /" The trouble which Dun, Barlow & Co. had in " two cases," during the winter of 1874, "to combat Legislation" must refer to their interference with the members of the Missouri Legislature through the exertions of their St. Louis manager, King, and the equally important manipulations of the Pennsylvania Legislature by their Secret Agents at Harrisburg and the various Senatorial Districts of that State. We must suppose all done within the Law. The confession of these two crimes against the public leaves many others of the same nature in the background, but we have pre- ferred to use their own proofs and limit ourselves, for the time being, to the offences which they have admitted. Can that be treated as a safe and legitimate business which adopts the methods indicated in the preceding circulars to elude legislative restraints? Ought the public countenance or sustain men who, by their own confession and these proofs, might be charged with following the practice of corrupting the fountains of Legislation ? Is there not a public danger, apart altogether from the ques- tion of private wrongs, in the growth of institutions which make a boast of anticipating reformatory measures by capturing the re- presentative bodies, or enough of them to make the rest inefficient to carry out the popular will ? 86 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. Our Kepresentative Assemblies are bad enough already ; but it is full time to become alarmed for them when these Agency en- terprises, " conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity," are emboldened, by public apathy, to approach the very sanctuary of the law-making power, and lay their unclean hands on the minis- trants at the Altar ! THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. ' 87 CHAPTER XIII. SPREADING THE PLAGUE THE FOREIGN OFFICES AND THEIR USES JONATHAN THE ONLY SUSPECT. IT is one of the wonders of the time how Mercantile or Commer- cial Agencies could establish themselves and prosper on this side of the Atlantic, when public opinion would not suffer them to be planted in many countries, or attain separate vitality in any, on the other side of the Ocean. In the British Islands they were not permitted to organize a List or report Credits or Standings ; and when, in 1872, they at- tempted, in view of the large California trade with Australia, to plant themselves in Melbourne, the people of that Colony drove them out ignominiously. Notwithstanding these effective exhi- bitions of feeling, a weak system of correspondence was inaugu- rated by McKillop & Sprague Co., J. M. Bradstreet & Son, and Dun, Barlow & Co. in two or three European Cities ; and those firms were put on their " good behavior" to let all British and European Citizens severely alone, and confine their attention to Americans. The Foreign Offices of the American Agencies are, therefore, used, like the Home ones, to operate on American traders only. They are not suffered to speak would not be permitted to speak of the subjects and people in sight of their windows, in either France, Germany, or the British Islands. Brother Jonathan is their exclusive resource at home and abroad. The fact is not flattering to national pride. Is the American Citizen the sole Trader or Merchant who will permit himself to be tried at home by these self -constituted tribunals of character ; followed beyond sea by their underlings ; and harassed by their impertinences and exactions, everywhere ? Either the human race requires this protection from his dishonesty, and he concedes the THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. necessity, or lie is endowed with less self-assertion and indepen- dence, in affairs of Commerce, than John, Pat, Sawney or Pierre, and is content to have every one intermeddle with his affairs who may desire to make a trade of doing so. However we essay to explain his forbearance, foreigners will fall back, at last, on his con- sciousness of special depravity, or his national bluntness of feeling. Our National, State, Eailroad, and Municipal loans are never effected through 'information of the Agency sort. Special Agents go out ; other Agents or Attorneys are sent here to inquire on the ground into the security of proposed investments; and the office of the Agencies is therefore reduced to that of prepared detectives in the lighter transactions between firms and individuals cis and trans Atlantic. In these dealings, which ought to be on a plane of equality between the respective nationalities, the home American is always the inquired about, never the inquirer ; and the purpose of the foreign offices can, therefore, only be to exer- cise in London or Paris the same profitable surveillance over our citizens which the Parent Agencies render so remunerative in this country. As the American is the only man who submits to it in his native land, it is fitting, perhaps, when his business lies abroad, he should be made to pay toll again, or take the consequences. Kightly or wrongly, no business man or firm having foreign relations can wholly afford to disregard the significance of the geographical position of these foreign branches. An unfavorable rumor, however started even if started to be silenced on proper inducement obliges the inducement to be forthcoming. Among his acquaintances, a man with average grit and sufficient capital may do business in a storm of detraction. Abroad, a whisper is ruinous ; and he is inconsiderate of his interests who does not purchase silence or buy encomiums. Our own impression is that these foreign branches are not growing in favor, and cannot become permanent, self-sustaining establishments. Their main revenue has always been collected oil this side of the water from the class of persons who desire decoys to credit on the other side; and they are so generally suspected now by British, French, and German Merchants, on account of recent occurrences, that their usefulness, even to the fraudulently disposed, must, before long, come to an end. Their only duty will bo purely scenic and spectacular. In the show business every wagon THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 89 and box adds to the effect of the cavalcade. In the Agency business every oflice is an advertisement. "When, however, in the former calling, the audience discover that the beasts and per- forming animals bear an absurd proportion to the cages and conveyances, they invest in no more tickets for that circus. By parity, when the foreign man of trade will no longer be deceived, and the fraudulent trader here can procure no benefit, the foreign offices will be dispensed with as mere advertising luxuries, cheap indeed, but valueless for revenue in the New "World or the Old. Jonathan will then cease to supply Europe with a standing proof of his want of confidence in himself. Be- sides, Bucket-shops are profitless when exposed to the authorities. 00 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. CHAPTER XIY. DO THE AGENCIES CONTRIBUTE TO, OR LESSEN, PANICS IN TRADE ? THE panic of 1837 is explained in various ways. Some say the Stock speculations of men like Nicholas Biddle, Jacob Barker, J. ~W. Bleecker, and Samuel J. Beebe the king operators of ten years preceding the catastrophe were the efficient cause. In support of this theory they contrast the great fluctuations in the favorite Stocks of the day, and give the following examples : Nov. 25, 1834. Aug. 25, 1835. Morris Railroad 70 200 Harlem Railroad .64 105 Dry-Dock Bank 118 145 Delaware and Hudson Canal 72 113 An advance so purely speculative indicated " corners" worthy of comparison with the worst of our time ; but mere Stock specu- lation could not have produced the wide-spread destruction of 1837. Our own explanation takes a more commercial turn. Forty mil- lions had been invested in the purchase of wild land in the fiscal year '35-6 ! The process of locking up private capital in unpro- ductive land had been going on for years. The Railroad system, then just beginning to draw to itself, in the hope of future profit, private means and public credit both, had succeeded in absorbing forty millions more. Other schemes of internal improvement, Canals, Turnpikes, etc., had, to the extent of fifty millions for the former, and twenty-five millions for the latter, absorbed labor and resources "in drafts upon posterity," leaving Bonds and Scrips in the place of the (for all immediate purposes) destroyed values. Counting the Bank Bonds, there were at least $185,000,- 000 of artificial representatives of removed or unproductive values THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 91 in the country, and, coincidently, a great shrinkage in proportion to population of productive agricultural labor. A lax credit system extended from Europe to America and permeated every condition of life to an enormous extent. Men worked less and " indulged " more than ever before. The crisis came with the defective harvests of '36. "When Flour was worth $22 per barrel in Chi- cago, twenty days of excessive rain destroyed the crops ; and the West so called which, it was hoped, would come to the rescue, failed for a hundred millions, and brought the rest of the country tumbling down with her. In three years, according to Medbury, sixty Banks sank out of sight, dragging $132,000,000 into the vortex, and out of an aggregate indebtedness of $440,000,000 the Creditor Class could not realize over one cent on the dollar, the rest disappearing in collectors' fees, brokers' commissions, and the costs of Courts, Lawyers, and Juries. The sinking of active capi- tal in wild lands ; the neglect to cultivate arable lands in propor- tion to growth of population and trading needs ; the withdrawal of the labor which should have gone to productive uses from them, and its diversion to heaping up dirt for future railroads, and sinking ditches for future canals, prepared the country for the catastrophe ; and the elements, as if teaching the lesson that Nature should not always be relied on to compensate for any unwonted dependence on her, precipitated the disaster and made it uni- versal. "Whatever explanation, however, be the true one, the Agency system had its birth shortly after the Panic of '37 ; and the peri- odical Trade panics since that time have occurred in presence of its continuous development, and as if in derisive commentary on its pretensions. If its claims were well founded, trade panics would have been reduced or impossible ever since 1850, when it claimed to embrace the greater part of the commercial class. As matter of fact, they have been constantly shortening the period of their recurrence and extending the area of their destructiveness. Of two things, one : either the Agencies have not served the purpose of their origin in giving correct estimates of business risks, or the trading body has disregarded their advice, and either credited when it should not, or injuriously refused to do business when it might credit safely and profitably. "We do not argue post hoc ergo propter hoc, but we say that if we find commercial panics 92 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. increase in number, volume, and intensity in the presence of a system which claims to afford protection against them by enabling business to be conducted on a rationally safe basis, we cannot escape denying the efficacy of the system or admitting that it is not followed. Either is true ; and either leaves the system, we were about to say, a fraud on subscribers or a deception to the community. Their difficulty does not end Avith this dilemma. If they do not convey a reliable basis for traffic, if they are not generally credited with doing so, why do they persist in urging unreliable ratings on the public and forcing a market which the customer's own conduct shows to be irksome and valueless ? Are they Black- mailers coercers of others' money, giving no equivalent, of right belonging to them ? Certainly the persistent tender of a valueless commodity to our citizens, accompanied with the opportunity of rendering the commodity annoying and mischievous if not pur- chased, is a suspicious method of livelihood, especially when it is remembered that the standing, character, and worldly credit of others than themselves are the exclusive subjects of sale. If it be not Blackmailing, it is assuredly not commerce. There is such a thing as a purely sentimental traffic in Belies and Antiques. We should call it highway robbery, however, if the collector effected an exchange for gold at the muzzle of a pistol. But the regular publication of Agency Reports is the introduc- tion into Trade channels of an affirmatively disturbing and injuri- ous element. Disregarded, in the main, at and near the residence of the Merchant whose credit is rated, well or ill, accurately by guess-work, or the reverse by design, the Printed Eeports must have the effect, at a distance, of putting caution asleep and anaes- thetizing suspicion. Suppose twenty-five thousand Subscribers Merchants, Manufacturers, Traders, and Bankers in the principal commercial centres are rated to secure and preserve their subscrip- tions that is, as they would wish to be and an equal or greater number are rated so as to make them anxious to be rated better by subscribing : we have fifty or more thousand men, in the chief seats of commerce, magnified or diminished in capital and credit for reasons wholly apart from Trade reasons and at variance with the natural ebb and flow of commercial affairs. The actual condition of business is travestied, year in and year out, by an arti- THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 93 ficial one. A constantly active and aggressive interest is tamper- ing with the weights and measures of credit and capital. If the seller does not wholly believe in or act on them, he is not apt to totally overlook them, and is more or less, although unconsciously, likely to accept and be influenced by them in some degree. This is the first disturbance of Trade. If we add to this that the capi- tal ratings of the Reports represent, in the case of 800,000 names, a variable excess over the minimum capital three and a half times greater than the minimum of the Eatings, and vastly in excess of the estimated census wealth of the whole country, we see, at once, that the Agencies interject a second element of miscalculation, also necessarily injurious and misleading. But when we know that the Printed Ratings of Capital are constantly circulated by the three Agencies to 30,000 Subscribers, while the Secret Reports, designed to modify them, are never publicly sent out ; that the bane is sold and scattered broadcast, and the antidote, real or pretended, is locked up in the Agency archives to be shown to others than the persons affected, only when specially applied for, we need no further proof that in proportion to the growth of the Agencies must be the growth of dangerous trading, and consequently of Trade panics the first-born of inconsiderate Adventure. The panic of 1854 was precipitated by the loss of a California steamer, which threw the house of Paige, Bacon & Co. into sus- pension, and so unsettled confidence in others that the single event assumed the dimensions of a national calamity. If we consider the usual risks taken by Traders, the narrow margin of true profit, and the inevitable losses, we shall find no difficulty in believing that the additional errors and losses brought about by Agency misinfor- mation, in even one year, greatly exceed in volume the freight of any dozen vessels that ever sailed the seas, or the capital of any dozen trading firms in the United States. The growing dependence, too, of one Trade interest on every other enlarges the area of influence and danger, while, within the special Trade most -directly con- cerned, a surprising suspension carries within itself the causes and occasions of a series of others, each more alarming and calamitous than the last. The suspension of one Bank or Trust Company creates a run, more or less, on a dozen Banks. The unnecessary, unexpected, and extra business losses caused by Agencies are, of 9i THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. all others, the most apt to astonish and dismay merchants, and to create a partial or general panic in the line. The preceding pages have barely touched the mass of losses caused, within the personal knowledge of the writer, in a few cities in a brief period by one Agency, and the list might be almost in. finitely extended if space permitted. We can only instance an ag- gravated additional example of the same kind, which has just found its way into Court. About $10,000 or thereabouts, in paper, of a New-Orleans mer- chant was offered in Montreal in connection with an advantageous bargain to a merchant of the latter city named J. A. Converse. He applied to the Montreal office of Dun, Wiman & Co. for special information, stating the facts. The Agency, after some delay, gave him special assurance that the drawee was good for almost any amount. The bargain was effected under this advice, and the Montreal merchant placed the Notes in the Collection Bureau of the Agency for collection. The Collection Bureau, within a few days, and ignorant of the advice given by its Company, returned the Notes as valueless, and reported to the merchant that the New- Orleans trader had failed months before ! Here was not alone the gross neglect to inquire, and resulting ignorance, such as we have shown to be normal with the Agencies, but the exercise of a special effort to procure the truth resulting in a loss of $10,000 to Mr. Converse, whose damages may be recover- ed in the Courts, but whose serious loss must have produced in his line of trading many consequential losses, and perhaps failure to others having relations with him. This occurrence only one of many similar ones which our space does not permit us to detail was no doubt the predisposing cause of the urgent haste with which the " New Agreement," re- ferred to in a former chapter, was pressed on the attention of managers, and the old one surreptitiously withdrawn and can- celled. The Agency, accustomed heretofore to mere suits for Libel with incidents of Damage, was naturally alarmed at an action seek- ing to recover losses arising from false information ; and it sought to interpose between itself and an inevitable Bankruptcy, for this cause, a double-dealing contract which protected it from the consequences of an almost universal ignorance. Under the last, or "New" Agreement, the Agency has secured a double purpose, THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 05 that is, tied the hands of its subscribers and enabled itself to com- bine, if it should choose, with fraudulent traders with impunity. What is to prevent the happening of such a fraud as Eoss & Co. perpetrated on Wall street in 1866, if any member of any of the Agencies were induced, in view of the present want of respon- sibility under the new agreement, to enter into an arrangement for its repetition ? Eoss & Co. established themselves in the vicinity of Wall street at the time mentioned, and secured, by means which may be readily comprehended, Agency indorsement. With its as- sistance they collected $600,000 on deposit within a short period. Having a moderate ambition, this sum satisfied them, and they set about possessing it in their own right. Knowing that we had no "Extradition Treaty with Brazil, they chartered a schooner for one of the ports of that country, set sail on a Saturday evening with the treasure, and paid $25,000 to the captain to land them in safe- ty. Somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico the captain conceived a desire for a larger share of the plunder, and exacted one hun- dred thousand dollars. Eoss & Co. paid it. The vessel and treasure landed ; the indorsed Bankers have not since been heard of, and the deceived depositors passed quietly into the procession of Agency dupes. If the Agencies had correctly rated Henry Clews & Co., Dun- can, Sherman & Co., Jay Cooke & Co., Howes & Macy, and others, when they pretended to rate them at all, the last Panic, under which we are still laboring, would not have spread so far or struck so deep ; but rating them as they did, in " Unlimited Credit" and with " Unlimited Capital," they spread a net for their patrons, and rendered disaster more disastrous by lulling inquiry. At the best, Trade in the United States, ever since the close of the war, has been easily affected by comparatively small disturb- ances. Sixty thousand Books, issued half yearly and quarterly to thirty thousand merchants, and incorrectly rating 650,000 men out of 800,000, would seem to supply a sufficient explanation and to afford a reasonable solution for many untoward vicissitudes in the business of the United States and Canada. Panics have grown out of lesser influences; and it is our belief that the Agencies not only do not assist to give stability and security to Trade, but that they Always and everywhere unsettle commercial relations just in proportion to the attention which they attract. 96 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. CHAPTER XV. DO THE AGENCIES MAKE THE CORRECTIONS WHICH THEY CLAIM TO MAKE ? BETRAYING INQUIRERS TO EACH OTHER. EVER since the writer announced his intention to introduce the public to the interior of the Agencies the latter have shown great alacrity in receiving corrections of their reports. "Wanting other information, they are glad to take the merchant's estimate of himself, and, eager to be rid of the responsibility for grossly false or malicious statements already gathered or published, they promise amends and place the indignant merchant, to all appear- ances, just as much above his deserts as they had previously placed him below them. They are as considerate and accommodating in all this as one of their own canvassers who, exhausting his eloquence in vain to get a statement and a subscription, recently informed a city mer- chant (a Mr. Wronkow) that he would be obliged by the loan of five dollars. But these appearances are misleading and designed to mislead. For one injured and misrepresented man who will call on them for a correction a dozen will neglect to do so, or re- main ignorant of a reason for inquiring except as this book may suggest it. It is not yet understood by business men that the best public ratings in the Reference Books are often only cloaks behind which lurk the most damaging reports ; and that while ratings may remain constant, the private reports may be variable and con- tradictory, and vice versa. Persons satisfied with their ratings, and not learning their status on the Black Lists from us, will not think of calling ; whereas those who do call, with excerpts from the Black Lists, will be promised, and will apparently receive, an im- mediate correction on the Printed Reports, with many verbal pla- cating apologies for libel. But the old record will remain in the Books ; will he circulated from the Branch Offices ; and will he read with the complainants' " say so " every time the latter is re- quested, for years to come just as the secret reports of some of our THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 07 most honored merchants contain, within twenty lines of writing, details of purely imaginary and scandalously malicious charges of fraud and crime alleged to have been committed thirty years ago ! The new report is added, indeed, as the man's opinion of himself ; the libels it was meant to correct remain too, to be read in every Branch Office in the United States, Canada, and Europe, and to go down and out with the modification, as the only " outside," and therefore controlling, estimate of the capital, credit, and character of the affected merchant. The Agencies escape punishment for wrongs done ; the merchant goes about his business ; but the first inquirer at the agency wiU have all that ever was written of him read on request, just as if no complaint had been made or amend- ment and reparation had been promised. The erasure from the secret record of the offensive statements in the personal presence of the libelled, both in the principal and Branch offices, would alone destroy the offensive matter and cor- rect the agencies' habit of perpetuating the wholly false and the half true indiscriminately. This has never been done the agen- cies preferring to deceive the injured by an amiable exterior, a penitent expression, and an abundance of lies. They think the present agitation only a storm after all ; and they hope to quell it and reach quieter times by being " all things " to all men," and protesting they meant no harm while fatally stabbing reputations or imperilling the success of a lifetime. To show the dovetailing of old slanders in new reports, and the system adopted of reading them out together, we select the instance of a well-known Builder in ^Jew-York City, condensed from the Black List of Dun, Barlow & Co. from June 1861 to 1874, giving also the names of persons and firms to whom this epitome was read at the periods hereunder, and the Branch offices to which the same was transmitted. VOL. XI., PAGE 243, NEW-YORK CITY RECORD. " June 3d, 1861. Failed many years ago, and settled at 25 cents on the dollar. Was some time out of business, but subsequently got a large contract on the S Insti- tution, Washington. Of late years has been speculating and building in connection with his brother-in-law, , who is well off and has supplied the means mostly. An- tecedents are bad, and he is not reliable ; parties who sold him previous to his failure decline dealing with him except for cash down." OS THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. " October 17th, 1873. Is still Director and Stockholder in the B National Bank; " also in the New- York Insurance Company. Owns valuable farm at , Conn., " and several valuable pieces of real estate in this city. He says he is worth nearly a " half million dollars, while more consen business. Lot it be understood that erasure is the only means of getting- rid, for the time being, of erroneous and scandalous matter; that to. be thorough it must be procured in the branch offices as well a. sin the principal offices ; and that persons affected should not rest until they had assured themselves by personal inspection that the true Black List the most destructive and injurious reports had really been exhibited to them and destroyed. Many have complained and been put off. It rests with the readers of this work to secure effectual protection from at least the repetition of baseless rumors and groundless accusations. The past wrong righted, however, what security can be devised for the future consistently with the existence of these Agencies ? This is the true question. In the presence of almost innumerable libels and slanders emanating from certain of the persons employed by the Agencies during the past thirty-four years, they have not been brought face to face with more than fifty suits, owing to their methods of secrecy and prompt compromise of threatened difficul- ties. These same precautions and readiness to arrest legal ex- posure of their system will be taken hereafter. Suits brought will be compromised ; suits threatened will be anticipated by friendly ratings ; proposed legislation will be lobbied down with money ; and, unless this exposure bear fruit in some concerted action against the institution, vast sums will be continued to be forced out of cowardly merchants, and private character will continue to 100 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. be at the mercy of every one who has a point to make against an adversary or a business grief to gratify. Without private reports the public ratings would be quickly discovered valueless, or friendly and misleading ; so that the preservation of these reports is essential to the existence of the Agencies ; must bo persisted in from necessity ; and even if old libels are expunged, new ones must be written and uttered. The only true cure is in the hands of merchants themselves. I before a jury of their countrymen ? For our own part, we know of few things of more actual interest to the business public than just such facts. Thev are certainly more important than the present intimate relations of Mr. Kernan's law partners with certain of the agencies in this city since the " satisfactory settlement " aforesaid. From Missouri, where a Mr. Kinealey acted as attorney in an ra-gency case some time ago, we have no direct information of "the present condition of the controversy, but the silence is in- dicative of a settlement after the Utica fashion. From a State Senator and late member of the Constitutional Convention we learn that an active antagonism to the agency institution exists in that State, and we conclude from his letter that, however the agencies may " hush up " the inj ured by free payments, legislative action will be soon taken to render them responsible in a wider sense or keep them out of that Commonwealth. An instructive instance of Agency methods, with Attorneys nearer home, occurs to us, and may be mentioned. A gentleman on Staten Island, some time ago, requested a well-known criminal lawyer and ex-Judge to sue an Agency in ISew-York. The legal gentleman was considerate enough to inform the prospective de- fendant, who forthwith took measures to get rid of the evidence against it to be found on its' Records. No suit was commenced, and the legal gentleman is now the retained counsel of the pro- spective defendant, we are apprised, in any litigation w r hich may be evoked by this publication ! A chapter on the legal relations of the Agencies would be in- complete without a reference to the late quarrel, by Chancery Suit, for $50,000 and Injunction, between themselves. Dun, Barlow & Co. claimed that Bradstreet & Son had " pirated " some of their matter in Canada. Bradstreet denied the charge, and countered by alleging the like of Dun in Pennsylvania and other States. On the trial it appeared that Dun, Barlow & Co. had invented a lot of towns and villages unknown to any Geography or Census, rated their imaginary merchants, and quietly waited for their competitor THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 117 to appropriate the discovery. They even swore the latter did so ; and the controversy is still smouldering in Court, neither being anxious to fan it into publicity. The trick was conceived in the best manner, and showed a mutual appreciation of mutual weakness. "When the dead may be kept alive to swell a Reference Book, and City Directories laid under contribution without compensa- tion, why, indeed, should not a few villages and towns be invented? The device was also the least harmful of any practised. Mer- chants who never existed could not well be misrepresented. Traders who had never been born or christened, could not easily be injured in credit or standing. And the Agency system, for the iirst time in its career, was sure to be safe and certain to be honest. Of the recently commenced, or threatened, litigations against the institution it is not timely yet to write at any length. The terror awakened is indicative of the depths to which they must sink into Agency methods on the trials. One is for damages for charging .a man with homicide committed in self-defence by an- other ! A second is for charging bigamy ! A third for accusations involving a female's chastity ! A fourth is by a partnership for charging forgery on one of its members ! A fifth but these suf- fice to show that the Agencies . are about to meet other questions than those simply relating to business solvency, and must defend their pretension to discuss and assail private character, under the guise of giving opinions concerning financial responsibility. The eagerness of the Agencies to 'prevent legal reprisals was well illustrated to the writer, in an attempt to dissuade him from this publication, by a proposition to purchase his silence. The suggestion was met with contempt. When the resource failed, their next dodge was a published " Card," proposing to every one, with whom the writer had communicated, to correct mistakes on application. Redress for the past, however, was not promised. Nothing was said about showing to applicants the private reports upon which the public ratings were based, nor was it suggested that the names of informants would be given as a badge of good faith. This deceitful " Card " was merely a " stop-gap" to gain time, while an investigation was in progress, to learn the extent of the writer's acquaintance with " bottom facts." If a " Card " were to be issued now, the chances are altogether in favor of a more libe- 118 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. ral array of terms for the dissatisfied, and a corresponding reduc- tion in subscription-rates. Perhaps the very meanest act on the part of the startled traf- fickers in the good name of so many of our first citizens, was the malignant manner in which they commenced dismissing or shift- ing clerks who might have secured special acquaintance with the Black Lists. The suspicion of being suspected was enough. The known opportunity to learn undesirable knowledge was sufficient to place under ban. A clearer confession of conscious weakness was never illustrated by a pretentious system, in the instance of its old- est and most devoted servants. Besides this Carding, dismissing, and shifting process, another precautionary one was added. A secret circular the trustiest weapon in the rusty catalogue of the system was dispatched to Branch office managers, informing them that the writer had got great store of facts already, and might be in league with the clerks in the various Branches to get more. Extreme watchfulness was en- joined. Letters, were withheld ; post-marks scrutinized ; -any symp- tom of increased assiduity in labor was held of bad omen ; and such a fluttering generally was never seen before since Coriolanus " flut- tered the Volsci in Coriole." The unfortunate clerks were unde- cided whether to look sad or cheerful ; to be active or remiss in duty ; to speak or not to speak of the thunder in the Agency sky and the threatened blinding blaze of exposure. All these precau- tions came too late. The persons selected by the writer to un- earth the hidden secrets of the Charnel House had closed their labors long before the System took exceptional precaution ; and the writer intentionally gave the first alarm himself by informing in- jured subscribers and others, by letter, that they could learn what was said of them in the Keports, free of charge, on application to him at the Agency's counters ! So the " Secret Circular" was just as valueless to avert exposure as the " Card" had been, and is now serving the only purpose it can ever subserve namely, to show how eager the Agency Managers were to trample out the sparks which threatened their tinder-box institutions. If this was the general conduct of one Agency, largely referred to in these pages, we can find no greater show of courage and self- confidence in the other two, in the presence of the threatened danger to their system. Bradstreet & Son were struck dumb, and THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 119 dared not commit themselves to any statement designed to show either the comparative benefits or lesser defects of their establish- ment over others in the same line. They were willing to negotiate for the secret transfer of a competitor's good-will in the trade of a neighboring city, but they shrank from presenting to the public any claim on its confidence or respect. They appear to have suffered judgment to pass against them by default sooner than go on the stand or introduce a witness. The older and larger firm of McKillop & Sprague Co. met the emergency with a bolder front for a time, and, as we thought and hoped, proposed to show that, whatever might be said against its rivals' manner of doing business, it had no occasion, itself, to avoid controversy, not arising from the Agency System, as such. In this spirit it favored the writer, of its own motion, with a pamphlet, published by it when the System was less understood than now, and courteously solicited inquiries from him in reference to the firm's progress and painstaking. We acted on the suggestion in the same vein : and hoped, at last, to find some one who could show effective administration on even a wrong principle, or introduce some defence for the principle which had not occurred to us. Our disappointment was sincere when we found even this firm declined to commit itself, on the pretence that facts could have no force coming from them. As if the mere making of such statement to us, in the expectation of a critical analysis, were not a straightforward and manly thing, certain to be favorably thought of by the public ! This determination, how- ever, coming after a proffer, indicates that the Commercial Agency preferred trusting to luck to showing its hand ; and was just as un- willing to have the facts of its management submitted, over its own signature, to examination and comment, as the younger and less generally recognized firm of J. M. Bradstreet & Son. It matters very little, however, to any one who shall read this work, and particularly the chapter containing the Comparative Tables of McKillop & Sprague Co. and Dun, Barlow & Co., whether the former firm employs more " help" than the latter, or spends more subscriptions, in arriving at the self-confuting statistics with which we have knocked both their heads together and demonstrated their worse than inutility. It is of no consequence, whatever, whether the one or the other firm employs the greater number of hands and the more experienced managers ; our issue is with the System, out 120 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. of which both extract their wealth ; and so long as the System cannot be defended, it is not worth while to enter into a calculation for the purpose of determining which of the two is the greater trifler with private rights or public patience. Between eluding the light of controversy and creeping or crawling out of litigations on its belly, the Agency Business may be said to lead a reptile life of secret warfare for its own ends, but of cowardly retreat and elusion when fairly challenged. It can bite and sting the unconscious and unsuspecting ; but it is wily enough to risk nothing when its opponents are prepared. If we may judge from the past history of Agencies, they will pursue the same course which has stood them in good stead of courage or merit. They will seek to avoid responsibility for injuries done, by a swift show of deceitful meekness and simulated regret at their occurrence ; they will compromise, where they can, at the last moment, rather than try actions brought against them for libel ; they will lure to their side the Attorneys of the opponents, at every opportunity ; they will watch the Journals of State Legis- latures to anticipate legislation inimical to their pretensions ; where it is attempted, they will call in the " Lobby " ; they will do anything and everything, except enter, voluntarily, on a public discussion or a legal investigation. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 121 CHAPTER XVIII. THE AGENCIES' ESTIMATES COMPARED AND APPLIED TO INDI- VIDUALS IN VARIOUS CITIES THE RIDICULOUS FIGURE CUT BY THE "WISDOM-SELLERS." WE come now, by an easy and natural transition, from allega- tions relating to the capacity and fitness of the Agencies to advise in business risks, to the proof of their unfitness, which is found in their own works and under their own signatures. If we have, heretofore, reasoned wrongly or assailed maliciously, we are about to be confuted; for who in the wrong can afford to be judged by the evidence of his adversary ? But if we have merely told the truth, and fairly weighed our subject pro and con., the Agencies themselves will supply us with incontrovertible testi- mony. Of the three Agencies Bradstreets', alone, gives no capital rat- ings, so that it escapes, for the time being, from the common pil- lory of comparison into which we press the other two. But its competitors' " figures" must cast a deep shadow of suspicion over its own " words," and satisfy any reflecting person that greater wariness is no indication of equal or superior knowledge, but .may be a sign and symbol of either more conscious ignorance or more alert self -conviction. Take up, reader, the July (1875) Reports or Reference Books of the McKillop & Sprague Co. and Dun, Barlow & Co. They are the latest published by these firms at the hour of writing. They should be the most perfect. They are sold for high prices. They ought to be worth something. They are ponderous and im- posing in exterior looks and interior matter ; so that they ought to serve, or be able to serve, some useful purpose in the Agency economy. They pretend to more practical wisdom than the Tables of Moses or the Ten Commandments ; for those merely give moral axioms, and these claim to give lessons of successful business life to a people ten times as numerous as the Jews at their 122 THE COMMEECIAL AGENCIES. best, and engaged in transactions involving ten times more wealth than the treasures of Judea or Egypt. They are the ripe result and full fruition (it is said) of the efforts of a standing army of cor- respondents numbered by the 50,000 ; an auxiliary corps of muni- cipal sappers and miners counting well up in the hundreds ; headed and directed by the inherited and attained generalship and discre- tion of a staff of superb appointments and magnificent incomes, and they ought to be well, worth more than waste paper. Alas! the anti-climax. These ponderous tomes, out of whose feculent growth several fortunes have been made out of whose hoped-for continuance several more fortunes are expected to be made are self-convicting impostures. These mammoth accumulations of names and figures are discovered to be neither more nor less than utensils for withdrawing money from business men's pockets under the disguise of improving their understandings and facili- tating their intercourse. Open the two Books at the State of " Maryland," take the title " Baltimore," and for greater convenience, while picking at hazard from the roll of names for our examples, select them alphabeti- cally and set them down tabularly. Having chosen the names for contrast, note the ratings, and put down their equivalents, by the respective keys, in numerals. As both Agencies give the extremes of capital ratings, let us take their lowest and their highest, each as to itself, and next as to each other, and contemplate the result. It is certainly startling ; and if the Agencies can profitably exist in an intelligent community after the exposure, the fault will not lie at our door. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 123 2-S a g< P 111 | 3a .a o o o o o o 10 o o o o o t~ CO 1O rH CO O^ o o s o~-*~ CO CCQQ : : ;.Q . : . go : - : : ^ -2 J' 9 - r-* O O 8 o S lIlHBfl | 0,1 o si B ler.a a I a .a -a 11 a a o2 i.a g|- *J 1*1 ^ ^ c .22 O H r 124 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. " r " 1 C3 w 1 *a d 3 o THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 125 > IO O O I I- CO JO tc i n ^ c S "-< ;g a uiy 4J -5 3 * iZS- 2 ^ 3 go I g g 2 a < 1 ^ fc o o 2 fep ^l|8?l Iltf -f J sfi^ S . ^ S g *O P-i cc 126 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. 11. "13 51 o ; iC^ O O 1OOOOO OiOJ ! -i-H O O?r-fTHi-iT-f i-tC 2 2-2 . r^ s a *% || i| ; is DQ ll^Jlljl . jj|J||||lj||a| Kc i s'o o P***> co O^fl v. 2 f 3 .1*2 I I fcv S S $ " i THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 127 l! S 8 ^ J .S ^ ,128 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. 111 P 3 ! l-s S 1 33 y s : ill-i^il O ci S S ' 8 f * S 11 cs o -rH III 1 I 1 o a a " O co 02 ^5 O .|H 2 ^ s W 2 'd d o ,3 73 c3 S 3 H S? ^ *|K s s & tn 'i? CQ ^ *r! S M - S .S r3 O ffl THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 129 00001 iOOCOOi oi ll ;; m > JO 1O O 1O O CO O 1 o 10 o i I I o pa MS 2 fcc^5 2-1 1 . 3.2 8 jpS 130 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. 1O JO OQ d C < 8OO3OOOOOOOO JO OJOJOJOOOJOiO i-i w g o fH > ^9 5 -B 11*11 (4 8. S I 1 1 M oil Sal III 1 p THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 131 fe ^ S3.=! W O W W W .9 3 I 3 S-3 *-> 2 CU .3 g ,_ 8 *S O " ri *H " _ _2 ^ O '3 ^ 'g-'S " "^ 3 ? s * O >- .9 I-H ^, ^C3 ^ ft *M W fl S flfgo-l! 3 o * o ns 3 I 'S ^ I S I 6 i-i 5 i.-8 3 217 132 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. If 1 s >OOO3OOC5OOOC51O si o +-( o o 00 g -5 2 -3 5a o> v -5 C +^> o I Ifi I fe I J OH ;5 o o 73 g 10 g -9 fl o $ ^ ^ T > ' THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 133 f .s f 1 3 I '& . *f>* a .* S Ji ! | S 0> -3 S3 J -5 oT < S3 60 ^ o ^ g '"- ^ a 5 S r jf tf U 00 s +j T3 g l-i||fa.|i 11=5111* o o ^d d d ::!li o ^-i o +- 1 "53 N ^r^ . rH r- f ni j %% s>' s ail-** tl - 1 ^ s i| I -I THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. | | 3 ) O O i O O O O O O O O O O ifi O O L- O O O O O & S2-S E , s "S 2-rf = BJ3 I THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 135 S5 ! II ill il" s lo n o o o o o o 10 co 1 1 * 1 1 J 1 Jrl ? I 1C? P-l E^ gn fl) 03. ^ g n* M ^ ^ S t-M Cfl' "5 rS H S I - - f 8 : is 'Pn & D X, S O T '5b a ^ S^ ^' i8 iif i>-S! HH^. S ^ - s ^ T; S *s ^ 13G THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. III II a ii II o o o o o o ' oo o o LI w c? < tl I ^ rt ss .-^ ^ 13 II-N ^ -3 o >-,. bO ^3 tl Q 8 ^ o s c fil "5 o c ^ | .I 5 "^ g lia.a 1o !- o o & Tn !-! U f* % .2 "o o 3 E -ri ." J ^ a " s^ llllll "jlpll THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 137 lO ir^o'cT t- O rH CN S-i - Sli 88888888 ~ ^o^ 'o"o*cro 10 o o 10 c o iO CM ^ 3 McKill Co.'a P II s.l 1 ft OOOO 888 o^o o o o^o^o^o^o^o^ 10" o" o" o" o" o" o" o" o" o~ (MiOrHiOOJOOOlOO ^CM CM r-( CM 1C 1O CM T-H a -2 g 138 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. II 11 Is Is 00 O b & $ lo ol d IE '3 ... 1 II 1 * S W s si ill g^ = ^ H ,. ^ S ^0 2 o | 1 ^ S fl I ^ C3 O THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 139 xOO-^OlOOOOOO: ) 00 ^ O O Th O C~ OJ 05 I O?OOOOOOOO' o 10 o eo eo T-H T-H at 51 I' 1 ! "^ooSoj ^- <-> o 2 ^ ^b rn _^ E5 S 140 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. *3.2 II I: s; >ooosooc5Cioeo > O Ci T-l T-l T-l O |o II m 3* :. Q r "" H {*} -s i ilal O p i-2 O i-1 1 ^ s _ o^ ^ t <~{ (^> ^ -r 3 "C fc J3 ^ aii-rfj '& S ts 1 ^ ^.^111 ~*;s ^oo III THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 143 1l 3.8 2 s' g> d 60 S'" O O O O' o~o~o~o~ O5 8,5 -ft ! 3 o o o 11 111 fn Cj rt 05 0) ^ S C3 oi e8 O S

ut they agreed to give with rea- sonable correctness at a given time or a particular time, and not any time, as it might be Jive or six years. The information must 150 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. be of some use, and to be of this character it must be therefore of such dates that it could be relied on. Mr. Bethune asked to be allowed to amend the declaration to sustain the averment that the report of the 29th April was incor- rect, and upon the merits. Mr. Bethune said the report following was misleading. This report was : " E. M. Wilson, Toronto, June, 1875, has stock about $1000, formerly of "Wilson & Co., dissolved. He is son of D. Wilson, who sold out to E. M. Wilson and E. A. Philip. Wilson owns no real estate ; has some $5000 or $6000 in the business ; he claims to be worth $7000 ; character and habits are good ; is doing a fair trade ; buys mostly American goods ; credit good locally." There was evidence to show* that as far back as January the young man's habits were not good, and that his business was not at any time in a good condition. Mr. M. C. Cameron said no evidence had been offered ot prove that E. M. Wilson was not all that was stated in April when the report was made. His Lordship decided that there was sufficient to go to the jury on the question of Wilson's standing even on the 29th of April. THE DEFENCE. W. T. Pridham testified that he was in the employ of Dun, Wiman & Co. as city reporter ; remembered getting a report from Ernest Wilson ; called at Mr. Wilson's store, and saw a person whom he believed to be Mr. Wilson ; inquired from others as to the verification of Mr. Wilson ; speak in confidence to all parties doing business with us ; believed that Mr. Wilson was speaking 'the truth, but did not until he verified it. By Mr. Betliune. Have been for the past five years engaged in the Mercantile Agency Company ; was an occasional reporter with Murray, Middlemiss & Co., Montreal ; had no previous ac- quaintance with Mr. Wilson ; knew the firm was about dissolving, and went to get particulars ; came to the conclusion that he was not worth more than from $3000 to $4000 ; he claimed to be worth $4000 in property ; did not ask him his indebtedness / he may have had some cash besides, for all I know ; did not ask them to show their hooks / consulted some of the boot and shoe manufac- THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 151 turers of the city ; do not remember whom- 1 consulted / Mr. Hew- son was reporting for the company besides myself ; have no know- ledge of the shoe trade know nothing about Wilson's habits. Edwin Paid, examined, said I am employed in Dun, Wiman & Co.'s ; have been in their employ for eight years ; had been city reporter in Toronto in 1865 ; remember getting report of Mr. Wilson in that year ; called on Mr. Wilson, who said business was very good ; had no reason to doubt him ; made further inquiries among the wholesale shoe trade, " he presumed "/ was making re- ports of other houses at the time ; heard nothing against his credit. By Mr. Bethune. Was not the regular reporter at the time ; performed the duties of city reporter for three months ; had a good general knowledge of the trades of the city ; told me he had a stock of $10,000 worth, but could not say ; remember hear- ing of Wilson running away; cannot recall the name of the per- son who gave me the information had no reason to be suspicious of Wilson. Thomas Houston, examined, stated that he was a city re- porter of the firm of Dun> Wiman & Co. ; made the proper in- quiries ; the business was increasing slowly, but from other sources ; the stock looked full in the shop ; it was the leading trade in town. By Mr. Bethune. David Wilson was not a partner at the time of my visit ; the firm claimed to be worth over $7000 ; think he claimed himself to be worth $7000 ; put him down at between $5000 and $6000, allowing for contingencies / don't remember whe- ther I made a report or not of the circumstance of Wilson run- ning away. Henry Moffatt. I am a reporter for John McKillop & Co. : a similar company to that of the defendants' ; I made a report of E. M. Wilson on the 7th April, 1875 ; the result of my inquiry was favorable ; J saw E. M. Wilson personally ; I looked through the stock and saw the insurance papers he held, and he gave me a statement of the trade he was doing, the insurance, and the rental he was paying. I reported him worth from $4000 to $5000, and his stock worth $7000 ; I made inquiries from others ; he ap- peared to be doing a good business, and his stock was well as- sorted. 152 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. By Mr. Bethune. I have not a copy of the report I made ; I spoke to Mr. Jacobi about Wilson in September, 1874 ; it was the firm then ; I reported the firm worth from 7000 to $10,000 ; on the April report I thought he (Wilson) had a stock of over $6000 ; he told me he had ; I could not swear that I asked what his debts were, but I reported him worth $4000 to $5000. This was the case. His Lordship remarked that he would hold the action to be one of breach of contract, and he said the contract would be that part of the general conditions that referred to the obligation of the defendants to supply information to the subscribers. His Lord- ship asked them how they were to estimate the damages under this assumption. Mr. Bethune said they would ask just as much as they had lost by the sale to Wilson. He thought they should recover the whole loss or merely nominal damages. Mr. J. H. Cameron said he was prepared to show that the utmost the plaintiff could recover were nominal damages. In the case of Kinghorn vs. Montreal Telegraph Co., 18 U. C. Q. B., he presented a case where his contention was sustained, and that more than nominal damages could not be assessed ; Stephenson vs. Montreal Telegraph Co., 16 U. C. Q. B., was a similar case, and in which the decision was that the plaintiff could not recover unless there was fraud in the delay by the Company's official delivering the message. Mr. Cameron said also there was no breach of the contract. He asked again if the plaintiff had any case to go to the jury. His Lordship answered that he thought it would be most proper to allow the case to go to the jury. There would be the single issue of the breach of contract, but he was not at all sure whether Mr. McLean had acted with, reasonable care. He said it would be better to place the matter in a specific manner before the jury by asking their answers to the two questions : 1. Did the defendants, who are persons engaged in the Mer- cantile Agency business, furnish to the best of their ability infor- mation to the plaintiff of the standing and credit of Ernest M. Wilson ? 2. Did the plaintiff act as an ordinarily prudent man in not making any further inquiries in view of the fact that Wilson re- THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 153 sided and carried on business in his immediate neighborhood, and was well known in the city, and that the goods were not furnished for a fortnight after the application ? Mr. J. II. Cameron addressed the jury, remarking that they would have nothing to do with figures, as that, by arrangement between counsel, had been withdrawn from the question. But they would have to decide upon a matter that was of as great consequence to the mercantile agencies as to the public. And although these agencies had been in existence for about forty years, there was not a case reported in the courts that could be called an example, except the one cited by Mr. Beth une, which was the English case he mentioned. Mr. Cameron said this case was not a contract of guarantee. The question, Did the defen- dants give information to the best of their ability? was what they would have to consider. After a recapitulation of the evidence and a statement of the case, Mr. Cameron laid down the proposi- tion that if the Company gave all the information they possessed at the time, they had done their duty ; and he said the Company had done this. Further, Mr. Cameron said it could not be ex- pected that these agencies should be held to such a strict account as was sought to be imposed on them in this case, and that all that could be expected of them was a fair report of the individual at the moment when they were asked. Mr. Bethune, addressing the jury, observed that many people thought these agencies were not advantageous to trade, and it was a question on which the mercantile public were divided whether they should be tolerated at all. The law would not look at the question of consideration, based upon the amount paid by the plaintiff; illustrated by the example of an accident insurance policy, where, a mere trifle would yield a large sum back in case of accident. That they have not been sued before is no argument not to deal fairly with the question. That, if they escape scot-free now, will be an argument and an inducement for, perhaps, greater carelessness than hereto- fore, and greater risk to the subscribers. All the plaintiff asked the defendants to perform was to give a fair report. It was easy to see the power and facility the company possessed. It was in the power of this company to puff any man, to rate him highly, and place him above suspicion ; and it was in their power also to blast 154 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. any man's prospects and reputation. In this case the first report they made of Wilson was not correct, if almost he had been the most honest man in the community, after all the opportunities they had of making inquiries. It was said that Mr. McLean might have made inquiries himself, but it was not to be supposed that Mr. McLean would have been satisfied that he could know, or get to know, in any way, as much about Wilson's business by any in- quiries he could make as the Agency, with all their means of pro- moting inquiries, could do. Mr. Bethune proceeded to show the amount of stock that Wilson had received and owned at any time, and -all the stock he had been possessed of, and to prove that he could not have had the quantity of stock that was credited to him by the Agency. The operations of the reporters of the Agency were criticised as not being of the sort that entitled them to confi- dence. There were no particular inquiries, and no verification of the answers given by any one person by answers of another. Mr. Bethune asked the jury to infer that the reporters had forgotten all about the matter, and that really no inquiries had been made at all. The entries in the Agency book, too, were not assuring as far as they could' be ascertained, either for their order or for their correctness. It appeared, indeed, that the Agency had not made their inquiries at the very places where they might have learned most, and where common-sense would have pointed as the best sources of information. Wilson's stock and property in April could not exceed a value of $4000. It was shown that he had a balance at the bank indeed, but the amount at the bank was made by the sales made at auction. * The company said they did not know that he was selling off the stock at a sacrifice in an auction- room ; but a number of private persons, merchants in the city, knew all about this. It was the blame of the servants of the company ; but it should not be asked that Mr. McLean should suffer for these servants' mistakes. And when, two weeks after he got a certification of the character and standing of this man Wilson, Mr. McLean gave him a credit, a few days only before he ran away, it was surely not too much to expect that the defend- ants should compensate him for the loss he had sustained by their negligence. "Then, if the defendants repudiated their contract in this case, a certain result would be that the public M'ould lose con- fidence in them, and require to make a safer contract with them, THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 155 and require greater certainty in the information they pretend to give. For it was clear that the representations made upon Wil- son's character and business were not true. He would repeat that the value of these institutions was the degree of care given to the information they professed to afford to their subscribers. He closed by asking a verdict for the plaintiff on both the questions that were submitted to them. The whole system of mercantile agency was to day on its trial, and their verdict would go far to enforce a closer inspection by the reporters and officials in these offices. If they allowed this to go it would be a step towards making these agencies mere offices for blackmailing the commer- cial community. His Lordship said the case involved a number of questions of difficulty, but they had been instructed in those that were to be decided by them; He pointed out what the duties of the de- fendants were which they had undertaken to execute. And it was only just to mention, too, that Wilson had not been dealing much with any of the wholesale merchants here. He made these remarks as to the standing of Wilson and the facility the defend- ants had of making an accurate report of Wilson's business. This report, His Lordship did not hesitate to say, as his opinion, was not correct ; and he thought there were still avenues of informa- tion by which a more correct report might have been obtained by the defendants, and, if a knowledge of the sales at auction had been in possession of the company, they would certainly have been at fault if they had not reported that knowledge to Mr. McLean. His Lordship read passages of the evidence to strengthen the idea that there had been a remissness in the company in obtaining in- formation of the commercial value of E. M. Wilson, and in not noticing that he possessed no aptitude for business. The evidence of the employees was not satisfactory; they could not tell how they got their information exactly, with the exception of one who said he had communicated with Mr. Jacobi. And if they took their information from Wilson's communication alone, they were not doing all their duty. McKillop's reporter gave evidence, it had to be remembered, similar to that of the defendants, but the jury would consider whether he had made sufficient inquiries as well, before they would determine on its value. His Lordship then glanced at the question of whether the plaintiff had acted 156 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. with ordinary prudence in accepting the information and acting on it without making any inquiries on his own part. The jury then retired. The jury returned, after a short ahseiice, with a verdict for the plaintiff, being an answer to the first question in the negative, and to the second question in the affirmative. His Lordship re- corded a verdict for the amount claimed. The local opinion on this verdict is also of great importance. We append two editorials from the Globe and Mail respectively under date December 9th, 1875. [Daily Globe Toronto.] MCLEAN VS. DUN, WIMAN & CO. The verdict rendered in this case yesterday by a petty jury in the Toronto Assize Court appears to strike a very, serious blow at the existence of the commercial associations known as MERCANTILE AGENCIES. Mr. McLean, a highly respectable and extensive dealer in leather, in this city, was applied to in April last by Mr. E. M. Wilson, then a shoe-dealer in King street, to supply him (Wilson) with a quantity of leather. Mr. McLean was a subscriber to the Mer- cantile Agency of Dun, Wiman & Co., and entitled to obtain from them from time to time reports as to the solvency of parties pur- chasing from them on credit, for the consideration of seventy-five dollars per annum. Mr. McLean accordingly applied to Dun, Wiman & Co. for a report as to the standing of Mr. Wilson ; and, having received a favorable reply, sold $500 worth of leather, or thereby, to that person. In July following Wilson absconded, and Mr. McLean lost his money. Mr. McLean thereupon com- menced suit against Dun, Wiman & Co. for the amount of his loss, not alleging for a moment any want of good faith on the part of the agency, or that different information from that given was in possession of the Agency or its employees, but simply on the ground that its report was erroneous, and that the Agency had not used due diligence in obtaining information. The jury sus- tained Mr. McLean in this pretension, and gave a verdict against Dun, Wiman & Co. for the full amount of his loss, $500. In the examination of witnesses it was brought out that some parties were aware, previous to Wilson's absconding, that he was THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 157 not worthy of credit ; and that if Dun, Wiman & Co. had gone to certain parties for information, they would have learned much more about him than they told to Mr. McLean. -Z $ * -::- * v> -x- [The Mail Toronto.] LIABILITY OF MERCANTILE AGENCIES. The case of McLean vs. Dun, "Wiman & Co., which has occu- pied the attention of the Assize Court for the last two days, was concluded yesterday : a verdict being returned for the plaintiff for the amount of damages claimed,, subject to certain considerations reserve* for the full Court. Two questions were left to the jury, as will be seen in our report of the case, and both were answered in favor of the plaintiff. The jury in point of fact have deter- mined that Dun, Wiman & Co. did not use due diligence when they gave a favorable report of Wilson's standing, and that Mr. McLean was perfectly justified in relying solely on the Company's statement. The mercantile community will be glad to hear that even thus far the case is in favor of their rights. They are dragooned into subscribing to these agencies, and the least they can expect is that the information received is so accurate that it may be safely acted on. The Court above will have to decide whether the plaintiff can really recover more than nominal damages, and even if the so-called Mercantile Agency should succeed in escaping the heavier penalty, it and kindred institu- tions will have been taught a useful lesson. The popularity of these agencies is on tlie wane, and merchants are beginning to quote the long list of failures which have occurred in direct contradiction of agencies' reports and hieroglyphics. There is something un-British and. repugnant to most right-thinking men in a system of espionage that has become a huge Mercantile Inquisition, by no means infallible, and, it now appears, not always very careful of the way in which it conducts its inquiries. .As a matter of fact, the cases are few in which private inquiry will not discover all a merchant wants to know of a purchaser seeking credit. New customers are bought at too high a price whose standing has to be certified by an Agency. The system of credit may thereby be infinitely extended ; but old firms will tell you- a much safer business was done before this new-fangled system came 158 THE ^COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. into operation. Without impugning the bona fides of this parti- cular Agency, we are of opinion that collectively quite as much harm as good has resulted to those merchants who have been satisfied to take a customer's "rating" as conclusive evidence of his worth. Of some other associations formed for the purpose of enlightening the trading public it is not too much to say that they are merely snares and delusions got up for the profit of then- promoters. The great significance of this case justifies us in calling special attention to two or three points not dwelt on at any length by counsel. McLean was a subscriber for ten years, at the yearly cost of $75. He had, therefore, paid $750 to the Agencies when he lost his bill against Wilson, in addition. This is not a consolatory or exceptional experience. The McKillop tk Sprague Co. is caught in the legal trap as well as Dun, Wiman & Co. Neither knew the true condition of Wilson when it reported him ; their clerks did not even ask him how much he owed ; they failed to examine his books or look into his empty boxes, and a jury, in finding Dun, Wiman & Co. guilty of gross negligence, has really passed on evidence sufficient, if un- explained, to mulct the rival Agency if the contract had been with it. The " institutions," as they like to term themselves, may not allow their clerks to associate with each other or exchange opinions : but it is quite apparent that the young gentlemen of both establishments are very much alike in industry and business acumen. Whatever way we look at this McLean case, its effect cannot be exaggerated. The System, instead of compromising it at the start according to custom, relied on achieving a success on account of the two special features McLean's propinquity to the buyer and the buyer's fraudulent absconding. The former fact, it was hoped, would raise the presumption of contributive negligence in McLean ; the latter, as the result of mala, fides rather than finan- cial insolvency alone, was relied on to relieve against mere contract damages. Had the Agency any doubt whatever of victory it would willingly have paid up ; so that the result may be taken as a -success over them in their own selected field, and against large and unusual legal odds. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 159 CHAPTER XX. THE BEST MEANS OF REDUCING THE DANGER FROM THE IN- QUISITION CORRESPONDENTS BEHIND A MASK WHAT MER- CHANTS THINK OF THE NEED OF CHANGE FREE TALKERS ABOUT OTHERS SURE TO BE BROUGHT TO TASK. WE come to the question, How shall the opposition to the Agency system find full, effective, and fitting expression ? Half the force of the agitation against an evil we had almost said all is found in the fact that its movers have not alone argu- ments to convince, but also measures of correction to advance. The practical value of any and every opposition to the Agency system must submit to this test ; and if, while the wrongs com- mitted by the system are conceded, no method be proposed to re- move them, or, wanting method, there be no independent means adopted for their repression, it will matter little, in the end, whether the whole scheme of traffic in men's reputations for per- sonal benefit shall have been approved or reprobated by the public. In this connection, as in most others, faith without works avails not ; and he is the best reformer who, having demonstrated the necessity of reform, goes on and illustrates the most direct means of its accomplishment. Our FIRST proposition is a plain one. No honest man can support the system believing it to be noxious and dangerous. Our SECOND one is a natural corollary to the other. No sincere man can, having the same belief, omit to become actively antago- nistic to it. What, then, should a sincere and honest opponent .of the system do to illustrate his faith and bring forth fruit ? In the first place, such a man should cease using the system at the earliest possible moment, or least (if we must adapt our sense of duty to the average of business moralities) at the close of his present subscription. Even if he avoid selling on its estimates, he owes it to himself, as a conscientious man, to withdraw his sup- port from an institution on which his own opinion has already 160 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. passed judgment. If lie continue paying for pretended informa- tion on which he cannot or does not rely, he is merely lending his name and means to the perpetuation of an exacting and unscrupu- lous combination against the purses and reputations of other men, and thereby making himself a party to whatever of wrong or in- justice may be done to them. He may be satisfied, for peace's sake or a hoped-for benefit, to stand a yearly loss of subscription ; but does he not owe something to the class to which he belongs, and should he not be ready to resent, reprove, and repress any and every flagrant assault on honorable trading so far, at least, as his own contributive example may go? We lay it down as a true rule of commercial honor, that no one should countenance in another acts which he would not perform himself. Besides refusing to bear the yearly tax of subscription and Reference Book buying, our merchants should studiously avoid aiding the parasitic appliances of Collection Bureaux added to the system, arid acting as feeders to it. Even if the classification of a trader's doubtful debts for purposes of collection and turning over to the Agencies had no depreciatory effect on the trader's own standing as a careful credit-giver, he must see, in A moment, that the Agencies' attorneys are not apt to be efficient, in any liti- gated cases, against the generally more competent lawyers who will be found retained by the defence. Is it to be believed that the Agencies' creature will exert all his energies against an Agency supporter, or that the Agencies would encourage him to press col- lections for a small percentage when the withdrawal of subscrip- tions may reasonably be expected to induce a much greater loss than any possible profit so obtained? But even if his utmost ability were seriously exerted, what security can a creditor have for prompt returns from a person capable of the personal mean- ness of giving up his time to double service as an unpaid spy and a, ^oorly-paid lawyer ? If he exacted a salary from the Agencies, even that fact would indicate a certain amount of moral stamina, and a certain respect for his professional calling ; but, being either too weak to impose terms, or too eager, from want, to secure even a pittance of agreed compensation, he is certainly more amenable to temptation than his more independent and self-asserting brethren. A THIKD means of decreasing the evil effects of the Agencies THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 161 is the very simple one of not applying to them for information. We have shown that, according to their own statements, they can- not really tell whether or not any single trader is good for any single transaction. Of what service, then, can any statement of his affairs prove which does not go to the extent of justifying a sin- gle bargain f Indeed, must it not be more calculated to lull use- ful inquiry than to suggest caution ? If a trader exercise ordinary prudence he can form a fresh opinion himself based on the most recent available information ; but if he trust ever so little to Agency reports, he is sure to judge from evidence incoherent in itself, in almost every instance, of dubious age, and of dubious origin. Of what value, in the majority of cases, is an opinion six months old ? Why should any man part with his goods on the strength of it, when the Agencies confess their own want of confi- dence in it by stipulating against any liability for imparting it ? But over and above all these considerations, have we not shown that the system is the natural parent of constantly-aggravating errors and misreports ? A FOURTH means of lessening the ill effects of the Agencies would be persistent refusal to supply them with unpaid-for infor- mation. "Why should not a merchant impart whatever he may find necessary or useful directly to the person or persons from whom he seeks credit f Already this is done in the vast majority of cases ; and the credit-giver is accustomed to write down the statement or to carry it in his mind. He can have it verified or confuted by telegraph or letter within a short time within as short or shorter time than the Agencies. They must inquire specially, at his special expense, if he insist on the latest attainable rumors. They must deal with a volunteer unpaid correspondent who insists on keeping behind a mask. The merchant, on the other hand, can inquire from other merchants of known standing, whose answers would be infinitely preferable, and whose state- ments, if knowingly erroneous and not coupled with reservations, might even be followed by legal recourse, on fit occasion. Besides insuring known channels of information, this practice, if generally adopted, would also leave the whole non-credit seeking mass of traders free from even the possibility of being injured in character or standing within their self-limited lines and methods of trade. The credit-seeker would not be, could not be, aware of the course 12 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. of inquiry beforehand, and therefore could not anticipate it He might rely on a good report from his neighborhood if he had earned a good reputation. If he had not earned it, or the matter were in doubt, he could personally convince the credit-giver of any injustice done him, and indicate the direction from which inju- rious remark might hare, or might be expected to have, come. In every event, he would have the double satisfaction of knowing that his business affairs were only laid bare to a person rightfully interested in them, and that he merely had one or more known merchants to satisfy instead of the same number supplemented by the loose guesses of a secret series of anonymous correspondents, juvenile clerks, needy credit-raters, or vague- writing managers. A FIFTH means of correcting the growing wrong of the Agency system would be the prompt request, monthly, of every person whose name appears in the Books to fee the teeret report on 'which it is faseeL If the Agencies refuse to show it, in the origi- nal record j tool' t andjpaye, to the applicant, he may rely that it is libellous, and should secure counsel who could either cause the name to be suppressed or require the record to be produced, or both. If the Agencies allow the record to be examined on appli- cation, the person affected should then choose whether they shall continue to trade in his reputation or desist. The result, in either hypothesis, must cripple the system. Of what service to any one except the person rated satisfactorily could the system be, in the one easel In the other, merchants could have no inducement for paying for a system of inquisition which, in its net product, realized the sole perfection of a mutual-admiration coterie. A SIXTH means, and, to our mind, the fittest of all mentioned, is resort to the law to repress their libels and recover damages, as well, for breaches of contract to supply information correctly under their old or existing subscription contracts. By what right are ten men in the United States and Canada enabled to set them- selves up as irresponsible censors of their fellow-citizens* characters and busings 'sfomnng? Simple agreements at large with third parties on the subject are certainly no protection so long as the really interested party's tastes are not consulted. Even if the prin- ciple of agency were allowed as a shield, in a single ease, where actual trading had been contemplated in good faith, it would be manifestly against public policy to permit universal reporting and THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 163 irresponsible criticism simply because, at some time, one or more thousands of one and a quarter millions of men might seek credit from one of thirty thousand other men, subscribers to and employ- ers, so called, of the Agencies. But this is not the whole of the objection. Of the million and over rated and criticised by the Agencies not one half have ever had, or have ever sought to have, a single transaction with the thirty thousand subscribers ! How can a theory of constructive agency be stretched so as to cover these innumerable and wholly indefensible interferences with private character and commercial standing ? Then, as to the fitness of ex- acting damages from professional news-givers, what can be fairer than to insist that men who live by the business should lose by it, also, when found destroying their fellow-citizens, for private gain, in character and substance ? Lest the reader should consider these suggestions, however just in themselves, the result of bias in the writer, and any effort to carrv them out singular and exceptional, and to be avoided for that reason, we proceed to supplement them by the personal testi- mony, conveyed to the writer within a single fortnight, of a few of many leading citizens. It will be seen that our advice is already adopted by great numbers of merchants, and that whoever would imitate them need have no fear of being without good com- pany. L. H. P., a leading liquor merchant, says his experience is " that, with the use of an agency, and the expenditure of a bottle " of wine with its spy, he can break the credit and reputation of " his neighbor. He knows of no other purpose it can serve, and " wishes it suppressed." The President of the Savings Bank says : " I have borne " the double relation of subscriber and correspondent. While u acting in the former capacity, I always took care to compliment ""my own friends and keep my own credit in the meridian. As " a partner in a firm without more than $30,000 capital I found " no difficulty in getting the agencies to rate the house at $400,- " 000 (!) up to the moment of its failure. I think them a colossal " humbug, and carefully avoid them in the sense of giving a dol- " lar to them." The President of the and 's Bank says : " I would not " throw away wine on any of them. A glass of lager is enough to " reach the credit men and raters." 164: THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. An iron merchant on street says: "I never subscribed " to any but McKillop's, and I found they always omitted to rate "me when my subscription was discontinued. I finally got so " indignant I forcibly ejected one of the canvassers from my " office, and kicked his hat after him." A shipping-house in South street regards them as " blackmail- " ers, to whom he would neither give a statement nor subscription, "and forbade their canvassers to come on our premises. Our " ratings have suffered, and are false, but we are too well known " to care." \ A member of another shipping house writes : " A canvasser in- " sinuated that an attack on our credit would be made if we did " not subscribe. His threat is fulfilled. But I regret its vague- " ness prevents legal proceedings, although, to himself, the mean- " ing and malice are quite clear." Another gentleman, well known as a leading political economist, sends a long letter declaring in the most positive terms that " the fi system is a curse, and ought to be abated by legislation." A hair importer of another city says : " I discovered I was li- " belled through the effort of a rival trader, who used the agency " against me. He pretended to be friendly, but was on the inside. " I now know how to get even, and will surely try." The President of the K. T. Co. states : " If nierchants are " attacked it serves them right for supporting such an institution. " Let them blame themselves, and turn a new leaf." A gentleman, only second to Henry C. Carey in deep study of the economies of trade, etc., says : " They are dollar and cent con- " cerns, started and continued for a livelihood under a public pre- " tence. I hope to see them placed on the defensive in the press, " in the courts, and in the State legislatures. For my part, I am " quite certain the District Attorneys in some States could take " them in hand criminally." Mr. H., of H. & A., Wall street, says : " "We subscribed at one " time, but, finding the reports vague, incorrect, and useless, dis- " continued. Since then the agencies have thought less of us, " and in their reports say ( the father of one of our firm,' who died " twenty years ago, ' is still interested,' and place us with our " $400,000 capital below where they did when we had not a quar- " ter of it." THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 165 A large Broad-street Liquor Merchant regards it the " essence " of recklessness to pay any attention to the reports. It is a quick " way, a perfect short-cut, to Bankruptcy." A leading Clothier says : " Our traveller lately found an agen- " cy correspondent in league with a trader to purchase all he could " on a favorable report and share the profits. I trust your agita- " tioii will give us an organization or common system of action " against them." These few samples, selected at random from a mass of city correspondence, with two exceptions received within fourteen days, barely give an idea of the extent and depth of feeling already eager to be directed against the obnoxious system. If we were to insert a tenth part of the general denunciation, by letter or word of mouth, of which we have been' made the receiver or hearer within the same period, our book would not contain pages enough to print it in detail. But even these examples will suffice to show the hesitating trader that his views are also those of many, many other active and reputable merchants in every city and town in the country, and that he can rely on efficient countenance and support, from this time henceforward, in every 1 * justifiable aggressive movement which he may contemplate against the agency system, its aiders and abettors. While this proof of an aroused public opinion must be assur- ing to long-patient and long-suffering traders, it carries a very dif- ferent lesson to those who have heretofore freely expressed opin- ions of their neighbors to agency detectives. Such persons must .hear, in these rumblings of an approaching controversy, the pre- sage of disclosures very painf ul and surprising. Victims will soon be demanding the names of their traducers. Courts will compel discovery. The natural anxiety of informants to avoid disclos- ure ought to be a warning to others that every statement made to the agencies may entail disagreeable consequences and should be sedulously avoided hereafter. A habit of strict refusal to say any- thing about neighbors, under any circumstance, to the minions of the Inquisition, is our last recommendation in this connection. Its wisdom is apparent. The neglect of it, whether from thought- , lessness or misapprehension of the scope and purpose of the system, is certain to bring trouble and annoyance, in the near future, to hundreds who thought they could stab in the dark and never be 1G6 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. detected. "What honorable merchant would like to find himself cheek by jowl with the army of purposeful or purposeless inform- ers ? Which one, with his own proper business to look after, is prepared to act as a sleuth-hound, at the whip and beck of every agency adventurer who may propose to retail, for hire and profit, neighbors' opinions of each other ? The occupation is certainly not very dignified or gracious, at any time. After the publication of this book, we think we may say it will also be very apt to be- come both troublesome and disreputable. Each of the means above suggested is good, in its way, in the effort to reduce the harmfulness of the agencies. A few of them, faithfully persisted in, will give back to injured business men a large part of the fortunes made out of their characters. The use, by any respectable number of men, of all the means indicated, will speedily put an end to the system, and release American com- merce from the filthy beak and strident talons of the agency vul- ture. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 167 CHAPTER XXI. THE ENORMITY OF THE BLACK LISTS THE NUMBER OF PERSONS AND AMOUNTS OF INVESTED CAPITAL PLACED UNDER BAN MUDDLED CREDITS AND PARALYZED TRADE. HAVIXG demonstrated in a preceding chapter, by indubitable proofs extracted from Agency Reference Books, the absurd posi- tion occupied by the System, judged with its own standard, it only remains for us to direct attention to the private reports, or Black Lists, from which, while favorable ratings appear in the Reference Books, opprobrious matters find constant circulation. We have seen that small capital ratings are never associated with good credit ratings, even for small amounts ; that is, the Agen- cies do not consider business character or private character, as such, sufficient to determine the right to credit proportionate to recog- nized capital, or worth recognition. But, on the other hand, large capital, although rated in the Reference Books generally in con- junction with " good " or " high" credit, preserves no fixed relation to business or private character even in the Reference Books, and, outside of them, in the private reports, is often associated with the most damaging statements. The ordinary reader, consequently, can discover no method of detecting whether or not the private reports of himself are carried into the Reference Book ratings for either low or high capital, and is led, if rated satisfactorily, to believe that his character has not been attacked, or, if rated unsatisfactori- ly, that the worst appears instead of being reserved for private sale and distribution. On the other hand, the expert in Agency literature written or printed, even if he never read a line of the private reports, can lay his finger in the Reference Books on every name smirched by masked correspondents or secret spies and recorded for permanent blackening. Wherever the least discrimination is shown in the 168 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. application of the movable criteria or symbols to the capital criteria or symbols, it is caused by suppressed information or pre- tended information of a damaging kind ; but, as we have said, the absence of such discrimination is no guarantee whatever that mat- ter tending to justify it is not on the record. The Agencies are indisposed, except for selfish reasons, to publish low ranges of credit in connection with large capital, and therefore avoid doing so as much as possible ; for their subscribers are expected to come from such persons, in the main ; but if we deduct thirty thousand (present subscribers') names from the lists of the three Agencies, and allow as many more to represent the very highest ranges of capital from which future subscribers are to come, we shall still have about seven hun- dred thousand persons subject to private detraction or false rating, and outside the purview of a selfish policy of suppression or favor- itism. "When we are able to say that a tenth of the trading popu- lation of New- York is on the Black Lists of a single Agency, it will not appear exaggeration when we add that the total number of Merchants and Traders in the United States and Canada actually derogatorily written about, to, or in, the three Agencies sum up NINETY THOUSAND, at least ! As we have seen, in a former chapter, how the capital ratings of TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY-TWO Merchants are made to differ ONE HUNDRED AND THREE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, it is not difficult to conceive a similar discordance, many times multiplied, between the Agencies, in reference to estimates and reports of personal charac- ter. Under the most favorable conditions, one man's real, as dis- tinguished from his suppositions, merit is, necessarily, a puzzle seldom solved and never demonstrable. When we add to the or- dinary inherent trouble of determination the accessory drawbacks of distance, anonymity, unfiltered prejudice, or undetected parti- sanship, the impediments to accuracy become infinite, and even the uninformed are prepared to believe that the contradictions of capital ratings are slight in comparison with the raging incoheren- cies of the comparative Black Lists on the subject of character. The reader must have noticed, and can recall, several instances in former chapters where a single Agency is found rating Mer- chants in good credit whose character as business men is assailed with acrimony in the private reports. "When persons in good cred- it by Agency admission are so attacked, it is nothing wonderful to THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 169 find that persons not in good credit by Agency authority suffer to a monstrous extent in the secret archives. Common experience shows that cowardly detraction is seldom lessened by increased } immunity from punishment. The BLACK LISTS, therefore, are the designation we employ to characterize the vast mass of names blackened by slander or charred by envy. An iceberg is known to be two thirds under water. The Black Lists are sunk out of sight with their accumulated weight of multiplied impurities. The Appendix which follows contains the initials of about TEN THOUSAND Merchants' and Traders' names, with city, State, and business added. It represents selections from the Reports of the three Agencies under late dates, and is the result of several months' almost constant labor. In our second and future editions we propose to enlarge the List until we shall have given, for his and its personal satisfaction and identification only, the name and business of every assailed Trader and Corporation in the United States and Canada. In making up this terrible array of inculpatory matter our pur- pose was to enable oiir readers, individually, to learn, without oth- ers doing so, whether or not the Agencies had taken liberties with their names. We therefore confine ourselves to initials ; and where even this slight clue might, in small places or very peculiar Trades, lead to identification, we have omitted selection. The Lists, taken in connection with the Comparative Tables in Chapter XVIIL, supply incontrovertible proof of every allegation made in these pages, and leave our readers in possession of a f raid of infor- mation not merely novel and convincing, but never before attain- able, nor apt to be amplified or extended, except by the author. Its publication will induce and compel such changes in the Agency System that the future inquirer will be wholly at a loss to secure materials, and few, or none, will be found willing to devote the same amount of labor or time to their compilation. Luckily the author's opportunities for enlarging his proofs and exposing the Agencies can only cease with the System ; for while they con- tinue to publish he can continue to confute, and will assuredly do so. In some form, it may even become necessary and desirable to business men that a weekly record of Agency mistakes, omissions, calumnies, etc., should be made up and circulated, and the recep- 170 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. tion of this volume will show whether there exists a desire for a cheaper, more convenient, and periodical form of current correc- tions, accessible to business men, side by side with the costly and cumbersome Agency System infamies. Our immediate duty, however, is with the Black Lists and such portions of them as are appended. How can any rational being wonder at the condition of trade when told that this vast army of maligned Merchants and Traders is simply the advance- guard of a host of other Merchants and Traders who may finally number six HUNDRED THOUSAND ! Even in the cities selected for illustration we only cull a few names out of the general mass. The vast multitude is not notably lessened. In all its mighty pro- portions of numbers, wealth, accumulated hopes and aspirations, it awaits the next roll-call. Why, if a foreigner were to hear from these Agencies that the proportion of reputable and trustworthy Merchants and Traders in the United States was less than ten per cent, could we blame him for believing that our social fabric was incorrigibly rotten ? And yet the passivists will say it makes no matter how much the Agencies belie or misreport so long as only a few dozen persons, in the case of each trader, are let into the secret ! They forget that the falsehoods or libels themselves are not reduced in intensity by the method of repetition, and that the aggregate result to the business character of the country is pre- cisely the same as if hundreds were made the confidants of the Agencies in each instance. All who have reason to ask are answered ; and those ask whose opinion, when formed, assists to assure success or failure in trade to the person inquired about. What else is wanted to leave the Trade of the country and commercial confidence both prostrate so far as Agencies can pros- trate them ? Even if we leave out of account the wrong committed on private feelings, or the danger to individual prospects, here are thousands of millions of business capital confessedly in the hands of cheats or swindlers ! Is it nothing to throw a cloud round the utilization of this wealth ? to place its owners in a sort of moral quarantine de- structive to energy and only reached by the desperate ? Our expe- rience with Agency capital estimates was certainly bad enough, but in all that ministers to evil, and evil only, these character-killings of the Black Lists are inconceivably the most infamous and most THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 171 deadly to legitimate commerce. If they enable our readers to ex- act relief and redress, our labor in compiling them will have been amply rewarded. To renew our line of argument : I. We set out to prove that the Agency " System" was a sham and a swindle of the first magnitude in its MANAGEMENT. We have produced its own records to abundantly support this claim. II. We proposed to show that it was really no System, having neither coherent principle nor coherent illustration in its length or breadth ! The chapter on the " Keys" and the chapter illus- trating the discordance of the Agencies as to third parties and each other, are conclusive on these questions. III. We commenced writing with the design of fairly discuss- ing the right of such an anomalous " Institution" to exist in an intelligent community at all, or without special legislation directed against its abuse. Who can say we have come to a negative con- clusion without careful study or from an insufficient array of facts ? IA r . We designed to suggest to the business classes remedial measures against the System. What the suggestion in regard to Guarantee Companies does not provide for is amply compensated by the maxim sedulously inculcated throughout these pages, Cease to support it / try legal conclusions with it, if wronged ! It only remains for us to anticipate the methods in which the System will essay to meet our arguments : I. Its first effort will ~be to stop the circulation of this work. To defeat this purpose we rely on the justice of Courts, the good- will of the independent press, and the assistance of the long-suffer- ing and grossly-betrayed business public. II. Its second device will be to assail the author. If he have anything in his humble life to specially regret more seriously than his association with the System, he has yet to learn it. III. The third and last effort will l>e either to combat his rea- soning or join issue on his facts. This is the least likely of all, but the one which the writer naturally desires. Should the. Sys- tem, however, find one defender, we shall challenge him, Firstly, To point to a single line in the work which is not a ra- tional deduction from facts stated in it. 172 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. Secondly r , To CONTRADICT, BY PROOF, A SINGLE ALLEGATION or FACT IN THE WHOLE BOOK ! If we have written with warmth betimes, we have been uncon- ( scions of the spirit of either malice or uncharitableness. If, on looking over our pages, we see much that might be bettered, we see nothing which we have not original proof to sustain and il- lustrate. Our fears are caused by a sense of our incapacity to do justice to the subject ; we have none about either the amount of preparation or the material at our disposal. But whether the Agencies enter on a labored defence or riot, they are sure to rely somewhat on the- use of their cheap talent for private circulars. These will reach subscribers will be practically exclusive and difficult for the outside p^iblic or the author to ob- tain and may be made more efficient in retaining patronage than all other instrumentalities combined. They possess all the advan- tages of partisan statements without entailing the penalty of open confutation like a newspaper article or a pamphlet issued for gen- eral reading. We must rely on some one of our readers for any specimen of this kind of missile which may be stealthily put into his hand. The open defence, if any, we can find for ourselves. One additional device occurs to us. The Agencies are certain to revamp and republish an old collection of Commendatory Let- ters written by a few subscribers, years ago, in return for overrat- ing. These letters are simply poor imitations of the ones found in any Cherry Pectoral almanac or in any Stomach Bitters pronunci- amento. When not manufactured outright, they are simply eulo- gies compiled by knaves for misleading fools. Recommendations dated subsequent to the reading of this pub- lication would not deserve the same characterization for we are bound to believe the writers must proceed on some knowledge of their topic ; but we predict that they will be so few that the apocalyptic duty of eating them would be within the capacity of an ordinary digestion. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 173 CHAPTER XXII. LAST WORDS. So far of the past. What is the best method of crippling this dangerous and destructive system in the future ? Most of the suggestions already made are limited in application to subscribers. Those about to be made may be acted on by the whole trading community, and, on our theory, should be carried out promptly and persistently until relief from the Agency incubus shall have been attained. One of the most effective of weapons will be the accumulation at some centre, for prompt distribution, of proofs of Agency errors, whether arising from ignorance or malice. It will readily occur to a merchant who has, at any time, been deceived by Agency reports, that the value of his information depends wholly on giving it pub- licity, and, so far as may be, in connection with like information from other merchants. Its point, too, will greatly depend on its cir- culation in the neighborhood where it originated, and might have quick confirmation in the personal experience of other traders. Given a common depository, nothing will be more easy than to di- rect these proofs, in the most efficient way, at the system, and so preserve a constant fire along the whole line of Agency occupa- tion. The writer will be glad to constitute himself this common repository. Even superior in importance to this gathering of proofs is the necessity that they should be irrefragable and incontestable. The opponents of the System must not imitate its looseness of state- ment, or looseness of reasoning. Wha.t is not capable of judicial demonstration to a common intent should not be used. Whatever contains an element of inference should be strictly scrutinized if not wholly disregarded. Where personal feelings might essay to get a hearing, they should be- watched, weighed, and eliminated. 17-1 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. In illustration of the great care which should be exercised in ac- cepting statements, even at one remove, we cannot do better than mention our own cautiousness in the same connection. Since the appearance of our Prospectus we have been pestered with innumer- able offers of testimony against the Agencies from their Managers, Ex-Managers, and Clerks, but we have not taken a single illustration from their experience, fearing that, as our time did not permit us to go to the various places referred to and v r erify the tendered evidence, we might fall into even unintentional error and give expression to individual griefs and selfish purposes. When, for instance, one De Lestre, an Agency employee, wrote from Utica that " he knew of several instances of undermining the merchants of that city," and would be glad to place the information at our service ; or when one Francey, in like employment, informed us, among other things, that the Erie Dispatch had shown certain favor to the institution, and several others tendered us lists of correspondents and damaging de- tails for a consideration, we threw their propositions in the waste- basket. We could not give any weight to statements incapable of ready proof, and disregarded them at once. Each merchant must exercise a similar watchfulness in taking nothing for granted, and only vouch for alleged facts near at hand and capable of instant verification if disputed. If subscribers have strong motives to assist in furnishing eviden- ces of Agency mistakes and mismanagement, ^^subscribers have infinitely more reasons for doing so. Non-subscribers are the sub- jects of Agency dissection for the pretended benefit of subscribers. Their character and standing are the System's stock-in-trade. Their financial assistance, through yearly subscriptions, is one of the constantly-pursued objects of Agency effort. If they would escape the alternative of propitiating Dagon by gifts, or of be- ing in hourly fear of his malignity, let them strike hands with ev- ery man who has already set his face against the monster, and who proposes to destroy him. The ruined may retrieve themselves in time ; but it behooves selected victims, as well, to do everything in their power to escape either the penalties of a worshipper or the pains of a sacrifice. "We have now finished our initiatory work in these subterranean crypts, and are about to emerge again into the open air. 'Tis a pleasing riddance the escape, even for a short time, from the rank THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 175 vapors of these lower regions, reeking with foetid exhalations of assailed or decaying characters. But some one must have gone down into their depths to explore and expose their secrets, and we are confident that, however poorly we have performed our duty, the world of business will be the better for it. Much that we could have added must wait for another occasion. We could not wisely have given more sample facts, for we rather wish to gain the attention of the public to a great outrage, and enlist it in a campaign for its extirpation, than to exhaust resources which, to be most effective, must be held in a prudent reserve and only applied to revive a flagging interest or reinforce a waning controversy. Like any other agitation, the one initiated by the writer against the Commercial Agency System in America should grow with discussion, and should be supplied, in its progress, with new weapons and missiles suited to the varying phases of the con- test. He is not a careful soldier who brings all his troops into ac- tion at -the opening of the engagement. The knowledge of a pow- erful reserve force is also as encouraging to friends as dispiriting to the enemy. We have this reserve, and intend to use it where and when it may reasonably be hoped to do most good to para- lyzed trade and sadly-beset traders. As for the Agency system itself, this work places it on trial in the Unitedr States and Canada.' We call upon it to plead, and go to the country on the issue framed. Here is our evidence in part. Where is theirs to contradict or refute it ? The question is not, " What is the writer's motive ?" although we can argue on motives, if necessary ; but, " Can his facts be re- futed ?" Not, " Does he hope to be benefited by assailing the in- stitution ?" but, " Is the institution, in its principle or as conduct- ed, fit to exist in a free community ?" We say it is not, call on its defenders to come forth, and, with an assured faith in the out- come, leave the result to the final opinion of an intelligent press and an educated public. The Detective and Informer belong to the paths of illicit trade or the skulking-places of accomplished crime. They should have no countenance in the marts of legitimate commerce or among the men whose pre-eminent achievements have placed us in the position of one of the Great Powers of the World. If we must have Inquiry, let it be open, straightforward, re- 176 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. sponsible, intelligent, interested inquiry, affording facilities to both Creditor and Debtor, Buyer and Seller, amenable to both, and regu- lated by Law ; an Inquiry befitting the manliness of the American character, and recognizing its fitness to be judged by the highest standards of business probity and commercial honor. THE SECRET BLACK LISTS OF THE "SYSTEM." PART I. EMBRACING THE PRINCIPAL COMMERCIAL AND MANUFACTURING CENTRES IN THE United States and Canada, NEW-TORE: CITY. A I Pawnbroker. A P Ret. Clothing. A G. W Stocks. A J. L Cotton Brokers. A J. E R. It. Contractor. A & C Hotel. A & H Com'n Flour. A J. S India-Rubber Broker. A J Beer Saloon. A N '. . .Painter. A S. & Son Tailors. A A. .Ret. Hats and Men's Furn'g. A P Boots and Shoes. A & C . . .Com'n Tob. and Gig. A B. N Sewing M. Findings. A C Mnfr. Boxes. A G. B Wliol. Wines and Liq. A J. H Stoves, etc. A L Watches. A G. & Son Wheelwrights. A J Tailor. A W. A. & Co Teas. A B. F. .Com'ii Prod, and Confec. A S. M Glass Stainer. A W. C Bottles, etc. A W. E Prov. A W. H., Jr Pickles, etc. A G & Co Chemicals. A H. M. & Co Liquors. A McH & Co.. .Stock Brokers. A R, W. & Co Lumber, etc. A & A Jobbers and Ret. Cloths. A & Co Jewelry. A M. M Ret. Fancy Goods, etc. A M Com'n Trim'gs. A M Jobber Jewelry. A W t Tailor. A A Flour. A I W Founders. A F Artificial Flowers. A S & Co Flour Mills. A J Saloon. A & D Leaf Tobacco. A H. F Coal. A J. G. II Liquors. A & F Gro. A & B Com'n Flour and Storage. A & F Sugar Refiners. A W. C R. E. Broker. A F P Co A W. E. & Co Spring Beds. A W. H Builder. A L Boots and Shoes. A M Ret. Millinery. A & Co Drugs. A C. G. & Co Mnfg. Jewellers. A B & Co Refrigerators. A C. C Stock Broker. A Mrs. F. . .Hoopskirts and Fancy Goods. A G. C Watches. A H Ret. Boots and Shoes. A J. II Drugs. A D. Sons Jobbers Rope. A H. B. & Co Printers' Ink. A- J. T. & Co Furniture. A L and P Co A & Co Tobacco. A & S Lumber, etc. A G. B. & Co Stock Brokers. A E. S Wine and Fruit. A Bros Ins. Agents. A R Felt Horse Cloths. A & J Jobbers Hosiery. A C.. . .Optician and Mathematical Insts. A Bros Hops and Malt. A & Co Upholsterers. A & K Ret. D. G. A & H : . .Rectifiers. A J. C Tailor. A G. B., Jr., Agent Ret. Hats. American B T Co American B B Co American C Co American D D Co. American E C Co. American F Co. 180 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. American F American G S - Co. American G American M American P American P American P American P American P American P American M - Co. American S- American S American W American Z Co. W and -E Co. Co Plating. - P Co. Co. A - R ................ R. E. Agent. A - & T - . . .Druggists' Sundries. A - J. H ............ Cabinetmaker. A - A ................ Press Rooms. A - J. C ................. Jeweller. A - J ...................... Drugs. A - S ............. Whol. Hats, etc. A - W .................. Crockery. A - & Co ................ Shipping. A - C .................. Machinery. A - C. E ............ Ret. Millinery. A - & S - ....... Whol. Millinery. A - G. N ................... Drugs. A - E. C ............ Turkish Baths. A - W. B., Agent .......... Liquors. A - A - R - Co. ..Felt Roofing. A - J ................... Ret. D. G. A - & Co ........ Sashes and Blinds. A - & G - ....... Jobbers Jewelry. A - A ...... Ladies' Undergarments. A - S. H. .Peddler Millinery Goods. A - L. L. F .......... Tob. and Cig. A - R ............. Tobacco Broker. A - A ......... Shipping and Com'n A - C. S ............ Whol. Liquors. A - W. A ...... Ret. Hats and Caps. A - J. L ................. Teas, etc. A - W. T ............ Fruit Dealer. A - P - Co ........ Mnfrs. Pianos. A - T - & Co. .Shipping and Com. A - A. J .................. Stables. A - J. G ............ Liq. and Res't. A - J. E.. .Coffees, Teas, and Spices. A - T. W .................. Stoves. A. - E. V. & Co ............ Printers. A - & B - . . . Saddles and Harness. A - L .................... Clothing. A - J. & W - . . . .Mnfrs. Hats and Caps. A - J. E ..................... Feed. A - Mfg. Co .......... Gas Fixtures. A - & W - ..... Essential Oils and Drugs. A - J. & L ...... Ret. Men's Furn'g. A - & A - .Mnfrs. and Com. Mers. A - S. J. .Mufr. Ladies' Underwear. A - II ........... Glass and Frames. A - N ............... Paper collars. A - F - Co .......... Mnfrs. Felt. A - S .......... Mnfr. Ladies' Suits. A - G. A ................... Shirts. A - M ................. Mnfr. Caps. A - & B - . . . ., ........ Plumbers. A - P ........... Ret. Fancy Goods. A - & A - . . .Mnfrs. Ladies' Suits. A - & R - . .Mnfrs. Lace and Hair Goods. A - W. T ................... Fruit. A - & M - ................. Hotel. A - A. D .............. Undertaker. A - J ............... Ret. Millinery. A - W. B ................. Liquors. A - & T - ............. Hardware. A - & B - ............ Stationery. A - T. H .................. Liquors. A - T. & Co .......... Com'n Prod. A - E. M ............. R. E. Broker. A - T. S ........ Mnfr. White Lead. A - C. B. & Co ..... Mnfrs. Ribbons. A - J ...... German Fruit and Prod. A - J .............. Whol. Clothing. A - J ........................ Gro. A - W. F ..... Auction Fancy Goods. A - P - Co. A - H - and G - Co. A - S - V - P - Mnfg. Co. A - J ......... Metropolitan Bakery. A - G. W ............ Lithographer. A - T ............... Coppersmith. A - & Co .......... Paper Fashions. A - J ...................... Printer. A - A ....... Mnfr. Boots and Shoes. B - C. B., Jr ................ Tailor. B - J. A .............. Plated Ware. B - E. & Son ......... Leaf Tobacco. B - Bros ............. Ret. Clothing. B - S - & Co ...... Imps. Window Glass. B - S ....... Mnfr. Balmoral Skirts. B - Bros ............ Jobbers Cloth. B - M. M. & Co ............. Furs. B - E. F ............. Jobber Cloth. B - Bros ............... Gasburners. B - & K - ............... Pianos. B - J ................ Peddler D. G. B - M .................. Ret. Hats. B - & M - ..... ... .Note Brokers. B - M. B ............. R. E. Agent. B - H ........ Shipping and Com'n. . F ........... Mnfg. Jeweller. .......... Silverplaters. B - & C - ............... Marble. B - H. E ......... Mnfr. Cane Fibre. B - II ................ Spring Beds. B - H. & Son ........ R. E. Broke ers. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 181 B & C . .Fisb, Prov. and Prod. B & Co Coal Brokers. B E. J Liquor Broker. B C Butter and Cheese. B A. F Lumber. B J. H House Furn'g. Bros. & Co Express. R. J Syrups, etc. -Co. G. H Hosiery. B Bros Mnfrs. Shirts. B G. & J. . . .Imps. German Linen. B C. C Mnfr. Shirts. B V Mnfr. Ostrich Feathers. R. & Co Prod, and Com'n. & G Ladies' Undergar- ments. Bros Shipping and Com'n. Prov., etc. J Ret. Clothing. J. S Mnfr. Hats and Caps. B F. J Restaurant. B H. F House Furng Goods. B Bros Clothing. B T & B Co Trusses, B P Contractor. B S Ret. Clothing. B J Metal Roofer. B W. J Wigs and Hair. B Bros. Lumber, etc. B J. F Com'n Prod. B L Miifr. Clothing. B M Gro. B O. H Mnfr. Skirts. B S. W Banker. B C. N. & Co Bankers. r. T. & Sons.. . .Wood and Coal. Mnfr. Cigar-Boxes. r. O Paint Broker. Printer. Bros Ret. Men's Furn'g. L. W. & Son Canned Soup. & B D. G. Brokers and Com'n Mers. B & J Fruits. B I Pawnbroker. B J. .Foreign and Domestic Fruit. B J Ret. Boots and Shoes. B S.& M Leaf Tob. B & K Furniture. B & Son Foreign Fruits. B A. J Liquors. B G. W Watches, Chains, etc. B C Baker. B & Co Shipping and Com'n. B C Manfr. Clothing. B T Hotel. B J Tailor. B C. & Co Bookbinders. B J Butcher. B S. R Gro. & Sons Founders. F. J Dyewoods. & H Dyeing, etc. J. H Diamonds. B & B Mnfrs. Shoes. B J Paper, etc. B J. W Liquors. B Bros Flour and Feed. B M Cigars. B C Com'n. B H. K Jobber and Com'n. B & S Jobbers Tea. B & S Mnfrs. Jewelry. B G. Z Bottles. B E Saddlery. W.H... Tailor. C. B Repairer Jewelry. '. B Butter, Cheese, etc. J. E Domestic Gloves. M Stoves. B I. & F Leaf Tobacco. B W Ret. Shoes. B A & Co. . . .Mnfrs. Clothing. B W. A Com'n Tobacco. B A. Artificial Flowers. B E., Est. of House Furn'g B J Ret. D. G. B P D. G. B M Co Ag'l Implts. B J. A Clocks. B T. & Son Printers. B T. H. & Co Fishing Tackle. & Co. ..Mnfrs. Straw Gds. & Co. Patent Meds. & Co Jobbers Tea. C. M Wool Broker. F.W Teas. A Broker D. G. E Furniture. Bros Mnfrs. Boots and Shoes. B & F Gro. B A Teas. B & Co Shipping and Com'n. B M. & Co Manfrs. Shirts and Drawers. & K Willow ware. H. H Banker. W. C Grain Broker. . W. &Co Furniture. J. C. & Sons Chandlers. C T Co. E Co. B G. D Liquor Broker. B B Pipes and Tobacco. B M Ret. Fancy Goods. B M Auctioneer. B S Painter. B L. P. & Co Stock Brokers. B E. R Agent Furniture. B W. D Mnfr. Bonnets. B N. B Painter. 182 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. B I. & Son Imps. Toys, etc. B D. N R. K. Ties. B J. W. & Sons Prov. B W. H. & Co. . .Mnfrs. Laces and Embroideries. B H. M. & Son Coopers. B A. W. & Co Bond Dealers. B & J - . Homoeopathic Meds. B S. B Cotton Broker. B E. L Shipping and Com'n. B & G . . Johbers Fancy Goods. B A Paper Collars and Cuffs. B J Artificial Flowers. B C Liquors. B J Plumber. B W. L Drugs. B W Gro. B M .Hardware. B A Oysters. B E. W Braids. B J. L Pianofortes. B C Leather and Findings. B O Tobacco. B A. & Sou R. E. Brokers. B A. H. & Co S. M. Needles. B & G Com'n Paper. B L. & T. H R. E. Brokers. B & Bro Gro. B W. N Hardware. B P. F Liquors. B J. W Painter. B J Liquors. B S. & Co Com'n Prod. B A Whol. Gro. B M Trusses. B A. & J Mnfrs. Curled Hair. &H Brushes. Ret. Fancy Goods. W. H Rules. & P Stained Glass. J. H Nickel Works. B L. F Brassworker. B W. S Mnfr. Hair Goods. B A. C Tailor. B J. W ., Tailor, etc. B 1. Jr. & Co Com'n Cotton, etc. B J. A. & Co Plumbers. B J. & Co Carpenters. B & B Ret. Clothing. B & Co Gen'l Com'n. B & K Mnfrs. Plastique Goods. B W. II R. E. Broker. B R. T Hair. B W Ret. Hats, Clothing, etc. B W Builder, etc. B G. H Stocks. B L Ret. Boots and Shoes. B J. & Co Human Hair. B J Men's Furn'g. J. E Patternmaker. C. F Restaurant. C. W Paper. C. P Linen Collars. M Meat. Bros Jewellers. C. A. & S. H Undertakers. B L. & Sons Prod. B F. A Leaf Tobacco. B I Jobber Shirts. B J. P Shoe Findings and Fittings. B L Fancy Goods. B & W Fish. B D Mdse. Broker. B I Leather and Findings. B H Ret. Boots and Shoes. B C. H. & Co Brokers and Dealers Syrups, etc. B B Ret. Boots and Shoes. B B Sailmaker. B G Corks. B S. T Liquors. B W Paints. B Z. R Printer. A. V Artists' Materials. M. J Ladies'.and Children's Underwear. D. & A Leaf Tobacco. B Flour. . McJ. & Co.Tobacco Inspectors. A Tea Broker. J. H Wool. Bros Carriages. G & Co Shipping and Com'n. Hardware. B G Gilder, etc. B R Books. B G. N Umbrellas, etc. B S Stoves. B L Pianos. B & L Bonnet Frames. B E Mnfr. Cigars. B M Confec. B L. & Co Tob. and Cig. B 'H Liquors. B J Ret. Boots and Shoes. B G Liquors. B J Carpets. B A Ret. Fancy Goods. B A. & Co Mnfrs. Jewelry. B B. J Kid Gloves. B B Com'n Foreign D. Goods. B H Butcher. B Mrs. M Ret. Fancy G. B I Ret. Fancy Goods. B A. & Co Men's Furn'g. B & M Mnfrs. Fringes, etc. B I & R Pencils, etc. B C... ...Tailor. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 183 B F , Restaurant. 13 S Ket. Shoes and Trunks. B J. F. & Co. . . .Pawnbrokers and Diamond Dealers. B & U Stock Brokers. B C. W Shipping and Com'n. B P. D Mni'r. Pocketbooks. B C Tailor. B R Repacker Fruit. B & H Trimmings. B P Trimmings. B W. J. & Co Imps. Linens, White Goods, etc. L Gro. B & Co R. E. Brokers. G. & Co Auctioneers. J. H. &Bro Hotel. &C Ret. D. G. E. & Co Com'n Cotton. & Co Financial Agents. & Bro Tinware and Roofers. B Tailor. J Pianos. J Hardware. & Co Imps. Toys, etc. W. H Baking Powder, etc. B M Co Soda Apparatus. B H Ship Chandler. B Bros. &Co Bags. B I Tobacco. B H.E Hotel. B & W Organs. B C & Co < Stoves. B F. & Co Imps. Upholstery. B S. Son Printers' Rollers. B A Com'n Liquors. B I Ret. Millinery. B J. C Ret. Boots and Shoes. B- P. J Cigars. B J. & Co. . ..Shipping and Com'n: B H Tinsmith. B G. & Co Books. B C Com'n Broom Corn, etc. B O. P Wines. & Co R. E. Auctioneers. W Whol. Liquors. A. J Baker. W Sailmaker. Perfumery. Gro. .Horseshoeing. M Shirts. C. Jr Ret. Fancy Goods. B C. S House Furn'g Goods. B & C Oils. B S. Sou & Co. .German Prod., etc. G Toys. .Jobber Men's Furn'g. Cigars. S. H. & Co. . . .Jobbers White G. W. T ...Varnish. B F. W Felt Cushions. B W. . . . Carriage Trim'gs. B C. F Printer. B I. & Bro Ret. Fancy Goods. B & B Imps, and Jobbers Fancy Goods. B & R D. G., etc. B K & Co Mnfrs. Shirts. B & Co Feed and Grain. B & S Ret. Clothing. B S Ret. Shoes. B & O Pianos. B Bros Ret. F'cy and D. G. B R. S Com'n Prod. B A. J D. G. B E. M Ret. Wines and Liq. B J. N Liquors. B L Jobber D. G. B Bros Jobbers Hosiery. B B Liquors. B I Wines and Liq. B L Tailors' Trim'gs. B S. &Bro Stoves and Tins. B & C Leaf Tobacco. B E., Jr Mnfr. Paints. B J. A. . . : Ret. Laces. B W Mnfr. Trunks, etc. B H Coal. B H. M Whol. Straw G. B L Straw Goods. B Bros Medicines. B F Gro. B G. M Watches. B A Stoves. B Mrs. J Coal. B & T Homoeopathic Books and Med. B A. W Cabinet-maker. B C. L Note, Stock, and Gold Broker. B S. M Stock Broker. B & er Stationery, etc. B J. L Ret. Men's Furn'g. B T Ret. D. G. B & S Furniture. B H Gro. B & B Mineral Waters. B E. D Livery Stable. B C Cabinettnkr. B J Toys, Whips, etc. B W. F Paper Warehouse. B D Imp. Italian and French Prod. B T Engraver, etc. B & P Mnfrs. Cigars. B F. Jr. & Bro Pianofortes. B J. & Co Stock Brokers. B S. W". & Co Stock Brokers. B H. H Banker. B & D Presses. B R. .. Painter. 184 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. B S Boilermkr. B & C . . .Crockery, Chinaware, etc. B L Jobber Hats and Caps-. B & S Tailors. B M Het. Fancy Goods. B & C . . . .Printers and Stat'rs. B H. . . * Restaurant. B P Canned Fruits. B F Tailor. B T. E S. Am. Com'n. B L Tailor. B F. E. . .Com'n Rivets, Bolts, etc. B G Liquors. B L Gro. B & F Cabinetmkrs. B M & Co Com'n Prod. B & Z Cotton Brokers. B A. & Co Com'n Flour and Grain. B E. C Com'n Furs. B J Liquors. B & S . . . .Auction and Com'n. B P Ret. Fancy Goods. B W.H Ret. Clothing. B J. M Com'n Fancy Goods. B W. J. & Co Drug and Chemi- cal Brokers. B W Patternmkr. B J. J. & Bro Iron Railings. B D Crockery. B G Mnfr. Skirts. B & S Wheelwrights. B J. W Grain, Feed, etc. B R H. Tea Co. B & G Jobbers Flour. B W. J Iron. H F. ...Mnir. Children's Carriages. B T. W Tip Printing. B E. A Com'n Fancy Goods. B Bros Ret. D. G. B J. A Sail Duck. B E House Furn'g. B J. S Engravings. B S. L Builder. B P & Co Carriages. B A. P Ret. Men's Furn'g. B & T Fruit Brokers. B & O Whol. Gro. B C Kindling- Wood. B J Ret. Hats. B & Son Dentists. B N. S Jewelry. B P Liquor Broker. B C. E Backgammon and Chess Boards. B Do P & Co. . . .Com'n Wines and Liq. B B Hotel. B F. & Co Dyestuffs. B H .Ret. Fancy Goods. & X Carpenters. B J. G Furniture. B F Stationery, etc. B O Foreign Fruit. B C Builder. B A Bookseller. B Coal Co. B J Liquors. B P Liquors. B L Co Lithographers and Printers. B Son & Co. .Shipping and Com'n. B F. L Butcher. J. & Co Manfrs. Desks. J. A Com'n Prod. G. R. & Son Hardware. J. B. & Co Carriages. X. S Com'n Paper. R. B. & Co Paper Stock. N. H Ship Broker. B C. I Jobber Millinery. B & M Prod. B J. P German Silverware. B V. W Drugs. B W. Jr. & Co Mnfrs. B. & S. B J. W Builder. B D. B Com'n Liquors. B Van V & Co. . Stock Brokers. B H Liquors. B G. H Coal. B M Tobacco. B Bros Furs, etc. B F... Exchange and Ticket Office. B S Mnfr. Trimmings. B & Co Scroll Mill. B L Ret, Hats, etc. B H Glass Moulds. B H. D. & J. U Shipping. B C. C Ret. Boots and Shoes. B L. & Son Ret. B. & S. B & W r Zincworkers. B A. E Exchange Broker. C. A Eureka Solvent. De W. C Coffee-Pots. E Machinist. E. S Com'n Grain. J. B..W. I. Shipping andCom'n. J Brewers' Supplies. 13 J Clothing. B J Ret. Hats. B J. H Hats, Caps, Furs, etc. L Drugs. M Tailor, etc, M Mnfr. Shirts. M. B Job Printer. [. P Jobber Fancy Goods. R Laces. R. J Mnfr. Cacks. T. E Contractor. W. A. Jr. Leather and Findings. A. & F Machinists. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 185 B Bros Eet. Clothing. B E. E. & Co Envelopes. B J. & Son. . .Bankers and: Agents. B S. & Co Hide Brokers. B W. Sons. .Lighters and Towing. B W. Sou & Co Com'n Wools. B & Co Heating Apparatus. B & Co Stock brokers. B G. F Saloon. B J. F. & G. H. B Musical Instruments. B P M W S Co. B J. L. & Bro Bankers and Brokers. B H. L. & Co Woolens. B W. M Printer. B C & Co Com'n Prod. B & Co Shipping and Com'n, Flour and Grain. B Mrs. D Ret. Fancy Goods. B J Ret. D. G. B A Whol. Clothing. B R. M Crockery. B & K Mnfrs. Cloth Caps. B & M Cabinetmkrs. B C Liquors. B P .....Tailor. B T Card Engraver. B G. & Co Mnfrs. Clotli Caps. B J Ret. Clothing. B C. L Storage, etc. B J Upholsterer. II Jeweller. M. L.Ret. Hats, Caps, Furs, etc. & Co Paper. C Costumes. J Mer. Tailor. W & L Co. B J. A. & Co Stock Brokers. B & F Builders. L Ret. Clothing. A. W Lumber. W. H. . Liquors. M Co. F , Gro. E. S Stationery. M. Y. &Co Gro. & R Imps. Laces. 13 C. C Roofer. B J Ret. Boots and Shoes. B F. A. & Co Hardware, etc. B H & L . .Sugar Refiners. B L Ret. B. and S. B E. G. & Co Flour and Grain. B E Ret. Meat. B W. L Ret. Hats, Caps, Furs, etc. J Deskmkr. B & McC . . . .Com'n Grain and Flour. B J Carpenter. B Mme. E. E Millinery. B F. M. & Co Carriage Uphol- stery. B G. W. & F. A Furniture and Express. B A. S Ret. Men's Furn'g. B R Oysters. B T Liquors. B R. & W Jewellers. B G. L Ret. Clothing. II Carriages. D Lamps. T Old Iron. & P Sewing Machines. P Raw Silks. R Gro. G. A Paints. R. T. &Co Patent Metallic White Wire. J Leather. & J , Agents for R Bros. B E. &Co Timber. B J. A Jeweller. B A. T Com'n Paper. B E Imp. Crockery. B M. J Liquors. B W. R., Estate of Stoves. B & Co Drugs. B & H Builders' Hardware. B & J Paper. B C Soap, etc. B G. W Livery Stables. B J. C Coal. B P Coal. B R Woodenware, etc. B & L . . .Mnfrs. Straw Goods. B C Shoe Findings. B C. A Drugs. B J. C Engraver. B A. K. & P . .Mnfrs.' Agents, etc. B Mrs. C Ret. Men's Furu'g. B E. W. Painter. B F. J Liquors. B J. J Ret, Clothing. B M Tailor. B W. P Mineral Waters. B Bros. & Co Bitters. M Builder, etc. J. B Stables. A D.G. E. C Pictures. T Ret. D. G. L. F. & Co Mnfrs. Gold Chains, etc. . G R. E. Broker. A. M. & Co Stock Brokers. & B Feathers. W & Co Coal. V &Co Pianofortes. 186 THE COMMERCIAL AGEXCIES. C H. C Plumber. C A. F. & Co Iron Founders. C A. F. & H. C..Wood Pavements. C C Liquors. C J Ret. Hats. C C Jobber Straw Goods. G. A Butcher. H Ironworker. Co. P & Co Linens. P Mnfr. Hats. J. T. & Co. .Mnfrs. Trimmings. C & B Cotton Goods. C A. J Iron Founder. C J Liquors. C S Drugs. C E. & Son Com'n Prod. C S. L Gro. C & S Builders' Materials. C A. T Books. C M Ret. Clothing. C L Imp. Wines. H Wines and Liq. D . .China, Glass and Crockery. H. T Stock Broker. S. Millstones and Bolting: Cloth. & Y Ship Brokers. T. J Distiller. & S Gro. W. S Banker. S. & Co California Wines. C F Com'n Woollens. J Looking-Glasses. D Iron. Grain Broker. Baskets. Patent Sash Fastenings. , . .Coal and Feed. Prod. C A Iron Pipe, etc. C J Carpet Weaver. C W Hides and Tallow. C & R . . .Com'n Foreign D. G. C T Liquors. C A. H Jobber D. G. C A. L Stat'y and Fancy G. C J. H. & Co Oils. C J. F. & Son Tailors. C T Liquors. C L Pickles, etc. C W. II Gen'l Com'n. C W. A Auctioneer. C E. R Ret. D. G. C & Co Imps. Teas. C & Co '. Silverplaters. C F Tailor. C J Electrotyper. C J. H Liquors, C R. C Auctioneer. C J.. .Imp. Toys and Fancy Goods. C Peddlers' Supplies. Mrs. II. J. . .Ladies' Underwear. J Pawnbrokers' Goods. W. J Fruit Broker. H. & Co Whol. Gro. J Builder. J Pawnbrokers' Goods. A. V. & Co Stock Brokers. S. A. &Co.. .Com'n Smallwares. J. & Co Imps, and Dealers Teas. R. B R. R. Contractor. C Reflectors. M Shipping and Com'n. J. F , . . . .Liquors. P Ret. Liquors. E., B & Co. . .Shipping and Com'n Wines and Prod. J. M. & Co Shipping and Com'n Prod. & D Mnfrs. Shirts. & B Agents French and Italian Prod. P Co. S Co Slates. Pickles, etc. O. M Sewing Machine At- tachments. B. S .Com'n Prod. & Co . Shipping and Com'n Prod. & C Whol. Liquors. H. & G. R. R. Supplies. S M Co. & Co R. R. Contractors. M Co Mnfrs. Frames. A. & W. & Bro Lumber, etc. 'W Stoves and Tin. & T . . . .Stat'y and Printers. R. P Bolting Cloths. M. W Furniture. T. B Ship Broker. F. B. & Co Mnfrs. Jewelry. W. L. & Co Machinery. & P Printers. A Artificial Flowers. F. C Liquors. Bros Chairs and Cradles. J. & Co Com'n Tobacco. & Co Com'n Whiskey. J. W. &K. &Co Whol. Fancy Goods. M. L Ret. D.G. E. T. & Co Wholesale & Retail Teas. D Mason and Builder. J. S Real Estate, etc. J Stages. W Hardware. &C Whol. Hats. J. J. & Son Bankers. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 1ST A. & Co Whol. B. and S. D. T Crockery, etc. A. S Ret. Boots and Shoes. G. M Machinery Agent. . B Ret. D.G. E Pearl Buttons. W. & Co Stock Brokers. D Florist. D Painter. H Liquors. J. B '. Teas. J. M Wagonmaker. T. H Ret. Boots and Shoes. A. & Co Grain. -D. W. & J. D Twines. C D & Co Bankers. C J. A. & Son Tailors. C L. S. & Co Jobber Fancy Goods. W. S. & Co Live Stock. & H Coffee and Spices. & T Horse Nails. A. N Shipping and Com'n. & C .Mnfrs. Lace Goods, etc. & B Imps. Laces, etc. A Ship and Freight Broker. C & K Wines, etc. C J Cotton and Cotton Waste. C M Liquors. C T Bluestone. C & S Paper. C & W Mdse. Brokers. C A Wines, etc. C O. B Dollar Store. C H Liquors. C E P Co Plating. C M Coal. C & S Coal. C E. H Whol. Liquors. C J. W. . . : Paperhangings. C A. II Paper. C O. B Liquors. C J. W.. Builder. C E. P Job Printer. C T. J. & Son Hotel. C A. M Prod., etc. C & V Com. Prod. C B. L Mnfr. Neckties. C J Ret. Clothing. C J Jobber Clothing. C L. M Toys, Stat'y, and Fancy G. C M Millinery. C S. A Whol. Clothing. C S Jobber Cloths. C B. & Co. . .Jobbers Clothing and Fancy Goods. C Bros Whol. Jewelry. C I. & S . .Ret. Hats and Caps. C A Tobacco. C Mrs. C Jobber Ribbons. - D. L . . Imp. Gloves and Fancy G. - L. H Painter. - S Ret. Boots and Shoes. - S Ret. Clothing. -S Ret. D. G. -W Ret. Clothing. - J. & Son Peddlers' Supplies. - A. & T Jobbers Flowers. -I. P Hats, Caps, Furs, etc. - J. R Tinware. - R. F. & Co Type-Founders. - & C Veneers. ..& V Marble. - J. B. & Co Gold and Stock Brokers. -&S Coal. -J. W Wines and Liq. - F. A Trees, etc. - & S Printers. - G. G Ship Chandler. - S & O R. R. Cont'rs. . G S Co. . I Co. - Mrs. R Ret. Fancy G. - W. A Piano H'ware. -C. B. &Co Coal. - S. M...: Whol. Gro. - E. A. & Co. Brokers. - C Baker. - C Wines, Cigars, etc. - C Iron and Steel. C. W Butcher. - C Co. - D Flour Broker. J Looking-Glasses. - Patent Fire-Proof Roofers. A Carpenter. F Liquors. & Co Ret. Fancy Goods. I. B Cigars. J. T Mason. J. A. & Son Kindling- Wood and Children's Carriages. V. & Co Iron Founders. Co. of Maryland. - & Co Lumber Storage. - F Ironworker. -N Umbrellas. - R & Co Sugar Refiners. - & B Whol. Liquors. - & C Stone. E. P Shades. E. P. & Co Brooms. J. & Co Hotel. & A Botanic Meds. O Music. 0. H. &Co Gro. . H. P Mer. Tailor. W. B. & Co. .Brokers Hemp and Jute. 188 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. C & W Builders. C J. & F Mahogany. C J Ret. Boots and Shoes. C H. W Prod. C F. & J. & Co Red Cedar. D Hats and Caps. 3. &Bro A. Fur Co. J Restaurant. J. E Wireworker. & Co Cotton Brokers. Bros Ret. D. G., etc. U Furnaces. - Co Mnfrs. Insect Powder. -M. &Co Oils. - R. & Co Job Printers. - & Co Shipping and Com'n. - & S Liquors. - M. & Co Cotton Dealers. - & Co .... Liquors. - F. W. & Co Hops and Essen- tial Oils. - A & Co Storage. - C Stone. - J. S Ret. B. and S. - B. F House Furn V Goods. - & H Whol. Clothing. - J. O Imp. Lace Collars, etc. - G. A .Mnf r. Ink, etc. - F. H..E. I. Shipping and Com'n. - B. M. & Co Furniture. - D Towing. . & B Oils. - H. H. & Son Plumber's Ma- terials. - B Ret. Fancy Goods. - Bros Shipping and Com'n. - & Co Coin'n Foreign Pickles and Sauces. - & Co Stock Brokers. - E. M Jobber Leaf Tobacco. - C Co. - G. II Naval Stores. - J. S Com'n Lumber. -G. M Gro. - A. M Auctioneer. -D Ret. D. G. -W. A R. E. Broker. - H. H. & Co Mdse. Brokers. - & K Mnfrs. Hats. -H Grain Broker. - & B Painters. - T. J Lumber. - H Hardware. - J. F Prov. Broker. - W. B. & Co Advor. Agents. - J. S Imp. Cigars, etc. - J. M Architect and Builder. -W. H. & Bro. ..Com'n Hardware. - J Mason and Builder. -L. N Builder. - & R . . . . . .Painters. C J Contractor. C & Bro Mnfrs. Mats. C J. & Co Oil Brokers. C & A M Co. ... Ammonia. C F Liquors. C T Smoker and Packer Prov. C & W Plaster Moulds. C A Millinery. C J. W Carpets, etc. C B & Co Com'n Prod. C J Mnfr. Wire Goods. C R. & J Contractors. C & Co Mnfrs. Lace Goods. C H. A. & Co Imps, and Com'n Liquors, etc. C M Carriages. C J Furniture. C J Iron. C & S California Wines. C & B Printers. C J Liquors. C H. E Com'n Fancy Goods. C S Coal. A. W Children's Carriages. L. . . .Imp. Wines and Brandies. E. G Ret. Clothing. S. S Ret. Clothing. M Co Silks. W. H Paints, etc. W Coal. D J Mnfr. Head Nets. D R Liquors. D D Rags. D J Builder. D J Coal . M. &Co Coal. C Ret. Men's Furn'g. J. N Com'n Fruit. F. B. & Co Forwarders. D I. & W Mnfrs. Cloaks, etc. D H. T. & Co Hide Brokers. D J. & Son Ret. Fancy Goods. D & W Drugs. D Bros Awnings. D J. & Son Bookbinders. D C. F Stock Broker. D J. G Pickles. D & Co. .Woolen Mnfrs. Supplies. D J Grain Broker. D & X Mnfrs. Clothing. D J Ret. Shoes. D J Ret. D. G. D W. M Coal. D A. Sons Prod. D Bros. ..Pipes and Leaf Tobacco. D H. J Clocks. D J. L .Ret. D. G. D T & Co Express. D H. J Shipping and Com'n. D J Ret. Clothing. D J. S SilkBroker. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 189 D J Lumber. D J. B Builder. D J. S Imp. Liquors. I) J. F Paintings, etc. I) S Watches. D S Bells, etc. ]) w. H Silk Broker. D W Ret. Liquors. D A. G. & Co Fancy Goods. D F & Co. .Jobbers Millinery. D A. Sons Prod. D T. R Printer. D E. & Son Coaches. D F & Co Mnfrs. Locks. D II & S Drugs. D & B . . . .Petroleum Brokers. D & M Com'n Prod. D F. W Syrups and Sugars. D J. M Whol. Jewelry. 1) 'W Ret. D. G. D F. P Prod. Dealer. 1) C. A. & Co Confec. D B. H Furniture. I) E. & Co Imps. Laces. D G. H Com'n. D A. B Blindmkr. D W. II T.ea Broker. D Bros Pianofortes. D L. & Co..Mnfrs. Billiard Tables. D & Bro Pianos. D & S Com'n Meats. S Shipping and Com'n. G. & Co. . . .Mnfrs. Drugs, etc. J. .C. F Military Goods. G '. Builder. F California Wines. A. B Com'n Fancy Goods. W Furniture. -D A Stationery. D & B Mnfrs. Hair Goods. D J. A. & Co. . .Imitation Jewelry. D & Co. Mnfrs. Soap. D C. S Note Broker. D L Shipping and Com'n. D D ." Pawnbroker. D Mrs. M Milliner and Dress- mkr. D J. O Jeweller. D A. T. & Co Carriages. D & Co Shoe Findings. D E. L Fashions. D M. E Jewelry. D W. J Publisher. D A Ret. D. G. D A. & Co Imps. Books. D G Horse-Shoe Co. D M & Co Gen'l Com'n. D M & Co Upholsterers. D L Wine Broker. D Bros Cabinetmkrs. D C. H Stock Broker. A. W Drug Broker. J. H Hair Goods. . . . .Leaf Tobacco. R. & II Cabinetmkrs. Fancy Goods. S. & Co Real Estate. D L. G Tailor. D J. .Com'n Brooms, Brushes, etc. D C Contractor. D J Drugs. D H. & Co Clothing and Liq. D C Baker. D J. & Co Printers. D & M Drug Brokers. D J Harness. D M Secondhand Clothing. D B. S Diamond Broker. D & R Artificial Flowers. D C Confec. & M Sugar Refiners. E Hardware. B Mnfrs. Silk Hats. A. S Bluestone. & T Hardsvare. Liquors. D J. H. & Co. Com'n Domestic D. G. D H. E ; Knit Goods. D G. . . .Stoves and House Furn'g. D J Painter. D & T Chronometers. .Jobber Millinery, etc. Mnfrs. Cigars. H. &Co Pie Bakers. D J Wheelwright. D P Shoe Uppers. D G. S ...Mason. D M. J Ice Cream, etc. D H. R. & Co. Shipping and Com'n. D &M Books. E. S. & Co. Printers and Stat'rs. . & Co Liquors. F. J Liquors. H Hardware. Pianoforte Materials. N Tailor. D H. W '. . .Stock Broken D F. R Butter. D & H Jewellers D Bros Lithographers. D W. & Co. . .Shipping and Com'n Flour and Grain. D J. Jr. & Co Cigars. D & II . Locksmiths and Mnfrs. Trunks. D J Bagmkr. D E. J Cotton Broker. D L & Co Bankers. D J Coal. D J . . . ... Prod 190 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. D D. H Frames. D & Bro. . .Mnfrs. Yeast Powders. D H. B Gen'l Com'n Mer. D H Cuban Com'n. D C. D Liquors. D & H Com'n Prod. D Miss A Ret. Fancy Goods. ,D J. A. .Ret. Hats, Caps, Furs, etc. D J Glasscutter. D W. & Son Coal. D & B Iron Founders. D W. & Co Com'n Fruit. A. Jr Cigars. P Butter, etc. Mnfr. Shoes, etc. & St. J Drug Brokers. D Miss M Ret. Millinery. D H. R. & Co. . .Buying and Ship- ping Agents. D J. Stoneyard. 5. M . . Com'n Foreign and Do- mestic Rubber Goods. F. N Com'n Tobacco. Mrs. P. G Ret. Hats. . E. T Ret. D. G. D & R Undertakers' Goods. D F Tassels. D B. J Cabooses. D H. L Gro. 3. & Co California Wines. J. G. & Co. . Mnfrs. Cream Tartar. Teas, Coffees, etc. - & A Fancy Gro. F. T Jewelry. E Ret. Millinery. D M. J Fancy Goods. D B. A Jobber Fancy Goods. D J Liquors. D J. ..S. Am. Shipping and Com'n. D U. H. & Co Canned Fruits. D J. E Mineral Waters. D J.' Mnfr. Suits. D T Builder. D Mrs. O D. G. D P. C Baker. D & O'S Com'n D. G. D & H Roofers. D & C . ..Architects and Build- ers. D J. F Ret. Men's Furn'g. D J. & Co Mnfrs. Boxes. D S Tailor. D & R Liquors. D D. S Speculator. D & Co. .Ret. Hats, Caps, Furs, etc. D A Hay. D L. & H Ranges. D A Com'n Cotton. D C Com'n. D J. . .Cuban Shipping and Com'n. D E Tin Toys. D A. & Son Lumber. D G Hay, etc. D W. M. & Co Cutlery. D J., Estate of. . . .Printer and Sta- tioner. D T. N Packing Boxes. D Bros Teas. D & C Real Estate. E M W Co. E E Liquors. E J Corsets. E M Co Crockery. E G. & Co Cabinetmakers. E L Hotel and Liq. Co. K & Co Bankers and Brokers. & W 1 . . Brewers. P. C Ret. Fancy 'Goods. & Co Shipping and Com'n. X Ret. D. G. Bros Perfumery. R & Co Paper Boxes. &R Coal. J Stoves. M. C Patent Meds. W. A Lighters. , - Plumber. .M., Jr Ret. D. G. C & Co Whol. Liq. E M. & Son Teas. E J. D Mnfrs.' Agent. J Freight Broker. A. R Ret. Fancy Goods. Mrs. M Fancy Goods. I. D Chemist. & R Mdse. Brokers. - & T Ladies' Cloaks. J Ret. Liquors. D. E .' Oysters. W. & Co Leaf Tobacco. J. C. R. &Co Glue. P Com'n Trimmings. G Brewer. I. .Imp. Toys and Fancy Goods. H. &Co Shirts. E S & Co Jobbers Fancy Goods. E B Ret. D. G. E H Gilder and Silver Plater. E & W Upholstery. E Bros Drugs, etc. E E Rectifier. E G L Co. E & Co Jewellers. E R. H Jeweller. E R. & Co Shirts. E W. M. & Co Variety Store. E A Ret. Hats and Caps. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 191 E & G Roofers. E L Mnf r. Dress Trim'gs. E \V Teas. E J. H. & Co Cotton Brokers. E G Clothing. E J. & Co Oil Refiners. E T. P. & Co Loans and Bonds. E W. & Son Prov. E J. N Glassware. E J. & J. W Oysters. E J. W. & Co Shipping and Com'n. E G. B. & Co Pumps. E L. L Com'n Silks, etc, E M Ret. Fancy Goods. E E Ret. D. G. E. E .Prov. E B. & Co Beef. E J Imp. French Clocks. .Shipping and Com'n. -B Tailors' Trim'gs. E B. & Co Mnfrs. Shirts. E & M P Co. E M Jewelry. E R. S Clothing. E M Sausagemkr. E & K Jobbers Trimmings, etc. E J 'Liquors. E E. W., Contractor. E J Shoe Findings. E L & Co Bankers. E H. M. & Co Mnfrs. Boys' Clothing. E H Tailor. E G & C Co. E P Co Canned Goods. E & G Mnfrs. Cloaks, etc. E F. A. L Mining. E II Ret. Fancy D. G. E O Men's Furn'g. E R .Restaurant. E L Fancy Goods. E L Mnfr. Metal Cornices. E A Teas, etc. E Bros Silks and Ribbons. E F. J Paper Boxes. E J. W. & Co Printers' Ma- terials. E Bro3 Fancy and Military Goods. E A. E Mnfr. Neckties. M Extension" Tables. E G Upholsterer. E S Co Counter Scales. E A Com'n Prod. E J. B Gro. E W. M Carpet Stretcher, etc. E B & Co Shipping and Com'n. E T. & G Cotton Shipping and Com'n. i E W. & Co. . . Shipping and Com'n Prod. E & Co Ret. Clothing. E & G Blankbooks. E J Engraver. E H. W Drug Broker. E J Ret. Liquors. E y. H. &C Hotel. E Bros Stationers. E F Doors, etc. J Gro. H Whol. Gro. & T Stock Brokers. C Co R. R. Chairs. E M Co Coffee Urns. E H Com'n Teas and Coffee. F Bros Shipping and Com'u Cotton. F E Dentist. F J. C Paperhangings. F J Wood Enirraver. F & B ^ Yarns. F & J . . .Stamping and Fancy Goods. F J Furniture. F J. G Liquors. F D. & Co. . . . . Fwdg. Agents. F A Real Estate. F S Mnfr. Cigars. F G. & Bro Mnfrs. Cigars. F M. & Co Tobacco. F J Gro. and D. G. F^ G. W R. E. Agent. F S Tailor. F I Watches, etc. F Miss A Millinery, etc. F C. J Stable. F R. G Liquors. F C Cabinetmkr. F B & Co Note Brokers. F II. F Liquors. F J Liquors. F J Liquors. F P Liquors. F & Son Books. F M Custom-house Broker. F M. J. & Co Wines. F T Furdresser. F Bros Saddlers' Hardware. F & T Auction Boots and Shoes. F J Plumber. F T Paperhangings. F M Liquors. F & D Marble. F J. H. & Son Liquors. F I Whol. Clothing. F & R ..Mnfrs. Woollen Shirts. F M Restaurant. F W Co Stationery. F & Co. .. Com'n Prod. 192 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. F H. D Liquors. F & C B House. F H. & Co Auction and Com'n. F L. & K Collars. F G. L. & Co Ret. Notions. F J. X. . .Broker Flour, Seeds, etc. F J. B. . . .Com'n Flour and Grain. F I Cattle Hair. F & S Com'n Hardware. F W. & Sons Undertakers' Goods. & Co Cuban Com'n. F S. M Cuban Shipping and Com'n. F E Hall. F Mine. J Ret, Millinery. F & S Liquors. F J. J Flour and Feed. F E.& Co Salt. F E. & Son Ret. B. & S. F C. B Ship Agent. F C Drugs. F & K Havana Tobacco. F B Drugs. F H. & Co .Rags. F J Builder. F S Ret. D. G. F L. & Son Chemists. F A Imp. White Beer. F L. & E. H. . . Ret. Fancy Goods. F F Fancy Goods. F J. H Glassware. F C. Sons Mnfrs. Gloves. F & J. Stock Brokers. F A Upholsterers' Goods. F W. S Note Broker. F G & Co Tobacco and Cotton. F A Ret. D. G. F J. J Rubber Car Springs. F R. H Furniture. F F Wines, etc. F A Imp. Liquors. F C. E Teas. F E Ret. Boots and Shoes. F L. & Co Artificial Flowers. F & L Peddlers' Supplies. F W. B , Liquors. F J. F Plumber. F M Men's Furn V. F G. M Shipping and Com'n. F B Co Roofing, etc. F M Rhine Wines. M A . F C Liquors. F W. H. A Petroleum Broker. F J. & Co. Mouldings and Frames. F & R . . . .Curtain Ornaments. F W. L Hotel. F T. B. & Co Guns, etc. F E., Agent Jewelrv. F M Mnfr. Silk Trim'gs. F C. J. & Co Liquors. F J. W. . .Ornamental Iron Woik. F X Fancy D. G. F Dr. S. S Patent Meda. F E. A. & Son Feed. F & B Com'n Prod. F J Ret. Hats, Caps, Furs, etc. F J Horseshoer. F & H .. .Mnfrs. Watch Cases. F & Co Pasting Machines. F & H Com'n Southern Prod. F D. J Crockery. F C. H Rubber Goods, etc. F B Furniture, etc. F A. F Crockery. F H Ret. Hal's. F S Men's Furn'g Goods. F A Books and Stat'v. F S. D Ret. Hat*. F W Gro. F A. & D. & Co Imps. Funcy Goods. F C Painter. F J. W Cooperage. F Bros Imps. Kid Gloves and Laces. F B Liquors. F M Liquors. F S M Co. F J Ret. Boots and Shoes. F P. F Gro. F M Dressmaker. F E Cotton. F W. S Bedding. F W. S. & Bro Bedding. F J Mnfr. Gold Pens. F M. W. . . .Ret. Boots and Shoes. F P Restaurant. F C Guns, Pistols, Caps, etc. F M Com'n Prod. F F Builder. F A. G Drugs. F R. H Broker, etc. F D Com'n Hats. F J. J Ret. Men's Furn'g. F P Jewelry, etc. F F. & Co Jobbers Hats. F R. B. & Co Cotton Brokers. F C, B. & Son Leather. F J. & Sons Paper Stock. F G. F Spool Cotton. F Mrs. J Ret. D. G. F C. F. & Co Com'n Prod. F & H Jobbers F'cy G. F J. Sons Com'n W. I. Prod. F F Co. F A. E Builder. F J. A. & Co Wool Brokers. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 193 F G. W Drugs. F C. R. & Bro Imps. Rice. F II Mnfr. Shoes. F I. . .Mnfr. Cloth Hats and Caps. F C. Son & Co. . Mnf rs. Hats, Caps, etc. F G. W. & Co Com'n Carpets. F & F Cotton and Prov. Brokers. F & W Iron Founders. F J. R. & Co Imps. Woollens. F D. G Bookseller. F A & Co Cotton. F H Ret. Shoes. F J Ret. Clothing. F J Whol. Clo. F L. J Gold Broker. F L. & Son Jobber Shirts. F M. M Mnfr. White Goods. F S D. G., etc. F S Ret. Boots and Shoes. F S Leaf Tobacco. F B & Co Whol. Liquors. F L. II. Co. .Printers and Pub'rs. F & K . . . .Mufrs. and Jobbers Shirts. F & K Liquors. F M Cigars. F L Ret. Men's Furn'g. F & W .Jobbers White Goods. F L , Jr Tailor. F B Mnfr. Lace Goods. F C Co. of W , Pa. F B. & Co Mnfrs. Clock Cases. F J Oyster Saloon. F Bros Shipping 1 and Com'n. F & Co Watchmkrs.' Tools. F J. W Military Goods. F F Billiard Tables. F T. A Furu. F Mrs Whol. Ladies' Goods. F J Mnfr. Shirt Bosoms. F M D. G. Broker. F B & Co Whol. Clo. F L. N. & Co Cotton Brokers. F F Whol. Jewelry. F E. F. Mnfg. Co Sewing-Ma- chine Cases. F G. P. & Co Gen'l Com'n, etc. F S. & Son Publishers. F F Gro. F N Ret. Boots and Shoes. F J. A Ret. Clothing. F M. H Tobacco. F T. Son Enamelled Cloth. F Bros. & Co Mnfrs. Cigars. F C Liquors. F L Tailor. F I Tobacco. F S Clothing. F H ...Tailor. F 0. O Com'n Liquors. F . S Whol. Jewelry. F & Leaf Tobacco. F & W -. . . .Mnfrs. Felt Skirts. F & L Cutlery. F S Mnt'r. Ladies' Garments. F E. & G. & Co Tobacco. F B Ret. Boots and Shoes. F I Imp. Jewelry. F & McH Jobbers Notions. F R & S Leaf Tobacco. F R. ..Shipping and Com'n Italian Prod. F - Bros. Stoves. F C. & Sons Stamping. F M Ret. Boots and Shoes. F T Drugs. F W. T. . .Mnfr. Pocketbooks, etc. F H Livery Stables. F K & Co Whol. Liquors. F S Ret. D. G. F J. & Son Turner and Canes. F & W Sewing Machines. F C. M Imp. Toys. F & T Mustard Mills. F H. C Ret. Men's Furn'g. G J Ret. Fancy Goods. G C. L '. Paper Boxes. G I. B Ship Broker. G E. & Co Coal. G M Morocco. G T Ret. Boots and Shoes. G B. & A. . .Mnfrs. Ladies' Under- garments. G F M Co. . . .Electric Ma- chines. G H Crockery, etc. G J. J Liquors. G M Ret.D: G. G S. M Whol. Ctothing. G Bros Ret.. D. G. G B Gro. G W., Estate of Iron. G Mrs. W Hotel. G T .Ret. D. G. G J. . .Imp. Watches and Jewelry. G J Hotel. G M Contractor. G P" & S . .Military Goods. G Mrs. E .Milliner.. Mrs. C. A. . . .' Corsets. W. H. & C Carpenters. " Ret. Fancy Goods. Stoves, etc. G E Broker. G G Imp. Photo. Materials. G H Furs. G E Mer. Tailor. G J. W Stock Speculator. . E. & Co. ..Mnfrs. Perfumery. N. G Hardware, etc. THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. G F. & J Dutch Cheese. G Bros California Wines and Brandies G J. G Liquors. G A W Co. G T & C Iron. G J Imp. Trimmings. G T. F K. E. and Ins. Agent. G F. C Furniture. G & G Glassware. (i J Jeweller. G J Lithographer. G-! W. Jr Saddlery. G W. H. & Co Com'n Prod. G J. L Ret. Fancy Goods. G & B M Co. G & Co Plaster. G J. & Co Whol. Liquors. G B Hardware. G D Paperhangings. G M. T Pickles, etc. G D Mnfr. Spectacles. G W.W. .Whol. Boots and Shoes. G J Carpenter. G & P Bonnet Bleachers. G J. A. Jr Umbrellas. G C E & S House. G J. B Wine. G J Jobber Cloths. G W. H. & Co Stock Brokers. G G. A. & Co ... Com'n Wines, etc. G Co Soap. G M. & J Imps. Linen. G J. & Sons. Jobbers Fancy Goods. G A Ret. Shoes. G & Son Ret. Boots and Shoes. G R. W..Steam-Engines, Boilers, etc. G McL & Co. .Linen Handker- chiefs. G J. C. & Co. .. Jobbers F'cy Goods. G R Mnfr. Shoes. G & T Cotton Brokers. G A. E ^.Broker H'ware, etc. G E. A Wines and Liq. G & B Corks. G & Co. . . : Mnfrs. Silk Hats. G G. W Liquors. G S. &Co.. Whol. Furs. G H Co. Furnaces and Heaters. G P Optician. G & G Liquors. G A Mnfr. Flowers. G R Photographs. G H. N. J IVJnfr. Shirt Fronts. G Bros Cloaks, etc, G T. A Stationer. G R Crockery. G S. & Co Tobacco. G J Hats and Caps. G M Fancy Goods. W. G S Cigars. G H. & Co Clothing. G S. & Co Mnfrs. Neckties. G & B Mnirs. Ladies' Trimmed Hats. G P Pawnbroker. G & Bro Whol. Clothing. G H Cotton Broker. G A. & Co Mnfrs. and Imps. Swiss Embroideries. G & A Imps. Fruit, Wines, etc. Mnfr. Feather Dusters. . . Shipping and Com'n Flour, Grain, etc. . . . .Ret. Fancy Goods. G Bros Whol. Liquors. G B Mnfr. Collars and Cuffs. G H Jobber Cloths. G J Ret. Boots and Shoes. G M Butcher. G F Ret. Boots and Shoes. G C. T. & Sons. . .Cracker Bakers. G J. & Co Paper. G I R H P Co. G A. D Com'n and Agent. G & S Ret. D. G. G S & Co Mnfrs. Hats. G S. D Findings. G J Com'n Cement. G S. A. &Co Drugs. G & Co Iron Foundry. G J Artificial Flowers. G L. G Pub'r Books. G F. T Perfumer. G J. S Tobacco. G F Jobber White Goods. G C Saddler. G J. F Ret. Shoes. G T Gro. G T Painters' Supplies. G J. & Son Mnfrs. Bindings. G A P Co. G C Liquors. G H W . G H Restaurant. G D. H Sulphur. G M Flour Dealer. G R Gro. G & P Plumbers. G H & Co. . . .Mnfrs. Jewelry. G G Builder. G G. B Com'n Flour. G I.H Tailor. G J. C Hardware. G S. W Printer. G A. & Co Com'n Prod. | G Bros Cotton Brokers. I G J. A. & Co. . .R. R. Contractors. j G P I M Co. i G S. H Hats. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 195 G D Furs. G X & Co Stock Brokers. G & R Ret, Fancy Goods. G R Ret. Clothing. G G. G Carpenter. G J Ret. Boots and Shoes. G C Silk Dyer. G H Tailor. G F. J Cabinetmkr. G H. A Fruits and Gro. G J. L. & Co Gro. G M. F Liquors. ( R Ladies' Undergarments. G & W . .Safety Boiler Works. G & F Builders. G S. M Mnfr. Gold Pens, etc. G C. E. & Co. ...Imps. E. I. Goods. G F. D. & Co Painters. G G Millinery. G J Brewer. G M Brewer. G & McL Com'n Prod. G A Mnfr. Woollen Shirts. G M Mnfr. Fancy Furs, etc. G W & Co Cabinet Materials. G & Co Sewing-Machine At- tachments. (i F. & Co Ivory Turners. G E Lighters. G J. P. . . '. Scales. G R. & Bro Jobbers Hosiery. (} J. E. & Co Flags, etc. (J & K. Hardware. G J. II Telegraph. G S D. G. G G. G. & Co Patent Meds. G K. J Carriages. G & Son Ironworkers. G & F Stoves. G J Fancy Goods. G P Mnfr. Lace Goods. G Mrs. M. L. & Co Printing Presses. G P. & Co Com'n Cotton. G J. F. J Iron Foundry. G M. G Stoves. G Bros Drugs. G C. G. & Co Furs. G & S Jobbers Cloth. . G G. B Suspenders. G & Co R. R. Ties, etc. G F. W Carriage Painter. G E Builder. G & C . . ..Picture Frames, etc. G J . . . . Lager Beer. G Mrs. J Milliner. G J Clothing. G C. B Corn'n Cotton. G S. A Imp. Gloves. G & Co Builders. G E Tin Cans. G G Carriages, H A Coal. H & Co Bankers. H N Builder. H D. Sons Imps. Silk. H & B . .Imps. German Wines. H I., F & Co Whol. D. G. H J. W Manfr. Fireworks. H C. L Hardware. H H. C Crockery. II W Crockery. H H. & T Hote'1. H & B Gold and Specie Brokers. H F Tailor. H & Co Oils. H J. G Confec. H I. H Mnfr. Cigars. H L Tailor. H J. & Son Ret. Clothing. H & B Imps. Cameo. H V Oil Paintings. H & K Stone. H T Corsets. II H. M Jewelry. H C. & Co Com'n Flour. H G. L. & L.. Bankers and Brokers. H Bros Pianofortes. H S Fruits. H & O Furniture. H F Glass Signs. H H. W Com'n Chairs. H J. M. . .Shoe-Pegs, Lastings and Gorings. H B. E. & Co. ..Printed Wrapping Paper. H C. B R. E. Agent. H Mrs. E Ret. Fancy Goods. H H. P Butcher. H J. H Agent and Com'n. H R W Ret. Hats. II S Ret. Clothing. H T Mnfr. Head Nets. H C. H. & Co. ..Steam Pumps, etc. H C. &J Gro. H F Balloon Hanging Baskets. II F. E Mnfr. Neckties. H S.E Stationer. H L Feathers. H G. G Stoves. H A. T ...Hotel. H W . .Millinery, Hats, etc. H J Marble. H T. B Com'n Prod. H M Hotel. H P B & C Co.Mnfrs. Rubber Watchcases. H M Co Tinware. H J. C Carriages. H J. H Gro. 196 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. Chromos. Coal. Framemkrs. . . .Ret. Clothing. Trunks. Stationer. , . . Mnf r. Brooms. - J. G. & Co Jobbers Teas. - P & Co Mnfrs. Shoes. - S. Sons Printers. - & C Cotton. - & T - Ret. D. G. - L. & Co Watch Materials. - B Ret. Hats. -II Leather. -A Gro. - J. W Steamboats. -T Liquors. - M & Co. .Com'n Chemicals. - T Liquors. - C. H '.. . Wool and Hops. - & Co Sugar and Molasses. &D Prod. - J. . Moulding and Planing Mill. G. D Tailor. -A Embroideries. - T. L Ret. Men's Furn'g. - H Pianofortes. - M. J. & Co.. Com 'n Whiskey, etc. P. & Co Oars, Sculls, etc. - S Whol. Clothing. & Co Tailors. W Builder. 'G. P Hotel. I Secondhand Furn. E. R Coal. - F Liquors. & B Safes. C. W Music- - F. G Clothing. J Painter. - J Clothing. L Hats, Caps, Furs, etc. - M Peddlers' Supplies. - M Ret. Hats and Caps. -P Ret. Clothing. - S. M Embroideries. A. W. & Co Tobacconists. Showcards. .Jobbers Clothing. . . . Woollen Rags. ..Whol. Clothing. Bookbinder. - G Brewery. - H Mnfr, Jewelry. .& H Tobacco. - G. K Lumber. - C Lithographer. -H Mnfr. Shirts. - H. I Planing Mill. H I. Jr , .Clothing. H J Imp. Corsets. H P Tobacco. H W Liquor?. H L. M Co Silverplated Ware. H & Bro Com'n Prod. H & H Mnfrs, JXeckties. H Bros White Goods, Shawls, etc. H L Hotel H W Cigars. H & Co Imps. Colors. H J ....Paints. H J Painter. H E Driurs. H C. E. & Co Imps. Hair. H H. & Co Mnfrs. Tassels. H J. & Co Ret. Clothing. H W. A Jobber Fancy Goods. H & V Meat. H & Co Mnfrs. Bags. H & B Stock Brokers. H U Tailor. H J. L Books and Stat'v. H W Liquors. H C. C Fancy Goods. H A. L. & Co Stoves "and Tin- ware. H L Co. H & Sons Tailors. H & K Mnfrs. Dress Trimmings. H J. P. &Son Prod. H & F Imps. Drugs. H C. & Co Pocket books. H M. G Cotton Broker. H N Liquors. H B Plumber. H & E Sugar Refiners. H G. G. & Co Bankers and Brokers. H J. N Com'n Lumber. H J. H. & Son Lumber. H & C Ret. Clothing. H W. Jr Bpilder. H W Com'n Flour. H C Packer, etc H H. S Corsets and Skirts. H A Banker, etc. H J Lithographer. H W Linens. H A. & Co Soap, Candles, etc. H H Ship Chandlery. H E. L R. E. Broker. H P Tailor. H T. E Ink and Mucilage. H Bros Patent Skylights. H J. E. & Co Com'n Paper. H & F Printers. H C Boots and Shoes. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 197 H Bros. & Co Sponges. H C. &H StabJes. H & Co Com'n Bedding Moss. H J Ret. Hats, Caps, Furs, etc. H J. H Com'n Prod. H K Mnfr. Cloaks, etc. H C. H. & Co Com'n. H T. S Distillers. H & S Mnfrs. Jewelry and Emblems. II & Co Paperliangings. H C. P Iron Railings. H & M Refrigerators. H J Gro. H J Marble. H C. &Co Ret. D. G. H M Ret. D. G. H I Jobber Linen. 11 A. H Stock Broker. II E. A. & Co House Furn'g. H \V. & Co Stock Brokers. II R Coal. II & Co Woodenware. II G Ret. Drugs. H H. B Grain Broker. H J. H Grain Broker. II J . . .Jobber Hosiery. H S. A Ret. D. G. H A. & Co Mnfrs. Tinware H & M Ret. D. G. II P. J Skirt Materials. H- R. Jr Coal Broker. H C. B. & Son Syrups and Molasses. H F. L Furnaces. II (} Real Estate. H C Builder. II F Kid Gloves. H J. S Hardware. H D. & W Jobbers Cloths. H S Ret. D. G. H & Son Coal. H E Liquors. H J Ret. Clothing. II G Com'n Cotton. H & C E. I. Shipping and Com'n. H & Z Imps, and Com'n D. G. H F. S. & Co Note Brokers. II J Diamond Setter. H S Fancy Goods. II Mrs. C Men's Furn'g. II E. D Ret. Boots and Shoes. Br s. & Co. . . .Jobbers Hosiery. II M Laces and Embroideries. II G Confectionery. II J. . . Cabooses. H S Sailmaker. II H Leather. H J Plumber. H J. J. & Son Paper. H M & B . . Jobbers Hats. H & M Hardware, etc. H M Metals. H N. E Com'n Prod. H W Imps. Drugs and Colors. H W. F Drugs. H & P Ship Brokers. H C Liquors. II H. Jr Leather and Findings. H & Co Mnfrs. Jewellry. II E Ret. Boots and Shoes. H G. F Butter. H & N Mnfrs. Quilts. H J. L. & Co Prov. H E. E Liquors. H -J. C Drugs. H J. J Ret. Boots and Shoes. H & Van R . ...Com'n Tobacco and Cigars. H I Mnfr. Children's Clothing. etc. H S Auctioneer. H & G Butter and Cheese. H D & Co S. Am. Prod. H R & Co Shipping and Com'n. H S. W Leather. H A. Sons Printers and Pub'rs. H G Butcher. H H Furniture. , H M Cloihing. H M. S Woollen Rags. H N Clothing. H F Roofer. H A. C., Agt Diamond Broker. H F. & Co Cotton Shipping and Com'u. H M Manf. Lace Goods. H M. & Co Imps. Kid Gloves. H Bros Furs. H L. & W. .Watches and Jewelry. H D. S Furniture. H N Metals. H A. & Co Whol. Jewelry. H J. & Co. . . Shippino- and Com'n. H &H Whol. D. G. H & M Publishers. H C Imp. Cigar Ribbons. H H. L Tailor. H J. L Tailor. H I Ret. Boots and Shoes. H L Ret. Clothing. H Bros Whol. Liquors. II J. R Mdse. Br.ker. H M Co Stencil Dies and Plaies. H W. C. & J. M. ..Agents Sewing Mac! lines. H E. S Brass Founder. H A Whol. Carpets. H G. W... ...Jeweller. 108 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES - H Saloon H B .... Operator - C. & Co Coni'n Gro. H & B . . . .Flour and Feed - M & Co Ret. D. G. - W & Co D G H & C Flour and Feed. H J Stevedore and Liq. H M. & Son Whol Gro - S. C Machinery. - W. A Paperhangings and Clothing. - F Imp. Teas. H W. B. & Co. . .Photo. Materials. H & Co Feed H & L Metals - R H . . Imp Embroideries H L. & Co Whol. Liquors. H H N Coal _ D Coal - M Mnfr. Trimmings. - Mrs. T Ret. B. and S. - C. & Co Wliol. Liquors H H. & Co Book Pub'rs H L V Imp Gloves H & D Tobacco - H. & Co. . .Imps. Dress Trim'gs. - B Cloths etc H H. O. & Co Wines H M Whol Fancy Goods -L & Co Tobacco - & N Ship Chandlers. H Mrs. A Ret. F'cy Goods. H J M RE Broker -A . . Patent Rights H & Co Canned Fish - B. W . . .Music Pub'r etc H J D Gro etc - C. B Restaurant H & D M Co Locks. H & E . . Cabinetmkrs - F Ret. Cigars. - & T Imps. Millinery H C. & Co. Mnfr. Caps. H B & Co Men's Furn'g. H J H Jeweller - G D Druo-s - J T Com'n Flour etc H T. C. . . .Whol. Millinery Goods. H T B & Son Hay and Grain & W . . . Hatters & C Mnfrs. Straw Hats. H A . Imp Watches H D. & Co Metal Brokers Straw Goods. A. D Nickelplating H & F Builders. H C. N. & Co Com'n Prod D & Co Rubber Goods H K & S Boots and W Lager Beer Shoes. H W K & Co Com'n Prod W C Leaf Tobacco C. C. M Human Hair. P . . . Restaurant H C H Painter H N F Com'n HODS etc C. . . Real Estate H J. & Co. Com'n Flour and Grain. H M Co Machines J. M Musical Insts. M. & Co Bedding H C. B Printer. J. E Shipjoiner. H M. H Iron Railing. W. & Co Iron. H W. R Pliotoorapher. H. & Co Com'n F. Gro. H &Co Silverplated Ware. C Hall , H & Co Bankers C F L Ret Druo-s H F. & H Com'n Cotton. H J . Twines. & F Mnfrs. Fancy Boxes and Baskets. H Liquors H J ..RE Broker. H L T Stock Broker. T. G Painter H R ... .Mnfr. Camphorine. G Furniture etc H S. W. & J. I Prod., etc. H S. W. & Co. .Hatters' Trimmings. H CO . . Coal E. J. & Co Mnfrs. Files and Saws. & S Shipwrights. J F. . . Hotel H J E . Hardware H S & Co Paper T Mnfr. Glass Oilers. H Cigars. L Cigars. H W. F Hardware. H G Hotel. H A.. Drutrs. C. & Co Scroll Sawing. E Restaurant and Beer. & Co Lager Beer, etc. & D . . . . . .Mirrors. H I. N. & Co Advg. Agents. H & B . ..Shipping and Com'n. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 199 H T. W. B Stock Broker. H M Co Patent Window Fastenings. H D Tailor. H H. I Hide Broker. H S. E Clothing. H & B Flour and Feed. H & H Jobbers Millinery. H A. W. & T Tailors. H S H M Co. H R Jeweller. H H Liquors. H J. Jr Com'n Paper. H M. J. . . Sewing Machines. H D B. & Co Com'a Hats. H & M . . . ... Teas. H C. T Meds. II W. H Com'n. H P L Co. H & C Electrotypers. H F. W. & Bro. .Com'n Chemicals. II H. G Brushes and Brooms. H P. V Hotel. H & G Mnfrs. Trim'gs. II D. W Wooden ware. II E. W. & Son Furniture. H S. A Ret. Shirts. H Bros Jewelry. H & Co Varnish. H B. Jr Window Shades. H J Whol. and Ret. Liquors. H S. & Son Jobbers D. G. H J. & Co Milliners and Dress- mkrs. - B M Co Roofing, etc. -F Rags. _ M & Co Vault Lights. - S Drug Broker. \V & Co Furniture. -L. & Co Prod. -J Ret. D.G. - P Co. H. & Son Cabinetmkrs. - & C Jobbers Silks, Rib- bons, etc. H Mnfr. Syrups. A. & Co Sponges. -D. J , Ice. - P L Co ...'.. Lamps, etc. J II Mnfg. Chemist. J J Jobber Cloths. J R Cigars. J S. C Mnfr. Silverware Cases. J W Com'n Prod. J W. W Twines. J C. W. & Co Mnfrs. Fringes. W. & Co Imps. Cutlery. J M Glassware. J F Sugars and Molasses. J E Broker Naval Stores. J G. M Imp. Precious Stones. J Mrs. H Tailors' Trimmings. J L Ret. Clothing. J L Jewelry. J L. J Jobber Liquors. J S Clothing. J & R Whol. Clothing. J O. H Whol. Drugs. J T Mnfr. Dress Caps. J F. P. & Co Stock Brokers. J R C Co. J P. & Bro Jobbers Jewelry. J R Contractor. J D. & J Architects. J G Mnfr. Shirts. J & C . .Tea, Coffee and Spices. j & j impa. Hair. J S. II Spring Beds. J E. Jr Patent Suspenders. J L. D. F Fishing Tackle. j & B Builders. J & Co Clothing. J & A Hotel. J J. C. & Co Com'n Coal. J J. & Sons . . .Mnfrs. White Lead and Linseed Oil. J J. P. & Co Book Pub'rs, J C Gen'l. Mdse. Broker. J II. W R. E. Operator. J N School Furniture. J B. & Sons Sugar Refiners. J R L Co. J S. & Co Lighters. J V Co Mnfrs. Valves. J W. M. & R. H Lumber. J & M Bookbinders. J A Auctioneer. J G. R Toys, etc. J J. P Oils and Glue. J J. J. & Co. . .Jobbers Hats, Caps, and Furs. J F. & Co. . . .Imps, and Mufrs. Al- bums and Fancy Goods. J C House Furn'g. J J Prov. Broker. J S Wines. J S Painter. J W. II Gro. J B. & Co Grain Brokers. J D. S. & A. G. . .Com'n Flour and Feed. J E. & Co Com'n Lumber. J & S .Bond and Loan Brokers. J & O Shipping and Com'n Prod. J Bros Printers and Stat'rs. J M. J. & Co Tea and Coffee. J L Mnfr. Lace Goods, etc. J G. A Jewelry. J C Stationery, etc. J W.A... ...Builder. 200 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. J & E Hotel. J P Com'n Prod. J H Com'n For. D. G. J H. & Co Imitation Hair. J J. S. & Co Prod. J H Liquors. J D. J Com'n Prod. J W Crockery. K E Ret. Millinery. K S. W Mnfr. Cloaks. K F. J . . . Meerschaum Pipes, etc. K (i Worsted Goods. K L Stoves. K J. & Bro Mnfrs. Pocketbooks. K J Calfskins. K M Cigars. K J. & Co Mnfrs. Pipes. K P Wines. K M Imp. Cutlery. K J. J Trimmings. K E Jobber Dress Trim'gs. K I Peddler. K S. L. & Son Restaurant. K J. K Furs. K E Diamonds, etc. K J. & Co. . Clothing. K A. & Bro Mnfrs. Cigars. K J Gro. and Baker. K L Mnfr. B. and S. K & Co Mufrs. Boilers. K Mrs. M Ret. D. G. K & Co Shoe Bows. K C Butcher. K J Whol. Clothing. K S. & Co Com'n Cotton. K & Co Clothing. K & J Imps. Pictures, etc. K & Co Imps. Pictures. K P Liquors. K & D Billiard Saloon. K J. Imps. F'cy G. K & M Mnfrs. Cloaks. K & Co Shipping and Com'n. K & Co Patent Meds. K J. & Son Flour. K^^- & Co L .Mnfrs. Letter Files. K A. T Liquors. K D. B., Jr Ins. Broker, etc. K S. C. & Co . Lumber and Veneers. K J Furniture. K D. & Co Liquors. K J. M. Manufacturing Co. K 11 Jewelry. K M. & Son Liquors. K & W Whol. Clothing. K B. & Co Chemists. K S & Co. . . .Mnfrs. Jewelry. K C Mer. Tailor. K E. G Oils. K C. G Leather Weigher. K J. Q PatentMeds. K T. D Advg. Agent. K O & Co Tobacco. K D. D Spice Mills. : D Carpets. K J Liquors. K W .Rectifier. K &Co Furniture. K & E Paper Stock. K & M Lumber. K F. C. & Co Men's Furn'g. K & H Stationery. K J. F R. E. Broker. K G. W Oils. K & H Stationery and Printing. K D. T Builder. K W. H Undertaker. K H. C. & Co Com'n. K & Co ,Ret. D. G. K & M . .Children's Carriages. K F. A Theatrical Hosiery. K C. B Sashes, Doors, and Blinds. K J Mnfr. Morocco. K F. O Com'n Oils. K A. W. & Co Silk and Fancy D. G. K & P Mnfrs. B. and S. K A Jobber Clothing K & B Stock Brokers. K Bros Corn'n Mers. K & C Prov. and Fish. K T. & T Auctioneers. K & J Silverware. K H. T. & Son Patent Meds. K C. T.P Furniture. K E Confec. K H. II Banker. K B .Mnfr. Ladies' Wear. K J Broker Naval Stores. K M. A Mnfr. Corsets. K W Liquors. K A. & Co Gen'l Com'n. K C M Co Syrups. K F & Co 11. R. Supplies. K J. & Co Prov. K W. & Co Imps, and Mnfrs. Corks. K & Co R. E. Brokers. K & M r- Sauce. K W. P Furniture. K N. & Son Pickles, etc. K R & Co Com'n Lumber. K C. N Cotton Broker. K F. S Mnfr. Ci-ars. K J. P Hay. K G. T. &Co. . Liquors. K W Ret. Fancy Goods. K & L Lithographers. K E. R Sailmkr. K J. C Tailor. K J. H Card Engraver. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 201 K Bros. & Co Gen'l Mdse. Brokers. K W FwdLT. K A Builder. K H Shirts. K S. P Mattresses. K V. & Co Imps, and Com'n Drugs. K F. W Cotton Broker. K F Rhine Wines. K A Lamps. K C. E Gro. K J. F Gro. K S. H Builder. K H. & Son Bricks. K J. G. Muf'g. Co. . . .Mufrs. Steam Gauges. K & Co Prov. Brokers. K T. B. & Co Crockery. K A. Jr Lard and Lard Oil Broker. K G. T Agent and Imp. D. G. K T. M Liq. Broker. K W Ins. Broker. K W. II Shipping and Com'n. K J. J Iron Foundry. K & M Carriages. K E. M Stock Broker. K G.& Sons. .Imps. Musical Insts. K J Liquors. K S ms & Co Stationers. K S Mnfr. Flowers. K H. & Co Piano Legs. K C Cabinetmkr. K J. F Pies. K C D. G. Broker. K M Jobber Gloves. K - L. C. & Co Advg. Agents and Printing. K & J Fruits, etc. K & S Whol. Gro. K H Ret. Gro. K P & Co Pipes and Cig. K L Cotton Bats and Twines. K & H Showcases. K & S Fruit Brokers. K Bros Drugs. K K Safes, etc. K A Leather and Findings. K J Mnfr. Door Knobs. K Bros Slate. K G. G Bronze Powder Works. K K & S Jobbers Cloths. K L & Co Bankers. K & S Carriages. K A. & Co Mnfrs. Lace Goods. K & F Jobbers Hosiery. K M Oils and D. G. L J., Estate of Carpets. L A. W. . . .Broker R. R, Supplies. L G. W..Mnfr. Soda- Water Cups. & Co Sewing-Machine At- tachments. L Bookbinder. J. J Liquors. W Butcher. M. C Jobber Men's Furn'g. T. J Upholstery Goods P. W. & Co Mnfrs. Ladies- Belts, etc. _ s & Co Mnfrs. Tables. II Furniture. B & Co Bankers. G R & T Co P Whol. Shirts, etc, F & C . .Mnfrs. Cutlery. A. & Co Mnfrs. Neckties. R. E Furs. S Imp. Watches and Jewelry. K. . . .Jobber Dress Trimmings. M Co Rubber Goods. H Stock Broker. & B Stock Brokers. J Liq. and Billiards. _&N Mnfrs. Hats. & B Imps. Sponges. F. K Teas and Coffees. J. & Co Flour, Grain, and Gen'l Com'n. & S Cabinetmkrs. S & Co. . . .Com'n Shipping. M Cattle Drover. N Leather, etc. & Bro Bankers, etc. G. .Ship and Steamboat Owner. M Prod. Bros Prod. Dealers. J. W Baker. J Jeweller. W. S Jobber Flour. A. C. & Co Liquors. Bros. & Co Bankers and Brokers. C Co Cement. & Co: Stornge. & N . .Wines, Liq. and Teas. J. & Co Mnfrs. Bags. R. M Com'n Grain. J Stationer. S. B Metal Broker. T Prod. . & Co D. G. Brokers. P Petroleum dm?. Bros Stationers. I Ret. D. G. S. M Ret. D. G. & F Tobacco and Pipes. Bros Tobacco. & D Whol. Liquors. B & L Co. THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. C. E. & Co Pickles, etc. J. F. & Co Mnfrs. Brooms. & B Fancy Goods. J. S Mnlr. and Jobber Draw- ers, Shirts, etc. M , Jr Galvanized Iron. E Hair Goods. E. & L. DeF . .Gen'l Com'n. Bros Books. A. Sons VVhol. Gro. A. W. & F. W Com'n Prod. J. & Co Pocketbooks, etc. C. B Flour Broker. S. W Coin'n Flour. P. & Son Ret. Clothing. C. H Com'n Piod. L. & G. S Hotel. M. L Fancy Goods and Pins. F Liquors. F. & H Liquors. M & Co Leaf Tobacco. P & Co Wines. J. &E D. G. Folders. C.&S.E Hotel. DeW. C. & Co Pub'rs and Booksellers. T. F. & A Com'n Prod. L. H., Bro. & Co Clothing. . & E - Lubricating Oils. F. W. & Co. . . .Imps. Piano and Table Covers. P Hog Broker. F. & Co Trimmings. T. F. & Co Printers. & F R. E. Brokers. A. & Co Jobbers D. G. J. H Precious Stones and Silks. F. H. & Co Printers' Ink. S & Co Wliol. Liquors. A Jeweller. Mrs. J Stoves, etc. L Mnfr. Shirts, etc. S Hats and Caps. A. D Mnfr. Clothing. B Ret. Fancy Goods. J. E Mnfr. Ladies' Suits. M Wines and Liq. O. S Com'n Fancy Goods. S Imp. Laces. S Ret. Boots and Shoes. A. & J Mnfrs. Clothing. Bros Mnfrs. Cigars. J. & M Whol. Clothing. J. &Co Lye. & B Stock Brokers. & K Mnfrs. Shoes. & Bro Fancy Goods. A. & Bros Mnfrs. Clothing. Mrs. R Mnlr. Ladies' Suits. L T. M Ret. Men's Furn'g. L Bros Law Books. L E. & Co Mnfrs.' Agents. L \V. R. & Co Rectifiers. L & B Prov. and Tallow Brokers. L S Imp. Kid Gloves. L R Ret. Men's Furn'g. L M Co Machinery. L J Vinegar. L & E Pianofortes. & I Mnfrs. Hats. J Boxmkr. A. W Gro. and Liq. J Liquors. & Sons Pianofortes. Bros Liquors. & Co Imps. Laces, White Goods, Embroideries, etc. A Cigars. Whol Millinery. R. J. & A. W. . .T>pe Founders. C. A Tea Broker. J. A Hair Jewelry. L A. B Hop and Malt Broker. L W. Tailor. L & G Bronze Powder. .Mnfr. Frames. & Co Mnfrs. Boys' Clothing. L L. & Son Whol. Clothing. L M Auction Goods. L & S . . . .Watches and Watch Materials. L II Metals. L A Ret. Fancy Goods. L S. & B Jobbers Millinery. E. C R. R. Operator. E. B R. R. Operator. L Whol. Clothing. F. N Mnfr. Brooms. J. H Mineral Water. II. & Co Knitting Cotton and Cotton Yarn. & M Stationers. L & Co Bankers. L & H Bankers. L & G Cigar Moulds. L B Co Mnlis. Button s. L G Tailor. L M. W Broker Naval Stores. Wines, Teas and To- bacco. Looking-Glasses. . . . .Specie Brokers, etc. Mnfrs. Jewelry. Trimmings. ...Mnfrs. Ladies' Belts L R Furniture. L & Co Guano. L D. H Com'u Cotton, etc. &Co... THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 203 L J Ret. Boots and Shoes. L H A Harness. L I. M Gloves, etc. L & Co Kid Gloves. L K. H.. Steam-Engine and Cut-off. L Bros. & Co. . .Imps, Tobacco and Cigars. L W. A. & T Mnfrs. Week- lies. L J. H Liquors. L C. H. G. & Co Mnfrs. Valises. L S Furniture. L S. & Co Whol. Clothing. L & G Fringes and Tassels. L S. C Hats, etc. L H. P '. .Prov. Broker. L J Com'n Grain, etc. L D. H. & Co Gas Stoves. L I Broker Crockery, etc. L I . . . .Flowers. L L Jobber Millinery, etc. L S Neckties. L & G Wallpaper. L C Com'n Prod. L E Mnfr. Lace Goods. L J. L Teas. L M Co Mining. L W & Co Foundry. L G P & P C M Co. L C. & Co. . .S. Am. Shipping and Com'n. I, II Printer. L & S Wagons. L E. S Railway and Carriage Cloth. L A Real Estate. L & S . .Jobbers Jewelry, etc. L M Watches, etc. L J Com'n Silks. L II Ret. Boots and Shoes. L & S Piano Materials. L &G R. R. Supplies. L T. C. & Co Brewers. L E Florist. L J Furniture. L J Lumber. L T Liquors. L T. P Liquors. L C. & Co Mdse. Brokers. L J. T. & S Neckties. L R. V. & Co Imps. Laces, etc. L & G Pianos. L E Patent Jacks. L II Com'n Liquors. L L Sewing-Machines. L T Jewelry. L J. M Com'n Paper. L J. & Co Mnfrs.' Agents. L & A . . . .Mnfrs. Jewelry Set- tings. L & B Ship Chandlers. McB S. V Hats, etc. McB J. D. & Co Imps. Laces. McC B Tailor. McC & C Jobbers Fancy Goods. McC J Tobacco and Cigars. McC J Tobacco. McC W Tobacco Broker. McC N. & Bro Leather and Findings. McC P Ret. D. G. McC & Co Drugs. McC Bros Hardware. McC J. & Co Lumber. McC J. G....Mnfr. Women's and Children's Lace Caps. McC & Co. . . .Galvanized and Re- fined Sheet Iron. McC J. M Gen'l Com'n. McC J Malt, Hops, etc. McC W builder. McC J Builder. McC J. E Builder. McC R., Agent. . . .Ship Chandler. McC S. G Drug Broker. McC H Mnfr. Shirt Bosoms and Women's Skirts. McC J. J Lumber. McC J. W Prov. Broker. McC L Co. McD & R Ret. B. and S. McD G Com'n Prod. McD J Restaurant. McD R. G... Contractors' Supplies. McD L & Co Fruits. McE T Imp. Seeds. McE T. B Ret. Clothing. McE H &Co Mosquito Net- ting, etc. McG & W Com'n Prod. McG E Wines, Liqs., etc. McG G. W. .Paper Fasteners, etc. McG Miss L Fancy Goods. McG J. D Mdse. Broker. McG T. & Co Oil Works. McG H Plumber. McG J Lard and Grease. McG R Writing Fluids. McH J. V ?.. Sl.oes. McH P Ret. D. G. & B Wines and Liq. T Marble. McK C. W Com'n Timber. McK & F Drugs. McK & W. . .Shipping ami Com'n. McK W Machinist. McK H Liq tiors. McK J Ret. Boots and Shoes. McL E Shades and Paper- hangings. Mcl- Mcl- THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. McL J Hotel. McL & Co. . . .Gas Fixtures, China, etc. McM D & Co .... Shipping and Com'n. McM Mrs. J. . . .Ret. Fancy Goods. McM R Bonnet-Frame Wire. McM & D Ship Chandlers. McN F Whol. H. and C., etc. McQ & M Liquors. McR A Stoneyard. McW W & Co Printers. M & V Looking Glasses. M & Co Com'n Cotton. M & W Com'n Prod. M F. S Prod. Broker. M Bros Furniture. M W. & Co. .Shipping and Com'n. M W. A Com'n Twines, etc. M J. O'N. . .Dealer Auction Goods. M P. A Shipping and Com'n. M C Co Colors. M W. & Co Prod. M J Ret. Fancy Goods. M J. T Scrap Iron. M C. W. B Co Mnfrs. Brushes. M & L . . . .Coffee and Mustard Mills. M P Varnisher. M M Mnfr. and Whol. Furs. M H Whol. Gro. M J Liquors. M & M Whol. Gro. M M Bluestone. M & Q . .Shipping and Com'n. M J. S Mnl'r. Ladies' Suits. M M Mdse. Broker. M & M Imps, and Com'n Sauces. M & Co Storage. M B M Co. . .Paper Bags. M L Feed. M T Com'n Italian Prod. M Mine. C. . . .Ladies' Underwear. M H -. Hair Goods. M J Advg. Agent. M L. L Southern Com'n. M Mrs. F Ret. F'cy Goods. M S Imp. Druggists' Ware. M D. D Com'n Flour, Grain and Feed. M M & C Co. M P Co. M P Co. M S M Co. M S M Co. of Nevada. M S Co. M & Bro Kid Gloves. M W Mnfr. Harness Loops. M H. & Co. .Bankers and Brokers. M & M Hardware. M A. W Slate. M M Leather. M A Ret. Clothing. M J Jobber Hosiery. M J.W . .D. G. M M Ret. Boots and Shoes. M J. & Co Imps. Bronze, etc. M J. C Com'n Silk Goods. M S Trusses. M J. A. & Co Stock Brokers. M & Co Printers. M & R Stationers. M J. P Fruit, etc. M H C, Co. M M & Co. . . .Wines and Liq. M M C W . M H Liquors. M M Upholsterer. M F. H Toilet Soaps. M W. D Coal. M G Mnfr. Straw Goods. M S Co Safes. M J Ret. Fancy Goods. M M Boots and Shoes. M Bros Imps. Kid Gloves. M & Co Stock Brokers. M A Publisher. M R E Co. M & E Whol. Liquors. M J. S Contractor. M F. O. & W S R Co. M J. W Leather Broker. M L Whol. Furs. M & D Marble. M & P Prod. M A Hatters' Goods. M J Ladies' and Men's Furn'g. M R Organs, etc. M & U "...Prod. M M ' Whol. Jewelry. M & VanR .Mining Engineers. M J. M. & Co Havana Leaf Tobacco. M A Brewer. M & B H E Co. M M. E Engravings, etc. M E. L Patents. M C. & D . .Com'n Barrels, etc. M L. J Com'n Liquors. M & C Stationers. M & L Imps. Linens. M A Ret. Fancy Goods. M Bros Japan Trade. M C Cotton Shipping and Com'n. M G. W Tool Works. M J Gro. M C. L. . . Whol. Boots and Shoes. M J Ret. Men's Furn'g. M C. S Pickles, etc. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 205 M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- k- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- M- -S Gro. J. D. & Co Liquors. C. H Tobacco. J. J Crockery. J. R. & Co. . . .Com'n and Imps. Cigars and Sugars. & Co Tailors. - J Stoves. - C. F Mnfr. Stationery. - M. & Co Window Shades. - S. M Mnfg. Silks, etc. - M Fancy Goods. - N Jeweller. -N Ret. Hats. - W Gro. -F. &B Gro. _ & 'M Saw Mill. -I Men's Furn'g. -M.&H Liq. and Oils. - & L Cigars. -M. H Clothing. - T Liquors. - T Ship Broker. - & Co Jewelry. - J. F. & Co Prov. _& H Toys. - A. II Mdse. Broker. - J. B Ret. Boots and Shoes. - T. J. . . .Tea, Coffee and Spices. T Furniture. - W. C Tinware and Roofing. - C. R. & J. W Tailors. - C. S. & Co. .Sashes and Blinds. - J. & Co Liquors. - J. H. & Son Gen'l Com'n. - M. R. & Co Com'n Prod. - & Co Drugs. - & Co Painters. - W. E. & Son Music. - Bros Agents Thread, etc. - Miss A Ret. Millinery, etc. - S. A Stock Broker. - T. B. ..... .Fishing Tackle, etc. - S. II. & Son. .Purchasing Agts. -C. J. &Co Ret. Hats. - B. R. Tobacco and Gig. - J. H Drug Broker. -C. S Drugs. - M. S Ret. Fancy Goods. - & II Stock Brokers. - G. M Prov. Broker. -A. C Tailor. - M R. E. Broker. &K Hotel. - F. B . . . . South American Com'n. - W. C . .Stoves and House Furn'g. -D. &Co Wines, etc. - F Mnfr. Combs. - Mrs. A Liquors. - P. & F Liquors. - N. F . . .Com'n Furs. M C Sign Painter. M & D Builders. M C. P Tailor. M B. F Silver Chaser. M E Diamonds and F'cy G. M J Fancy Goods. M J Ret. Boots and Shoes. M G. W. & Co Rubber Paints. M Mrs. A Ret. Fancy Goods. M J Marble. M T. F Lapidary. M H. N Com'n Prod. M D. P. & Co Stock Brokers. M E. E. Sons Shipping and Com'n. M H & Co. . .Financial Agents and Brokers. M L. & Son Founders. M- B & Co Bond Brokers, etc. M H. E. & Co. .Com'n E. I. Goods. M S Whol. Clothing. M E Stock Operator. M C & Co Wines and Liq. M G. F Printers' Ink. M H. G Prod. M Mrs. A Crockery, etc. M H Ins. Broker. M J Patent Meds. M & B Ret. Clothing. M & M Spectacles. M M Mnfr. Hair Goods. M N Cigars. M J. W Flour. M Mrs. E. P House Furn'g. M & K Gilders. M J. E Ret. Fancy Goods. M J Tailor. M J Hotel. M J. G Ret. D. G. M & C Whol. Men's Furn'g. M Bros Drugs and Essential Oils. M & G .Gro. M N. L. & Co Publishers. M & Bro Jobbers D. G. M & Co. . . .Gro. and Com'n South- ern Prod. M A Mustard, Spices, etc. M P. & Son Carriage Painters. M W. H. & Co. .Extension Tables. M B. Jr. & Co Bankers. M M Liquors. M P Chemicals. M R. Jr Shipping and Com'n. M D. & Co Mnfrs. and Jobbers Lace Goods. M . F & Co . Shipping and Com'n. M J. & Co... .....Lumber. 206 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. ]\x & Co Stock Brokers. M & Co Coui'n Prod. M F Ret. Boots and Shoes. M H Printer. M H Jobber Cloths. M S Women's Caps. M S. F Ret. Fancy and D. G. M M Co. . . .Smoothing Irons. M & G Pickles. M & U Com'n Flour and Feed. M & P Laces, etc. N M Lager Beer. N M House Furn'g Goods. X A Photographer. X (i Liquors. X & L . . . .Mnf'rs. Suspenders. X U. H.Ret. Hats, Caps, Furs, etc. X & G .'. . . . .Jewelry. X R. W Broker. X E. & Sou Jobbers Clothing. X & P Mufrs. Imitation Hair. & Z Co. X W M Co. X A Stoves. X S. & Co Imps. Wines and Liq. X A Metals. X L Whol. Clothing. N K & G Fireworks, etc. X Mrs. R Gen'l Com'n. X F. A Brewer. X D Cabinetmkr. X & H Mnfrs. Neckties. X' H Mnfr. Boots and Shoes. N A Jobber Straw Goods. X C. E. & Co Men's Furn'g. \T_ f^ 9, T> Tk-A T^ /^ 1_ N- Xew-York A Xe w-York A Co. Xew-York A Xew-York Xew-Yor Xew-York C P Co. Xew-York C & S Co. Xew-York C W . Xew-York E & P Co. Xew-York F S Co. New- York G & H Co. New-York G S Co. New- York & H P Co. New- York H New- York L P Co. Xew-York M Co. Xew-York & N S S Co. New- York & O C Co. New -York O Co. New- York P C Co. New- York P M . New-York P W . New- York R Co. New-York S M Co. New-York S W . Xew-York S S Co. New- York S C & I Co. New- York S M Co. New-York T & D Co. New- York T & E Co. New- York V Co. New- York W & S Co. New- York W P Co. New- York W & P Co. N E. S Saddlery. X* L Stock Broker. N Bros Imps. Fancy Goods. N G Coal. N I. U Ret. Shoes. X' J Coal. N D & Co China, etc. N A. H. & Co Stock Brokers and Auctioneers. N A Mer. Tailor. G. & Bro Ret. F'cy Goods, j N J. & Sons Jobbers Fancy Goods. N & K Passage and Ticket Agents. N O. R Mnfr. Fancy Goods. N S. A Lumber. X* M Contractor. N & G Lumber. N Bros Watches. X H.W Jewelry. N E. S. & Co Jobbers Cloths. N A N R P Co. N R I Co. N C. M. & Co Furniture. N M. C. & Co Coa 1 . N P Contractor. X & D M Co. . . .Saddlery H'ware. N T Furniture. & P O'B J. R Paints and Oils. ; O'B J Ret. Liquors. O'B R Liquors. O'C P. J. & Co Dry Dock Owner?. O'C & Son Ret. D. G. O'C E Mnfr. Imitation Hair. O'D J. Iron Foundry. | O'D D Silk Broker. O'H J. & Bro Ret. Boots and Shoes. O'K T Stationery. ; O'M Bros.. Ret. Boots and Shoes. O'N B Liquors. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 207 O'N P. H Coffins. O'N & Co Marble Mantels. O'N A. & Co Liquors. O'R C Builder. O F. C Coal. O & K . . . .Washing Machines. O p Mnfr. Cloaks and Suits. O Mrs. S Ret. F'cy Goods. O & W Mnfrs. Shirts. O S Ret. Clothing. O F. & Son Cabinetmkrs. O A. S. & E Livery Stables. () & Co Shipping and Com'n. O & C Moulding Mill. O R Wines, etc. I. J Printer, etc. O J. C Jobber Notions. O C Paperhan R E Ret. Fancy Goods. R A. & Co Whol. Liquors. R A Mnfr. Cloaks. R J Leather and Findings. R Mrs. M Fancy Goods'. R I. &A Ret. D. G. R S. D. & Co Neckwear. R J Liquors. R J Distiller. R & w Com'n Gro. R- J. O'D Hotel. R W C Co Toothpicks, etc. R W Imp. Fancy Leather. R J Billiard Tables. R W Leather and Findings. R S., Jr Mnfr. Lace Goods. R Bros.. . . .Mnfrs. Ladies' Under- garments. R & F Jobbers Clo. R J. F .Brewer. R C Jobber Cloth. R C Mnfr. Feathers and Flowers. R J. R Shipping and Com'n Prov. 210 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. R T Linseed Oil. R E. A Wliol. Liquors. R B & S M Co. T Shipping and Com'n. R & U Imps. Wines and Liq. R J. C Drugs. R & Co Drugs. R J. F Hotel. R W V H Glass. R & B Bookbinders. & Co. ..Imps, and Jobbers Men's Furn'g. Tailor. R M. F D.G. S L .Wagons. S M Pipes, etc. S & Co Whol. Cigars. S & Co. ..Shirts and Men's Furn'g. S J. A Job Printer. S J. H .Druggists' Sundries. S T. M R. E. Broker. S E. W. & Bro Stationers and Printers. S & M Ret. Clothing. S D. & J Publishers. St. J G Gen'l Com'n. St. M R L Co. S W. & Co Ship Brokers. S S Tobacco. S M. & E Tobacco. S E. Y Com'n. S M Ret. Fancy Goods. S S. L Com'n Hardware. S W Ret. D. G. S T. & Co Agents Ales. S & S Whol. Clo. S & B Agent for H 's Sons. S J Hair Goods. S D , Liquor?. E Coffee Broker. S Co Mineral Waters. T. B Guano. H Restaurant. S M Fancy Goods. S W. E. Jr. & Co Ret. Drugs. S E Gro. S E. & A Jewellers. Brewer. .Builders' Hardware. D. & Co Whol. B. and S. & S Bankers, etc. 3 Bros Whol. Clothing. . . . .Agent Stationery. F. X Restaurant. J A House. J. & Co Mnfrs. Tinware. .Importer Optical Goods. C. & Co Cabinetmakers. R Speculator. E. . . . . .Auctioneer. S C Com'n Fancy Goods. S J. P Iron. S H Picture Frames, etc. S G. & Son Jobbers Clothing S S. & N Whol. Gro. S V Liquors. S L Ret. Hats and Caps. S M Ret. Fancy Goods. S H. &Co Ret. Clo. S L. & Co Ret. Clothing. S J Fancy Goods. S W. J Jobber Cloths. S T Job Printer. S H Plumber. S L. & Co Shipping Com'n. S J Rhine Wine. S J. & Co Leaf Tobacco. S & S Furniture. S E Mnf. Hair Goods. S H Peddlers' Supplies. S F Prov. Broker. S J. M Ret. Fancy Goods. S S & R- Co. . ..Solder and Lead. S G. H Hats. S J. G Mnfg. Jeweller. S W Furniture. S D. L Com'n R. R. Iron. S & Co Maps, etc. H D. G. Auctioneer. J Fish and Oysters. & D Guns, etc. J. E Texan Com'n. Brass Band Insts. & C Showcases. J Stairbuilder. E Prov. Broker. H Pianos. & Co. ..Mnfrs. Cloth Hats, Caps, etc. J. G Tailor. C. L Toys and Fancy Goods. '. F J W Park. & M .. . .Cement and Mineral Waters. S H. W .....Gro. S P Ret, Fancy D. G. S W Ret. Fancy Goods. S F. H Specie Broker. S F. C. & Co. . . .Mnfg. Stationers. S & Co Umbrellas. M. F. & Co Planing Mill. S Butcher. P M Co. . Looking-Glass Plates. R. K. & V. R Whol. Gro. A Furniture. H. S. & Co Novelties. H Tailor. Mrs. J Mnfr. Tobacco. L Ret. Millinery. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 211 S A. J Stoves. S G B Co. S 'G. W.. Shipper Flour and Grain. S G. W. & Co Clothing. S J. & Co. .Mnfrs. Horse Blankets. S H. M D House. S W. B Stock Broker. S & C .Soda Water Apparatus. S S. V. & F. P Dyewoods. S I Teas, etc. S E Gro. S Mrs. E Restaurant. S J. A Ship Chandler. S L. I Com'n Prod. S C Mirrors, etc. S J Wagons. S I. M. Jr Jewelry. S M. & Co Com'n Fancy Goods. S Z Contractor. S S. & Son Boilermakers. S & K Com'n Prod. S H Imp. Foreign Fruits. S & M Mnfrs. B. and S. S L. D Crockery. L. & W . . ..Jobbers Flowers. .Jobber White Goods. R Imp. German Linens. Z Tobacco. H German Prod., etc. & F Mnfrs. Showcases. J. II Optician. Cigars. L T. & Son Mouldings. M E Co. S C , . Liquors. S E Pictures. S W & Co.. .Mnfrs. Silk Hats. S & K Satinets and Cotton- ades. S M Co Cordials, Bitters, etc. S & W Com'n Meat. S S R. E. Operator. S J Liquors. S & S Note Brokers. S S. I Men's Furn'g Goods. S W. F. & Co Com'n H'ware. S L. . . Human Hair. S J. G. & Co. ..Mnfrs. Blankbooks. S M. & W. I. & Co. Com'n Carpets. S & R L Co. .Metal Pipes. S C. C. & Co Ret. H. and C. S D Tow Boats. - Bros Carpets. S T Liquors. S S. W. & D . .Agents Grocers' Sundries, etc. S J Liquors. S KM Mdse. Broker. S J. Jr Hardware. S R Boots and Shoes. S E. S Metal Broker. S I. A Trusses. S H & Co Imps. White Goods, Linen, etc. S W. & Co Bankers. S C. W Gro. S D Cooper. S G Petroleum Broker. S M Tailor. S & E Mnfrs. Clothing and Shirts. S B Brewer. S H. B Com'n Straw Goods. S R. L Ret. Fancy Goods. S J. M Imp. Leaf Tobacco. S I Jobber White Goods. S D. & Co Masonic Goods. S G.: Jeweller. S H. D Jobber Toys. S A. & Co .Ret. Clothing. S J. J. & F Wines and Liq. S & J Sewing Machines. S T Clothing. g & G Ret. Clo. S & H Ret. Hats, Caps, Furs, etc. S Mrs. M. M Ret. D. G. S C Jobber Fancy Goods. S T Mnfr. Shirts. U Real Estate. G. F. & Co Mnfrs. Pocket- books. M. & Bro Clothing. ~. P Lithographer. C. D Ship Broker. S S. L Liquors. S L. H. & Co Lumber and Coal S & Co Imps. Fancy Goods S W. Jr Books. S & M . ..Shipping and Com'n. J Gro. W. S T House. & L . . . .Saddlery Hardware. E Hats. R Ret. Fancy Goods. Bros Liquors. M & Co Sugar Brokers. J. C. &Son.:... ^ - -DI S G. C J. H W &Co... Com'ii Prod. .Prov. Broker. Builder. .Mnfrs. Blank- books. Sugar Brokers. A Leaf Tobacco. A. W Auctioneer, etc. B.W Prod. C. M Lithographer. C. G... Hats. THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. S D. M Builder. S Mrs. E. J Ket. Fancy Goods. S F Oils. S F. H Gov't Contractor. S G. P Contractor. S H Hotel. S H. N Stock Operator. S J. F Mnfr. Brushes. S J. W Builder. S N . W Builder. S P. F : Stationer. S R Carpets. S S. C F House. S S. J Mnfg. Jeweller. S S. W., Est. of. Wooden Horses. S W. J Flour Broker. S W. I Pottery. S W. H Stairbuilder, etc. S C. & Co ^...Blacking. S C & Co Com'n Lumber. S J. A. & Co Lighters. S J. M. & Co Cotton. S R. W. & Co Bookbinders. S & E Coal. S & Co., Agents. Carpets. S & E Com'n Prod. S & G Restaurant. S & L Bronze Articles. S & S M Co. ..Machinists. S & B Iron Railings. S W. B Job Printer. S W. B Ship Broker. S J Art Gallery. S W Jobber D. G. S E Builder. S J Builder. S & R Shipping & Com'n. S & Co Pianos. S A. & Sons Mnfrs. Ribbons. S D.& Co Ret. D. G. S L Whol. Clothing. S Bros Mnfrs. Neckties, etc. S R Art Gallery. S I Liquors. S J. P Paper. S I Shipping and Com'n. S J. & Co Petroleum. S H. & G. & Co. .Mnfg. Jewellers. S M. ..Imp. Watches and Jewelry. S & Co Lumber. S J. P. & Son Drug Brokers. S L E & P Co. S Mrs. S. E Honey. S H Stationer. S G. & Co Men's Furn'g. S F Gro., etc. S & Co Mnfrs. Imitation Champagnes. S A. & Son Billiards. S T. P. & Co Perfumers. T. C. & Co Western Com'n. E. M Real Estate, etc. H Cloths. L Jobber Cloths. J Peddlers' Supplies. E. \- Co Tobacco. A Liquors. Bros. & Co - Shipping and Com'n. .Fixed Ammunition. . . .Jobbers Millinerr Goods. S C Tobacco Broker. S J. & Co Gen'l Com'n. S W. & Co Gen'l Com'n. S J C Hotel. S i: X Hotel. S J Human Hair. S J. H Gro. S S. S. . .Mnfr. Ink and Mucilage. S S. W Teas. S Mnfg. Co Stencil Plates. S J Ret. Fancy Goods. S D. R. & Co Pianos. S M. J. & Co Prod. S M Co Women's Under- wear. S A Shipping and Com'n. S M. W Prod. Broker. S & D Liquors. R. H. & Co Cigars. -. ..Bankers and Brokers. .Mnfr. Trimmed Hat>. J Hotel. J Ship Chandler. E. P Lumber. J. J Jobber Jewelry. A. & Co Tobacco. & Bro Jewelry, etc. & S Mnfrs. Suspenders. W. & Co Whol. Clothino. W. C Hops. T. & Co S. Am. Shipping and Com'n. & F Whol. Clothing. & P . . .Jobbers Fancy Goods and Hosiery. J Ret. Boots and Shoes. R. & Co Jewelry. BonedusL S A. F Mnfr. Cigars. S P V Co. . .Mnfrs. Vices. S J. & Co Car Builders, etc. S E Furs and Skins. S & D Skin Brokers. S J Peddler Cloth. S S Pawnbroker . . .Bankers. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 213 S A. & Co... .California Wines and Liq. S F. & Co Imitation Jewelry. S & H . .Jobbers White Goods. S L., Jr Job. Jewelry. S S. S Builder. g" W Paperhangings. S A. T. & Co Paints, Oils, etc. S M & L Co. S & Co Jewelers. S V. K., Jr R. E. Broker, etc. S G. H. & Co. : Hand Stamps. S A Stock Broker. S T Wines and Liq. S W. D Pottery. S R. & Co. . .Mnfrs. Shirt Bosoms. S & M Ret. Fancy Goods. S & W Mnfrs. B. & S. S J. T Prod. S & X ..Mnfrs. Hats and Caps. S G. W., Jr Freight Broker. S M & Co Jobbers Cloths. S C Baker. S & U Mnfrs. Woollens. S L Mnfr. Shoes. S & Co Mnfrs. Vinegar. S E. & Co Ladies' Collars, etc. S & G Ret. Clothing. S & W ..Jobbers Fancy Goods. S T Millinery. S E Cigars. S E. & S Cigars, etc. S R. & Co Coffee, Spices, etc. S J. W Pickles, etc. S W. T Wireworker. S H. D Machinery. S M Co Machinery. S B Stationer. S & H Bros Wool Brokers. S E. W House Furn'g. S E. M Coal. A Veneers, etc. Mnfr. Cigars. S Mnfr. Neckties. S. & Co Imps. Watches. S & S Coni'n Flour and Grain. S W. H Com'n Prod. L. V. & Co v Soap. Mrs. M. H Ret. D. G. M. D Prod. Carriage H'ware. D. H Shipstores. S J. P Com'n Prod. S J Broker Window Glass. J Metal Broker. J. E Painter. Bros Whol. B. & S. R & Co.Cotton, Shipping and Com'n. G. A Builder. S Mrs. R Mnfr. Ladies' Scarfs. S S. M. & Son Builders, e.tc. S H Cabinetmkr. S I. G Printing Presses, etc. S J. G Mnfr. Clothing. S J. D Peddler. S M Liquors. S C Upholstery. S Mrs. M.E Cigars. [ S. & Co Hats. E Repacfcer. . P. & Son: Drug Brokers. J. P Oils. S D. W Hotel. S S. A R. E. Agent. S H. & Co Ship Brokers, etc. S & D .Com'n Bats and Twine. S__ & W Fertilizers. S C. H. & Co Stock Brokers. S S. & Co Cloths. T & R Cigar Dealers. T J Mnfr. Thermometers. T G Water Wheels. T & Son .... Saleratus, Spices, etc. T C Jeweller. T & Co Gold Brokers. T Bros. & Co Shipping. T M. E Ret. Boots and Shoes. T & H Confec. T D Printer. T E. W., Jr Mnfr. Ruffles. T H. A Jobber Hosiery. T H. H Cutlery. T J Restaurant. T J Contractor. T S. W Ret. Men's Furn'g. T T A House. T T Printers' Materials. T W. R Saw Mill. T A. B. P P & M Co. T F. B. & Co Oil Shippers, etc. T H. & J. A.. Shipping and Com'n. T I & Co Photographs. T & Co Havana Lottery. T & D Paper and Paper Stock. T I Tobacco. T E Coatmkr. T E C. A Lighters. T J. H. & Co Gen'l Com'n. T A Ret. D. G. T J Mnfr. Window Shades. T J. R Ret. Hats and Caps. T Bros Leather, etc. T W Gro. T Bros Jobbers White Goods. T H Co Heaters. T N. C Photo. Materials. T M Co Imitation Jewelry. T W Restaurant. T G Liquors. THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. T J. A.. . .Broker, Prov. and Petro- leum. T A. J Liq. and Diamonds. T A. A Com'n Flour. T P. J Stock Broker. T W Ret. Boots and Shoes. T G. J. & Co Com'n Prod. T & S Printers. T A. D ". . .Restaurant. T L Cotton Goods. T Mrs. R Corsets. T A. E. & Co. . .Com'n Paints, etc. T L. &Co Imps. D. G. T & M Jobbers Millinery. T & W Tailors. T & Son Rubber and Leather Goods. T C. E Stock Broker. T H. T. & Co Coal. T & Co Agents Composition Coating. T C. & Co Stationers. T W. & Co Purchasing Agents. T J. M. & E. A Masons. T J. R. & Co Ret. Hats. T J. V. & Co Prod. T J Photographer. T N. & Son. Books and Stationery. T M Co Meters. T O. M Peddler. T A. F. & Co Com'n Soap, etc. T & Co Chemists. T Mme. N. & Co Artificial Flowers. T Mrs. M. A Hotel. T A. E. & C. E Gen'l Mers. T G. H Jobber Hosiery. T A. & J Jewelry and Men's Furn'g. T J. D. & Co Jobbers Jewelry. T R. M. & Co Jobbers Clo. T W. S Polisher. T P Jeweller. T R. & Son Liquors. T D. C Mnfr. Ties. T W Mnfr. Plated Goods. T L. & Co. Straw Goods, Caps, etc. T A. L Packing Boxes. T Bros Printers. T E. S. & J. ..Weather Strips, etc. T G & Co Stationers, etc. T W. H Ship Broker. T W. A Publisher. T W. H Com'n Oilcloths. T J. B Liquors. T F. A Stationer. T W Jewelry. T I Jobber Millinery. T M Jewelry. T W. R Stocks. T J. F., Agent Cotton Goods. Mrs. C. M Lumber. Bros. & Z .Jobbers F'cy G'ds. M Tailor. C Lamps. J. & Son Mahogany, etc. J Painter. Mrs. A. J. . . .Ret. Men's Furn'g. E. B Stationer. - J. E. & Son Whol. Drugs. - R. M. & Co. . . .Jobbers Jewelry. -R Ret. D. G. - J. F. & Son Printers. - Mrs. J. S Ret. Millinery. - & G Stoneyard. - & Co Stock Brokers. - & L Fringes, etc. -F. W Feed. -H. W Printer. - Bros Bankers. - J. & Co Oil, Soap, etc. -& Co Prov. - T Naval Stores. -A Upholstery Goods. - J. M Com'n Prod. - H. A Ret. Boots and Shoes. -C Oil. - J Whol. Liquors. - M. C. & Co Stationers. - & Co Iron and Steel. - & Co Printers. - S Imp. Bronze Powder. - W Artificial Flowers. - J. C Sashes and Blinds. -I '.Tobacco. - M. C 1 Stoves and Tinware. - F Co. - Capt. E Liquors. L, . . .Mnfr. and Jobber Trim'gs. . . Ret. Hats and Caps. . Mineral Waters. Co. A. & Co ............ Publishers. W. R ........... Stock Broker. T. C ............. R. E. Broker. H. &J. A .............. Tailors. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 215 & Co Millers. Cattle Dealer. . M Cattle Broker. S. M Jeweller, etc. & W .Mnfrs. Satchels. . A. Shipping and Com'n. & Bro Sliip Brokers. H. T Coal. & T Ret. Men's Furn'g. R W. G... Artificial Flowers. J. W Furniture. D M. M Hotel. & D . .Mnfrs. Sewing- Machine Tops. Bros Hat Leathers. J. & Son Willow ware. H Gro. & G . Elastic Sponges. jj & Co Confec. J. H Coal. p J J. . . .Lumber and Saw Mill. V p & Co . Shipping and Com'n. Y R J Imp. Ales, etc. y R J. P., Jr. . .Shipping and , Com'n. V s & Co Chocolate. V M. L Prod. V T A. P., Jr. Marble Works. y T M Co Founders' Facings. Y V A R. E. Broker. V W- H. S. & Co. .Com'n Prod. V W A. & Son.Ship Chandlers. Y W. E Photographer. V M & Bros Imps. Cigars and Tobacco. V F Co. V D Jewelry. y J. A Whalebone. V C. E Tea. V & I Coal. V A. H Fruit Broker. Y & Co Bankers. V T. H. Son Tobacco. Y J. P Flowers. V Sons Family Tea Dealers. V A. & M Dressmkrs. Y & B Liquors. Y F Imp. Human Hair. V C. R. & Co Weather Strips. V C Printer*. Y G Liquors. V P Cigars. V B. &W Liquors. V H Marble. V B C.M Hatters' Trim'gs. V C & Co Hardware. Y S W. & Son. .Shipping and Com'n. V R Ret. Men's Furn'g. V J. A Advg. Agents. Y & U Builders' H'ware. V M Gro. W F Watch Materials, etc. W & Co Bankers. W R. J. & Co Glue and Sand- paper. W W Mnfr. Suspenders. W F. W Optical Insts. W F Hair. W W. E. & Co Jobbers Fancy Goods. W & H Com'n Cotton, etc. W T. H Stock Broker. W J .' Lumber. W & F Com'n Candles. W M. E Jobber Fancy Goods. W A Ret. Fancy Goods. W M Mnfr. Neckties. W F. R Paper. W G Gro. W E. Sons Publishers. W & W Builders. W T. M Paper. W -D. S Com'n Fancy Goods. W J Hatters' Furs, etc. W F. B. & Co Stock Brokers. W R Stock Broker. W F. & Co Stock Brokers, etc. W Mrs. M. E Ret. F'cy Goods. W W Liquors. W S & L Drugs. W G. B. & Sons. . . .Brokers R. R. Supplies. W & W Glassware. W W. H Fruit. W N Glassware. W C. E. & Co Oils. W H & Co Glasscutters. W J. E. & Co Ship Brokers. W & W Jobbers Cloths. W M Ret. Millinery, etc. W Bros. & Co Oil. W R D Co. W Dr. J. M Patent Meds. W & W . . . .Pub'rs and Book- sellers. W D Prov. W M. B R. R. Supplies. W T M Co Miners- Tools, etc. W E Blue Stone. W A. G Drug Broker. W B Ret. Men's Furn'g Goods. W W. H. & Co Coal. W H. & Son Pianofortes. W C. C Ret. Men's Furn'g. W E. J. & Co Mnfrs. Silk. W & D Iron Works. 216 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. W J. S Tinware. W & G Wines, etc. W G. B Exchange Broker. W J. A Liquors. W Mrs. M. F House Furn'g. W H. W .Mnfr. Trimmings. W F. W Wool Puller. W P Glass Shades. W L & Co Dealers and Smelters Lead. W L Co. W & McN Tobacco. W Bros Builders. W & Co. Hotel. W P Paper Stock and Mnfr. Clothing. W H Glue, etc. W L Cigars, etc. W Mrs.P China. W & R Canned Goods. W H. & Son Eet. B. and S. W H Mnfr. Hydrometers. W H Mnfr. Straw Goods. W & Co Jet Goods. W W Mnfr. Dress Trim'gs. W & De G Guns and Pistols. W W & Co Hide Brokers. W K & Co Imps. Liquors. W J. G. & Co Publishers. W J. C. & Co Drugs, etc. W J Loan Broker. W & Bro Cotton Waste. W B Extension Tables. W G. J Ret. Drugs. W & Co Com'n Domestic D. G. W H Gro. W J Furs, etc. W R Mnfr. Ruffles. W E. T H'ware and House Furn'g. W & S M Co. . . . .Picture Frames. W P N M & P Co. \V C & Co Shipping and Com'n. W M Coal. W M Leather. W J Restaurant and Liq. W N Blinds and Doors. W F. G. . . . Mnfr. Presses. W R Wines. W W. A Gen'l Com'n. W Bros Imps. Fancy Goods. W A., Jr Com'n Flowers. W A. D Bookseller. W R. C Steamboats. W & D Com'n Prod. W C. H. & Co House Furn'g Goods. W W. L., Jr Whol. B. and S. W M Co Silversmiths. W W. H. & Co. .Mnfg. Jewellers. W S. V Teas. W W. M Stock and Bond Broker. W & W Stock Brokers. W L A Co. W S B A Co. \V & H H Co. W M Co Saddletrees. W J Drugs. W R., Jr. . . .Mnfr. Ladies' Cloth- ing. W Mrs. R Fancy Goods. W & Van L Paints, etc. W & H Com'n Lime, etc. W H. R Com'n and Broker. W J. H. Co Bedding. W M. A., Son & Co Lumber. W T., Jr., & Co. . . .Mnfrs. Solder. W H Shipping Broker. W D. & Co Mnfrs. Hatters' Goods. W W. A Locking-Glasses. W J. S. M Co Looking- Glasses. W H. C Ret. Men's Furn'g. W H. S House Furn'g. W J. H Cattle. W A. P. & Co Letter Holders. W G.. N. & N. A Stoneyard. W H. C. & Co Stock and Bond Brokers. W J. F. & Co .Jewelry. W J. H. & Sons Cattle Brokers. W J. C. & Co Stock Brokers. W P. H. & W Fringes. W S & Co.Mnfrs.. and Jobbers Linen and Lace Goods. W W & C Hardware. W & G . .Shipping and Com'n. W J Sashes. W G & Co Sugar Refiners. W J Agent Flour and Grain. W A Builder. W G Steam and Gas Fitter. W 1 Co. W J. J.. Cement and Slate Broker. W T Broker Flour and Grain. W W Liquors. W W. H Crockery. W H. S. & Bro Bankers. W J. H. & Co Auctioneers. W & G .Imps. Shawls, White Goods, etc. W & L . .Wines and Billiards. W J Ret. Clothing. W T. D Hotel. W & Co Patent Meds. W H Co. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 217 W & E Chemicals, etc. W & W Com'n Wool, Blankets, etc. W I Shippers' Agent. W & D Fruit Brokers. W C Fancy Goods. W C. A Ret. Shoes. W & Me A Sign Painters. W & B Wool. W A Neckties. W C Carriagemaker. W C Colors. W & M Mnfg. Jewellers. W J Mnf r. Underwear. W & Q Cotton Brokers. W B Jobber Millinery. W C Hats, etc. W J Jobber Hosiery, etc. W L Ret. Clothing. W M Storage. W W Jobber D. G. W & Bro . . . Diamond Brokers, etc. W S Whol. Liquors. W C. H Brushes and Bristles. W G. R Iron Broker. W Mrs. J. H Coal. W P Oyster Saloon. W W. A Oils. W Bros. Co Carriages. W C & Co Government Supplies. W J Gro. and Liq. W Mrs. S. A Stationery. W & R . ..Tobacco and Cigars. W W. J Southern Com'n. W S P M Co. W D. A Ret. Stationer. W S. & Co Tailors' Trim'gs. W & Co Feathers. W & Co Artificial Stone. W & N Stock Brokers. W W. E Sewing Machines H. P Stock Broker. W. J. . . .Ret. Boots and Shoes. J. G. & Co Com'n Prod. W. P. & Co Cotton Brokers. & M . . . .Jobbers Millinery. & S Gen'l Com'n, etc. F. & Co Hotel. A Paper Box Mkr. J Gro. A. & Co. .Imps. Insect Powder. J. E Mdse. Broker. & Co Mdse. Brokers. W. A Mnfr. Trimmings. M Clothing. : T Clothing. J. H. & Co Com'n Prod. E. T Tea Broker. G.G....Agt.U S E Co. J. N Pianos. L. .*.... .Jobber Hats, Caps, and Furs. M. & Co Perfumery, etc. T. S. & Co Whol. Clothing. & McC Com'n Cotton. & Co Com'n Cuban Sugar. H. A. . . .Stock and Gold Broker. A Ret. Boots and Shoes B Ret. Boots and Shoes. G Ret. Boots and Shoes. J Ret. Fancy Goods. D Mnfr. Hair Goods. S. & F Jobbers Millinery. .' A Furniture. J. & Co Furniture. D Optician, etc. B. H Cabinetmkr. B. B Ret. Boots and Shoes. W Wood Turner. F. & F . .Imps. Musical Insts " Co Window Glassi H. . . . . .Leaf Tobacco. [TO BE CONTINUED.] 218 THE COMMEECIAL AGENCIES. BROOKLYN T. A Mrs. H Tobacco and Cigars. A J. & K Spring Mattresses. A M Fancy Goods. A J. W Machinist. A C Liquors. A D Liquors. A J Men's Furn'g. American E & B G Co. A T. W Gro. A R Tailor and Clothing. A &Co : D. G. A J Baker. A J. H Coppersmith. B W. W Auctioneer. B E. H Carpets. B J Fancy Goods. B Bros Carpets. B S t ...D.G. B J. & J Painters. B P. J Men's Furn'g. B L Lager Beer. B W Drugs. B G Painter. B W. J Jeweller. B & M Billiards and Liq. B B Clothing. B S., Jr Crockery. B Mrs. J. H Shoes. B K Baker. B A D. G., etc. B & N Gtro. . C. & Co Awnings. S. A Hats and Caps. & C . . . , Flour Mills. A Gro. Mrs. W. G Fancy Goods. Mrs. A Millinery, etc. Mrs. R Women's Underwear. B Mrs. M Hats, Caps, and Furs. B C. H Mnfr. Straw Goods. B T. J Boots and Shoes. B S. C. & Co Mnfrs. Dress Trimmings. B & L Paper Stock. B & D Brass Finishers. Mrs. P Gro. & H Chromos. M Wagonmkr. J * Brewer. & Co Coopers. & S Mnfrs. Carriages. M , . . . . Scrap Iron. P. H Liquors. & S Liquors. B Liquors. Coal. II Liquors. J. N Charcoal. B. & Son Tailors. T. P .Boots and Shoes. J Iron Railings. A. A Brewer. D Soap P Tinsmith. J. & W Builders. W. G. & Co Variety Store. A. C. & Co. Plumbers' Materials. I. H Builder. D Gro. T. H Builder. . W Wood. W. H Builder. H. A Drugs. T Furniture. J. S Real Estate. T. & Co Marble, etc. P Steam Engines. & B Boots and Shoes. & Co Hair, etc. J. D. & Sou Jewellers. I Clothing. & Co Toys. R Hotel. R. & Son Marble. C Liquors. T. H Artists' Materials, etc. Mrs. W Fancy Goods. C Boilermkr. E. A Coal. R. S Boots and Shoes. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 219 C E. E Mnfr. Oil-Can Stoppers. C J. E Presses, etc. C W. H Trunks. C W. P R. E. Agent. C W. A Fancy Goods. C T. A Shipbuilder. C J. H Foundry. C J Fancy Goods. C C. H House Furn'g Goods. J Teas, Coffees, etc. T. F. &Co F'cy G. E Printer. W. II Shirtmkr. H Crockery, etc. tailor. T. W Auctioneer. J. A Rectifier. W. W Hats and Caps. D J & Co Iron Founders. D T. S Builder. D P Gro. D S E. F Books and Stat'y. D R. B Sewing Machines. D E Soda Water. D C Gro. D A. W Restaurant. D P Wagons. D J Hats- and Caps. D T. O. M Builder. D W Builder. D W. F Paints and H'ware. D D Stat'r and Printer. D J, C Tailor. D & Co Soaps. D J Stairbuilder. D W. E Mnfr. Hats, D D Liquors. .L Painter. J. C. &Co D. G. r. W Gro. D Mrs. E D. G. D A Cloaks, etc. D C Carriagemkr. D Mrs. A. A Dress Trim'gs. D C. H Men's Furn'g. E & McK Stoves. F J. P Hoopskirts and F, G. F J Boots and Shoes. F J. & Co Gro. F A. S House Furn'g Goods. F A Wines and Liq. F R Gro. F Bros Liquors. F J. F. & Co Tobacco. F L Men's Furn'g. , F J. W Cooper. F M. B Drugs. F C Leather and Findings. F C. E Bedding. F H Storage. F Mrs. S ...D.G. F W. L Upholsterer. F J. F Pianomkr. F J. S Hats and Caps. F J. M Hotel. F S. W Boots and Shoes. F B Brewer. G J Fancy Goods. G B Builder. G M. F. & E. J. . .Woollen Goods. G B Brewer. G T Soaip. G O Liquors. G P Liquors. G M .Gro. G & S Crockery. G J Fancy and D. G. & Co Pianog. .Washboards. R Co. G Mrs. P Fancy Goods. G C. H Fancy Goods. G F. C Tailor. H II Fancy and D. G. H D. F Carpets. H T. A Builder. H H Hardware. H Bros Brassworkers. H J. M Books, etc. H Mrs. R Fancy Goods and Millinery. H D Clothing. H H. A Jeweller. H J Saloon. H S D.G. H R D. G. H Mrs. G. F. . . .Ret. Fancy Goods. H J Tailor. H W. J Mnfr. Skirts. H G. A Painter. H G. H. . .Mnfr. Children's Shoes. H Mrs. C Teas. H & B Roofers. H P Liquors. H J Tailor. H Mrs. E. A Hairdresser. H H Turner. H H.P Gro. H L Tailor. H J. & Co Gro. H S Gro. H W. E. & Co Foundry. H H. H & M Men's Furn'g. H P. & Co D.G. H R. R. & Co Mnfrs. H T. M Upholstery. H J Sewing Machines. H J Liquors. H J. C. & Co Stoves. H C. G Dressmkr. H T Hats and Caps. 220 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. -II Mnfr. Shoes. _ & V Tailors. C Brewer. E Gro. Bros Marble Works. C Carpenter and Builder. L. & M Livery. . H Chemist. -C. M Books. - W. E , ... Marble. - Q. H Fancy Goods. - S., Jr., & Son Oil Works. -A. F Builder. - W. W Hats and Caps. - T Liquors. - H. C Liquors. -H. A Gro. - C Fancy D. G. - M. J Boots and Shoes. - Mrs. A. E Stoneyard. - & M Liquors. - L. . . , Stoneyard. - Bros Gro. -T... Coal and Wood. - R Boots and Shoes. -F Gro. - H Brewer. -E. S Tailor. - R. D Jeweller. - J. S. & Co Fancy Goods. - & R Builders. A Liquors. - M Plumber. - J. J.\ Auction. - G Coal. -E. Builder. - P Drugs. -M. M Millinery. -N Tailor. - Misses Fancy Goods. -A D. G. - W. M Carpets. -P. W Builder. - F H. A Men's Furn'g. - Bros Gro. - J Mnfr. Chemicals. - J Mason. - P Fancy Goods. -H. S Builder. -A Sashmkr. - L Fancy Goods. - B. & Co R. E. Brokers, etc. -& Co. . .Mnfrs. Boots and Shoes. - B Liquors. - A Clothing. -& S Coal. -H D. G. - B Millinery. - S Picture Frames. - S Boots and Shoes. - I. . . Butcher. L Bros .Fancy Good?. L J Builder. L S Slat Matting. L W. R Liquors. L J. &Co D. G. & P Plumbers. 1.0 Hotel. G. R Brewer. H Gro. L Gro. - I M Co. L P. & Co Painters. L T. C. & J. C Saloon. L L Clothing. L M Clothing. L M Liquors. L S. B. & Co D. G. McB J. H Painter. McC Mrs. P Glass, etc. McC M. C Restaurant. McD M Liquors. McE & Co Boots and Shoes. McF J. Jr Boilermkr. McF T Hoopskirts. McG A Plumber. McG S Fancy Goods. McG W. A Ship Chandler. McG M. J Jeweller. McG J Builder. McG J Clothing. McK J. H Hotel. McK F. & W Liquors. McK P Liquors. McL J. S Builder. McM P. & Son Furniture. McM A D.G. McM Mrs. S D. G. M Mrs. E Boots and Shoes. M Mrs. J Liquors. M J. T , Tailor. M & Bro Gro. M E. H Plumber. M G. L Stairbuilder. M Mrs. R Hoops. M J. B Liquors. M & S \ Furniture. M J. B * , Trusses. M R. T Crockery. M J. F Fishing Tackle. M B Clocks. M J Fancy Goods. M P Tailor. M R Tassels. M V gewingM. M G. & E. J Drugs and Liq. M S. A ^ Paints. M L .* . . .Upholster,er. M Mrs. E Fancy Goods. M S Fancy Goods. M & Co f Mnfrs. Oils. M A Builder. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 221 M Mrs. P Fancy Goods. M & Co Iron Founders. M A Hardware. M J Liquors. M C Mnfr. Tools. M J Liquors. M T. J. & Co Foundry. M D Bedding. M S : . .Teas and Spices. M M Fancy Goods. M R & Co Mnfrs. Braids. M H Fancy Goods. M L. M Fancy Goods. M T Liquors. M C Builder. M W Liquors. M & L Cotton Dealers. M & R Liquors. M J. H Planter. X R Printer. N A. A Liquors. X A. D Liquors. X F Gro. N & g Mnfrs. Shoes. X W Fancy and D. G. X X. T Painter. X I W . X J. D Drugs. X & F Machinists. X F. T Hatter. O'D P Gro. and Liq. O'X J. H Wireworker. O J. W Hoopskirts. O F. W Hats, etc. O H. B D. G. O R Builder. O R.R Baker. P & S Men's Furn'g. P T Roasting Mills. P C Storage. P M. C Builder. P S F. W. S Photographer. P A Hardware. P J. D. & Son. . . .Flour and Grain. P C Tailor. P & Son Pianos. P H Hotel. P W ' Ales, etc. P L Painter. P J Clothing. P & R Carriagemkrs. P J Teas. P E Shoes. P F. T Fancy and D. G. P J. H Mnfr. Hats. P D Window Shades. P Mrs. T. H Fancy Goods. P & H Mnfrs. Soap. R W Carriages. R & Co Fruits. R C Cabinetmkr. R II. F. & Co Paperhangiugs and Paints. R Mrs. I. II Boots and Shoes. R A. P Carpenter, etc. R M D.G. R J Tailor. R Mrs. S. B Skirts and Corsets. R C. D Roofing Materials. R Bros Restaurant. R C. W Cigars, etc. R F Baker. R R Coppersmith. R T Builder. R W Builder. R J. F Fancy Toilet Articles. R J. B Painter. R J. S Jeweller. R W. S Builder. R T. W Builder. J Liquors. R J Fancy Goods. R M Boots and Shoes. Hats, Caps and Furs. P Gro. J. & Co Furniture. . H Men's Furn'g G. A. R Billiards. S & Co Door Knobs. S J Brewer. S L & M Furniture. S E. A Drugs. S H Clothing. S B Clothing. S J Mnfr. Brooms. S J Mouldings. S C Paperhangings. S J Carriages and Livery Stable. S & Co Brewers. S B Boots and Shoes. S Boots and Shoes. J. P Brewer. H Contractor. I. S Liq. and Billiards. M Clothing. " H Builder. E Tailor. J Cutlery. S J. P Boxinaker. S G Painter. S B Builder. S C. B Builder. S Mrs. M. A Hoopskirts, etc. S H. G Millwright. S B Boots and Shoes. S Bros Rectifiers and Distillers. S P Boots and Shoes. S J. E Dry Dock Builder. S A Sashes. S E. E. . . . . .Gro. THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. S F.B D.G. S G. H Teas. S L. H Drugs. S W Saw Mill. S II. S. & E. H Trimmings. S & A Umbrellamkrs. S J D.G. S L Gro. J Planing Mill. Co. W Gro. S- F Painter. Bros Tailors' Trim'gs and Shoes. Bros Builders. Shipbuilder. H. W. ..V R T Co. L.D Tailor. N D. G. J. B D. G. Auctioneer. S I Clothing. S & Co Gro. S J Liquors. S H Jeweller. S Mrs. D House Furn'g. . .Liquors. T. W Builder. E. &Co ....D. G. M Painter. J. & Bro Furniture. J Boots and Shoes. C. H Hats. T C. F Pianos. T E. J Hats. T F. J Wrought-Iron. T Mrs. A. M Stoves. T J Liquors. T A. M Clothing. T Mrs. M Fancy Goods. T W. A Auctioneer. T J Foundry. T Miss M. . .Children's Carriages. T E. O Restaurant. T S. H Dentist. U J. G Drugs. U J. S Boilers. S M Co Pumps. V S Hotel. V N J. B Boots and Shoes. V S J. B Liquors. V W R. & Co. Carpenters and Builders. V T. S Hotel V J.,Jr Gro. V Bros Gro. V P Boot and Shoes V D B Confec. V H Confec. W & C Painters. W R. & Co Fancy Goods. W C. R. M Maltster. W J Painter. W & M Carriages. W H Sashes and Blinds. W J. & Co Mnfrs. Glass. W T Coachmaker. W T & Co Auctioneers. W A. E Gro. W A Tinsmith. W Mrs. E. F Fancy Goods. W W. H Hardware and House Furn'g. W & P Lumber. W C Tailor. W J. E Plumber. W J Boots and Shoes. W H Liquors. W E Flour and Feed. W A Clothing. W G D. G. \V H Tinware. W M. L Fancy Goods. W J Brewer. W L. & Co Furniture. W Mrs. M Hoopskirts. W J. W. & Son D. G. W J. . , Crockery. W C. F Fancy Goods. W M & L Co. W W Books, Toys, etc. W & N Machinists. W W. & Co.. Mnfrs. Brass Hinges. W I. F Fancy Goods. W H. B. & Co Carriages. W J. & Co Cigars. W & N Whol. Gro. W A. M Storage. W C. R Baker. W Mrs. E Fancy Goods. W J. L Gro. W D Boots and Shoes. W M Cabinetmaker. W Mrs. T Fancy Goods. W L & Co Gro. and Prov. Y Dr. W Mnfr. Sauces. Y & Son Prov. Z J. B R. E. Agent. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 223 ALBANY, K Y. A & V . .Looking Glasses, etc. A C. W Grain. B B Tailor. B S Crockery, etc. B & L Crockery, etc. B Son & Co Lumber. B K. S. & Co Gro. B & Co Whol. Liquors. B & P Flour. B D. G Coal, Gro., etc. B & D Pk. Packers. B I Brkr. and Clothing. B A. M. & Co Gro. B J Watches. C W Boots and Shoes. C O Gro. C W. .. .....Coal. C M. L Gro. C J Poultry, Fruit, etc. C S & Co Lumber. C Bros Bk'g Powder. C J. & Son .Pianos. C A. M Flour, etc. C P Cooper. D & K Lumber. D R. C. & Co Clothing. D P & L Boots and Shoes. D J. W. & Co Paper-hangings. E C. P. & Co Lumber. E J Gro., etc. P N. A Grain. G J. & Co Carriages, etc. G R. J Coal. G P. H Coppersmith. H W. & Co Oysters and Fruit. H J Furniture, etc. H & D Hay, etc. H G : Saloon. H J. H Music Store. H J. L. & C Lumber. J J... ...Gro. L H. V. R., Jr Gents' Furn'g. L I Millinery. L J. W Carpenter. McA C Tailor. McC F Eating-house. McD H. Carriages. McD Bros D. Gds. McK P. B. & Co Candles, etc. McK & Co Flour, Grain, etc. M J. W Billiard Saloon. M Bros Gro. M J Lqrs. M & T Com'n. M B D. G. O G Clothing. O E D. G., etc. P J Contractor. p & McL Coal. P J. A D. G. S F. A Builder, etc. S P Tailor. S R. H Guns, etc. S Bros Cabinetmkrs. S C & Co Lumber. S S & W Tobacco. S & H Paper, etc. S R. & Co Silver-plated Ware. T Mrs. M Fancy Gds. T W Drugs. T & W Carpets. T C. H Physician. T L & Co Wheels. V C. C.&Co Drugs. W Mrs. J. M Dressmkr. W S. F Flour, Grain, etc. W C Carpets. W J Gro., etc. W P. H Doors, etc. W W. M. & Co D. G. W W. H. & Sons Watches. W A Whol. Gro. W W P , Provisions. W H Moulding Sand. [TO BE CONTINUED.] 224 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. ATLANTA, GA. A J. W Planter. A J. W. & C. F Nursery. A W. J Planter. A W. C Planter. A J. S Stoves, etc. A H. W Planter. Gro. W Planter. W. E Printer. C.F Music. B L. E Grocer. B Mrs. F. M Planter. C. B. &Co Gro. &G Agts. . S Gen. Store. B J. E. . * Gro. B E Fancy Gds. B G. A Gen. Store. B & D Liquors, etc. C F. M Planter. C W. T Gro. C G. W Planter. D S Planter. D S. H .Saddler. E &F D. G. etc. E H Gro. F G. H. & A. W. Boots and Shoes. F W Planter. F & E Plumbers. F J Planter. G S Planter. G W. R... ...Planter. G W & Co Music, etc. H T. J Gro., etc. H G. F. & A. F Com'n, etc. J M. W Ag'l Implts., etc. J M. W. & Bro Com'n, etc. J P Liquors. L W. B. & Co Clothing. L L D. G. L H Foundry. L C. H Planter. McC R. P Planter. McN W. & Co Mills. M & J Lumber. N D Grocer. O'N J Grocer. O P. R Planter. O E Planter. P & W Restaurant. P F & Co D. G. P W. R,, Jr., & Co Gro., etc. P P Co. R A. J. K. P Planter. R G. C Saddler. R J.C Gro. C. H. & Co Cotton Bkrs. Planter. F. M Gro. L. S ' Planter. J Drugs. E Miller. - J. L Furniture. _ & C Stk. Yard. [TO BE CONTINUED.] THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 225 AUBUEIsr, K T. A A. . .' Shoes. A S. H Stoves, etc. B C. S., Sr Lqrs. B Bros. & Co Machinists. B C. P Miller. B & Son Distillers. C M Gro. C & Bro H'dware. C E. D H'dware. D J Gro., etc. D G J Gro. D & S M Co. G D. C Lime. H A. B Printer. K W. H Bricks. M P Co. M & Co Sashes, etc. D. M. & Co Reapers, etc. P & H D. G. P W & H Coal. P & N Clothing. P H. R. & C. W Lumber. Q I. W Machinist, etc. R A Marble. R W.H D. G. R D. C. & G. W Cab't Ware. S & Co Flour, etc. S & P Patents. S J. D. &Co D. G. S B. B. & Co..Mnfrs. Cornshellers. S E. G. & Son Agents. T Mrs. Dr. M. A Milliner. T D Gro. T N Boots and Shoes. V V &L D. G. [TO BE CONTINUED.] 226 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. BALTIMOEE, MD. A W. H. & Co Oyster Packers. A - T & Co Auctioneers, etc. A E D. G. American F I Co. A & D Furniture. B M Notions. B J. J. . . Provisions. B C Shoes. B S Wines, etc. B G. W Hardware. B G Brewery. B J Brewery. B & H .Gen'l Com'n. B & B Furniture. B J Shoes. B J Shoes. B D. G Tobacco. B & H Tailors. B H Liquors. B W Foundry, etc. J Books. R. & Sons Whol. Shoes. R. P Books, etc. Coaches. G. H Paints, Oils, etc. B C. II. & J Silverplaters. B W. C Grocer. B & Bro Shoes. & Co Oysters. Bros. & Co Drugs. U R Gro. C & W F'cy Gds. E. J Lumber. H & Co Founders. P. H Broker. P. E. & Co Gents' Gds. R. B Hotel. & T Boilers. C G. W Mnfr. Cotton Bats and Wadding. C & Co Stoves. C T. R Lqrs. C G. W. M Shoes. C J Periodicals. C J Whol. Lqrs., etc. C & Co Books, etc. C J. W Hdware. D J. F. W Stencils. ?. F. & Co. Druggists' Sundries. r.o D. G. & Co Gro. ...; Saw Mill. E J. R. & Co Boots, Hats, etc. E S. A. & Co Oysters, etc. F J Millinery. F S Stoves, F H Baker. F M. L Plumber. F N Junk. F & B Mirrors, etc. G Sons & Co Cotton Duck G C C Co. G S Tavern. G J Silverplater. G H. T. & T Com'n. G Bros. & Co Gro. G H. C Distiller. G J Imp. and Com'n Fruits. G I Clothing. H A. G. & Co Laces, etc. H S. M Coal, etc. H J.M Coal. H B. F Flour, etc. H C. & Co Printers. H J. H Whol. Notions. H C. & Son Contractors. H G. C Books, etc. H J. & Co Clothing. H J. G Tinware, etc. H W. J Cabinetmkr. H J., Jr Fertilizers, etc. J S. M. & Co Coal Shippers. K H Gro., etc. K H. & Son D. G. K Bros Prov. K W. H. & Co Whol. Paint?. Oils, etc. K Bros Chandlery, etc. K J. H., Jr Lumber. K J. & Co Prov. L H Tobacco. L S. S. & Sen Iron and Coal. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 227 L A D. G. L- S. C Hotel. L D Leather. McC W Carriages. McC T. & Co Lqrs. McC T Bakery. McG O Co. McL- S. R Gro. M G. W Books, etc. M- C. B. & Co Gro. M Bros Cigars. M It & Sons Crackers. M J. H Furniture. M J Gro., etc. M C & Co Tailors. M M Hoop Skirts, etc. M J. & Co Agency. M F Shoes. M & Bro Paperhangings. M B. & Bro Cloths. N A. & Sons Gro., etc. N F. H D. G., etc. .N E Shoes. O'C II Carriages. t> & G Bros Mldgs. P G Brewery. P A. B. & Co Stock Broker. P A. & Co Com'n Lumber. P G. G., Jr Capitalist. P & II Lumber. P W. G. & Co Com. and Fruit. P H.B Gro. P G. P. & Co. .Confec. and Fruits. II A Tobacco. R T Liquors. R & W Carriages. M R and Co. .H Gasfitter. G Brewer. J. L. & Bro Fruit. R J. A. & Co Shoes. S P. D. & Co Carriages. S M. L. & Co Books, etc. S J Bookbinder, etc. S E Hosiery. S C Gro. S J. & Co Broker. S C Brewer. ! Bros Regalias. Bldrs. i. J Oysters. S H. & Co Clothing. S S I D.Cr. S C. P Furniture. S J. D Livery Stables. S A. & Sou Turners. S V Carpets. S D. S Ice. T S. G Machinist. T W. H .... .Preserves. T N. & Co Leather. T L & Co Lumber. T J. E Hatter. W L D.G. W D Furniture. W C Junk. W S. G Steel and Iron. W S Clothing. W W Clothing. W W. E. & Co Steam Heaters. W F Brewery. [TO EE CONTINUED.] 228 THE COMMERIAL AGENCIES. BANGOE, ME. & s P. M Boots, etc. Broker. J T J I. M & Co. . I M ' Clothing. K I L G A P . .Clothing M & T Co. Bros & D . . .Gro. N C P & C H. . .Lumber. P -"V c ...Gro. P A &S S. B. & Co. . . H. F E. A .Com'n and Flour. Lumber. . . .Millinery, etc. Gro. P A P B P & S O B. W Prod., etc. T & &C J. A. &C. P.. .,00. Lumber, etc. Lumber. T V W 1 T. & Son Hdwaro. I. S. & Co Medicines. N Lumber. G. W Gro. & U Shoes, etc.. C. A Gro. and Lumber. & J Lumber. W. T. & Co Lumber, etc. A. E. & Co Fruit, etc. A. W Machinery. H. M Lumber. &L Gro., etc. O. M Hotel. & Co Lumber. W Navigation, etc. D F'cy Gds., etc. [TO BE CONTINUED.] THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 229 .BOTGHAMTON K Y. S Speculator. C. D Hdware. R Co. F Hotel. W.. Gro. E Bitters. L. A Jeweller. J Wool. I. C . . .Drugs. N & Co Paper. .Grist Mills. D E. F Gro. L Bros. & Co Boots and Slices. L E. L .Liquors. M N. D Physician. O H. B Builder, etc. W Builder, etc. O B Shoes and Gro. P S. D. & Co Hdware. W C. H Drugs. [TO BE CONTINUED.] BOSTON, MASS. A I Clothing. A & Son Clothing. A A. M. & Co Produce. A A. H Furniture. A C. F. & Co Shoes. A J. S Shoes. A S & Co Teas. A J Publisher. American S S Co. A E. H Steam Gauges. A W. W Cutlery. B A. W Billiard Tables. B F Salt. B G. P Leather. B W & Co Doors, etc. B W. H H'ware. B P Gro. B Mrs. A. M Gro. B- C. L. & Co Com'n Mers. B J. R. & Co Com'n Oils. B W. J. & Co Shoes. B R Oils. B M Mason. B J Shoes. B & B Rubber Goods. B & B Hats, etc. B & H Oils. B B Shoe Fndgs. B W. H. & Co Spices. B C. D Contractor! B J. F Lumber. B G & Co Storage, etc. B J. E Japanner. B J Clothing. B L. D. & Son Clothing. B & T . . . Curriers. B T & W: Furniture. B C & Co Tailors' Trm'gs. B J. L : . .Clothing. B & B Cabinetmkrs. Boston C S Co. Boston D Co Fancy Goods. Boston F Co. 230 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. Boston M R Co. Boston R M . . & Co Millinery. - Carpenters. r. & Co Shoes. B G & Co Paints, etc. B T. C Liquors. B T. B. & Co Trunks. B O. L Billiard Tables. B J. B. & Co Com'n. B R. & Co Clothing. B C. M Stoves. B H. T Fancy Goods. B T: Liquors. B B. & Sous Brokers. B J Shoes. B F. & C Small-wares. B & B Machinery. B S & M A . B & S Leather. Q M. S Shoe Blacking. C J. B Glassware. C F Liquors. C J Bookseller. C U. B Tin Cans. C P Gro. C N. D Calf Bts. C. & Co Stoves. C. H. & Co Tobacco. & Co Gro. I. M Plate Iron. J. S. & Co Prod. C Bros. & Co Hosiery, etc. C & Sons Pianos. C W. C Leather, etc. C F & Co. . .Gas Fixtures, etc. C H. A Apothecary. C W. &Co Threads. C S. W Cordials. C J. N. M. & Co D. G. H. F W Mills. C D D. G. C J. & Co Liquors. C M. & Son Com'n Car. C G. T, Furniture. Bros. & Co Chairs. , C J. & Co Liquors. C F. . . Boots and Shoes. C E. G Tanner, etc. &Co Shoes. E. W.&Co Leather. C H. & Co Glassware. C J. K. & Co Clothing. C J Hosiery. ; C W Tailor. f C : H. Sons Coal, etc. C L & M Boots and Shoes. C M. &Co Linseed Oil. C C. H. & Co Flour. C N... ...Pianos. C B. P. & Co Carpets. C G. W. & Co Hats, etc. C H. C Gloves. C H & Co Fancy Goods. D S & Co..' Gro. D C. B. & Son Liquors. D D. H. & Co Boots and Shoes. D & C . . ; Firebricks. D G. B. & Co D. G. D W. W Com'n Cigars. D J Mer. D & Co Paper and Twine. E. P. & Co. . .Lamps and Fluid. M. & Co Liquors. C Tanner. P ...Publisher. D E. L. & Co Cotton. D E. C Mer. D J. P. P : .Liquors. D & W Boots and Shoes. D & W Trunks, etc. E W. W Brushes. E A. & Co Cotton. F J. P .Broker. F W. A. & Co Shirts. F W. D. & Co Boots. F & R '. . . .Liquors. F S & Co Curriers. F O. L Liquors. F & Co Woollens. F S & Co Navy Shirts. F D. F. & Co Liquors. F J. P. & Co Firebricks, etc. F M. J Hotel. F 0. & Co Tallow, etc. F R & Co Smallwares. F Mrs. J. G Corsets, etc. F I. S Tailor. F & H Pat. Sponge Bed- ding. F K. & Co Fish. F A. & Co Crockery, etc. F J. H Distiller. G S. N Baker. G S. N. & Co Butter. G A P Co. G F & Co Fish. G & G Chemical Engs. G K & Co Chandlers. G A Shipwright. G P & Co Woollens. G B. J Shoulder Braces. G J. & Co Flour. G W Wool. G & Bros Crockery, etc. H & Co Furniture, etc. H F Furniture, etc. H R. W. & Co Men's Furn'g. H C. E. & Co Com'n Wool. H F & Co. . . ... Shoe?. H M Co. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 231 H B & Co M B &Co . . .Millinery. . . . .Lumber. H Bros. & Co. . . H F & Co. . H - W D .Boots and Shoes. Leather M Bros. C & Co. M F W & Co Wool M R. &Co M K & A . . .. M. Needles. Paper. H C & Co.. II &B H P. B. & Son . . Chemicals. Women's Collars. Lumber. M P Co M- - - R . . .Millinery. H S. L.&Co... H S S Machinery. Boots etc M J & Co M L B . . .Clothing. Coal etc H M. C. & Co. . Fancy D. G. M W. B . .Liquors II E & Co Watches N O & G Co N J J Flour H J A H W & C Co. H Bros. . . .Buttonhole Machines. H C B & Co Oro-nna N F &Co N T. S. & Co . . .Hats, etc. Shoes j D . . & Co.. Bookbinders P- Bro & Co Steel J & M - R E. Brokers P C. H. & Co p S H L. .. .. .Iron Works. Planing Mill. . . . Leather J R & V J T. L J W. H. & Co.. ... Hats Apothecary. Pianos. p G. &Son P J. &Co P J Junk. J H M & Co J & R K J G Jr Gro R S & Co K E J Boots etc R L & Co. . Clothin"* K N R & Co Metals K & D Leather R G H ... v - & J Boots etc S W. A Real Estate j J . .Boilermkr S H & Co S J. P. & Co . .... Lumber. . .Provision j J Gro L & H . . Carpets S I, & G P Co. .Builder, etc. "'urniture, etc. . . Glassware. Leather.. Books , W & Co. L A. S. & W. G. , A. K . . .Men's Furn'g. & Co Mers. . .Lead Pipe, etc. .. .Stock Brokers. Books S M Co I S G Co T B. F. & Co T B & Co , G. W. & Co.. L D. & Go... ... L D &Co... McK H M- McP A. M. & Co M & E M C B & Bro Com'n. V Mrs. J . . .Millinery. W Bros. & H . . . Paints. W E H & Co .Tailors' Trim'gs. Oils W E Clothing W & Co Com'n D G M J. P. & Bro.. M N & W M H J & Co Glassware. Paints. Shoes W P- Son W C E H'ware. Crockery W. N I M Co. Jewelry. Liquors. . .Com'n Mer. M - - H & Co Shoes. W N. G.&Son W P & Co Y R. II. .. M S W. . . . Carpenter M C Co. [TO BE CONTINUED.] 232 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. BUFFALO, K Y. A J Saddler. A & B Furniture. A & C Fertilizing. A F. A D. G., etc. A H Pharmacy. A & W Carriages. B D. E Contractor. B & B Lumber. B N. II Joiner. B P Marble. B D Locomotives. B F. & H GWtware. B & Bro Hats, etc. B & H Shirts. B A. A. & Co Com'n, etc. B Bros Wkol. Jewelry. B N Clothier. B J Lumber. B A. Son & Co Hats, Boots and Shoes, etc. B Bros Saloon. B &Co Saloon. B W. C Hotel. B C. S. Bros Tobacco. B & F Clothing. B M. A Bricks. B M. W Sch. Furniture. C J Coal. C T Files. C W. A Tin, Copper, etc. C J. A. & Co G. S. C J. A. & Son Barrels. C S & Co Sashes, etc. C & Van A Iron Works. C J Coal, etc. C G & A Furs, Hats, etc. J. Jr f Real Estate. B. C Stock Dealer. L. L Cattle Dealer. J.F Millinery. " Maltsters. & F Coal. Mach. Gauges. C. Y Boilers. D II Gro. etc. D C Brewer. D H. C Planing Mill. D & Co Fish Packers. D & II Foundry, etc. E C Shipping, etc. E E. W Contractor. E J Boots and Shoes. E & W T Co. E A Confec. F W. G F & W Brewery. F S & Co Lumber. F F Variety, etc. F C. H. & Co Distillers. G C. W Maltster. G J Foundry. G F. II Lumber. G P Bricks. G L Cabinetmkr, etc. H D Brewer. H J. L Brewer. H C. J Capitalist. H F Lumber. H & G Stoves, etc. H A. G Spices. H R. R. & Co Frwdrs. H J. M. & Co Spices, etc. H & Co Furniture. H F. J Flour and Feed. H E. &B Planing Mill. K B Co. K S. & Co Clothing. K H. W Hammers. K & F Livery. L J. G Gro. L J Flour, Wood, etc. L B Boots. L M Gro. L S : Tobacco. L C Contractor. McC & J Sailmkrs. McL J. B Coffees, etc. M M. T. Shoes, etc. M J. B Maltster. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 23,, M B & Co .'.Seeds, etc. M W. T. & Co D. G. M Bros Theatricals. M & C Hog Brokers. M N. & Co Boots. M Bros. . . , Tanners. M Bros Lqrs. N S. W Leather. N M. & Co Fey. Goods. O C. A. & Co Pictures. O R & Co Planing Mill. O & Co Paper, etc. O J R. B. Agt. P & G Bolts and Nuts. P J. & Co Rectifiers. P J. H D. G. P F P E Co. P S. G Inspector. R A Drugs. R G. W Hats, etc. R C Drugs. S A Brewery, etc. S & Co Fruit, Game, etc. S J. F. & Son Leather. S J Planing Mill. S F Builder. S & Co Meds,, Perfumery, etc. S 0. E . . . .Jewelry and Silverware. S A Gro. S H Gro. g & H Lqrs. S Dr. F. G Oculist and Aurist. S J Broker, etc. S F. J Gro. S J. E Shipping. Mrs. M. & Sou Cabtmkrs. J. N. &Co Clothing. Bros Machinists. H Dining Sal. G.H. &Son Coal. J. K Hotel. E. D. &H Hotel. U C Variety. U D D Co. V V J Lumber. V R & H Variety. W A Gro., etc. W J Jeweller. W J. D. & Co Posters. W F Butcher. W & B Engravers, etc. W & T .Gro. W P Lounges, etc. W & G Cattle Dealers. [TO BE CONTINUED.] BURLINGTON, IOWA. A & Co Grocers. B T. W. & Co Whol. Boots. B A Brewer. B I Co. B C. J Newspaper. B W Oil Broker. B W. & Co Grain. B D. B Match Mnfr. C J. M Coal, etc. C W. E & Co Shingles. D J. S Real Estate. E Mrs. E. M Millinery. F W Builder, etc. G H Cigars. G G. &Co Lqrs. G J. & Co Carr'g Fcty. N. P Painter. &Co D. G. G C Hotel. G H. & Co Bookbinders. G W F W . H M Candy Mnfr. H & S D. G. I T Co. J W Stationery. K A Clothing, etc. K G .Stoves. L P Lqrs. M Bros Gro. M & Sons Builders. M I W Fndry. M D. .. Gro. 234 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. O J Coin'n. O J Boots and Shoes. P F Newspaper. P J. H Mnfr. Bed Springs. P I Undertaker. R S. J Gro. S J. . .'. Furniture. S C Nursery. S & Son School Furniture. T H Co Printers, etc. T J Lqrs. T L... ...Gro. H Brackets. W J. C Mnfr. Bed Springs. [TO BE CONTINUED.] CAMDEN K J. P Tailor. Mrs. J Dry Goods. & P E Co. & M Webbing. L Tobacco. W. H Varieties. S P M Co. H. H Tobacco, etc. J. M. J Upholsterer. S. B. & Co Lumber. C. B. . . . . .Bottler. H J Wines, etc. H R. N Window Shades. J T Boots and Shoes. K E Hotel. K P F Co. L E. H Drugs. P E. L Notions and Books. P H Gro. R J. D Hides. S J. W. & Sons ...Iron. [TO BE CONTINUED.] CHARLESTON, S. O. D Gro. and Feed. J D. G. Gro. P D. G., Gro., etc. J.H. &Co D.G. Mrs. A Gro. G Gro. & G . . . .Auction and Com'n. E, H Gro, etc. T. T. & Co Turpentine. H. R. & Co Com'n. C Whol. Liq. and Com'n. C J Com'n Cotton. P. M Drugs. T. H Factor. M. H. &Co Drugs. & D Com'n. D. S Boots and Shoes. & J Livery and Sale Stables. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 235 D L Whol. Liquors. E J. M. & Bro. . .Foundry and Ma- chinists. E J. A. & Co. . . .Auction, Shipping and Com'n. F X Restaurant and Billiard Saloon. F B . . Shoes, Trunks and Clothing. F J. D Ins. Agent and Com'n. F J. M Com'n and Iron. (1 D. & Son Boots and Shoes. (i H. E Wood, etc. H J Liquors. II W. S. & Son Stocks, Bonds, and Ins. Agents. II G D. G. and Clothing. I M , Broker. J D. & Son Com'n. J & B Hats. W. A .Cotton Factor. F., Jr Gro. & B . .... .Whol. Fruit, etc. E. & Co Gen'l Com'n. & S Gen'l Com'n. W. M. & Son Com'n Cotton. E. J D. G. P. P Com'n. McL A. . . .Machinist and B'smith. M &M Gro. N T. S Boots and Shoes. P E Printer and Stat'r. P H. A Com'n. P J. R Factor and Com'n. Q P. & Co Steam Saw Mill. Q M. J Mnfr. Cigars. B H & Co Whol. Gro. and Com'n. R J. R. & Co .... Laces, Embroide- ries, etc. R & D . . .Factors and Com'n. R W. P. & Co. Builders' Materials. S J. II. L Gro. g c. W Coal. S W. W Com'n and Shipping. S T. G Cotton Broker. S J. H Lumber. S & S Lumber, etc. S H. C D. G. S A. O Ship Chandler. S Bros. & Co'. Com'n. T & L Ship Chandlers. T W. J Upholsterer. T & B Mnfr. Soap. V S F Fancy Goods. W H & Co Com'n. W & Von K Com'n. W & R . .... .Soap and Candle Factory. Z Mrs. M. J Millinery. [TO EK CONTINUED.] CHICAGO, ILL. A E '.Notions. A & E Live Stk. A B & L P Co. A H. & Sons Bricks. A O. & Co Stationery and Pub- lishers. A S. L Clothing. A C Furniture. A M & Co Carpets, etc. A & B Builders. A P. M. & Co. ...Artists' Gds., etc. A S & Co Whol. Hats and Straw Goods. A J. H Wagons. A B. L. Co. . . . . . .Lumber. A & Co Whol. Paints. A J. G Whol. Jeweller. A & B Iron Works. B E Gasfitter. J. C. W -. . .Masonic Goods. & Bro Wood and Coal. D.G. M. C. & Co Loan Bkrs., etc. Bros Stoves, etc. D Showcases. & J Stoves, etc. J. S. & Co Hats, etc. Bros. & S Type F'ndry. C & Co Carriage Goods. THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. B & P Flour and Feed. 13 A Lumber. B & T Mercli. Tailors. B R. J Carriages. B F Tobacco and Cigars. B G. T. & Co Com'n. B L. A. & Co H'dware. B A. H Sashes and Doors. B R. K. & Co Lumber Bkrs. B & B Whol. Cloths. B-^- A. M Gaslight and Coke. B F Brewer. B W Leather. B J. G Lime. G. W Carriages. Bros R. E. Owners. H Cisterns, etc. E. E Whol. Fish. H Drugs. H. W , Real Estate. B &H D. G. & N Confec. E. & Co Woollen Mnfrs. Supplies and Dye-Stuffs. D. & Son Harness. & M Lumber. C. Contractor. J. & Co Guns, etc. C W H'dware. C Bros Real Estate. C A. J. & Co Bricks. C & R Com'n. C L. R Loan Bkr. C F W &N R 'Co. R C Co. Co. Co. C S., Jr Clothing. C S. D., Jr., &Co Engravers. C A. B. & Co Carriages. C L & Co Real Estate. C Real Estate. E. A. & CM Printers. C. &G. & Co... .Machinery, etc. N Pig Lead. P H & Co. ..Stationers. C & Co Lumber. C & H Bankers. D J.H.&CO.... D. G. D W. M , Real Estate. D J. W. & Co Teas, etc. D L & Co Com'n. E E. E Guns, etc. E H & Co Lumber. E P Boots and Shoes. E C. L. & Co Com'n. E & H Liquors. F F & Co Millers. F J. V. &Co D. (I. F C. C Lumber. F G Banker. F & II Contractors, etc. F S. & Co Clothincr. G I Co. G & P M Co. .Sashes, etc. G C. & Co D. G. G & S Tobacco. H & P Brewery, etc. H J. T Advertising. H & R Card Stand. H W. E R. E. Operator. H A. L. & Bro Furniture. H D & Co. .D. G. and Notions. H Bros Whol. Liquors. H J. F. & Co Bedding, etc. H J Boots and Shoes. H P Gro. H L Co Tannery. H J & F Paper-hang- ings, Bedding. H J. C Crockery, etc. H R & D . .Mnfrs. Sashes, Doors, etc. K G Picture Frames. K C. P. & Co Clothing. K Bros Lumber. K A. E. & Co Com'n Grain. K & S Planing Mill. K H. W. & Co . Whol. Clothing, etc. K A. J Brick Machines. K Bros Whol. Gro. L M & Co Grain, etc. L H. N. F Rural. L J. & Co Cab't H'dware, etc. L P Whol. Tobacco. L H Loan Bkr. M A. B. & Co Pig-iron, etc. M J Boots and Shoes. M W & Co Elevator. N P M & L Co. N C R M Co. P P Capitalist and Hotel. P & Co Bakery. p A Banker. P & C Com'n Merchants. R W Grain, Flour, etc. R & Bro Woollen Rags. R S & W D. G. R C. R Bricks. R S J. ..Baskets and Rope Mould- ing. g G & Co Mnfrs. Furn'g. S & P Pat. Meds. g M. & Co. Mnfrs. Boots and Shoes. S F. B Real Estate. . S L. & Co Bankers. S S. P. & Co. Whol. Fey. Gro.. etc. S A. & Son Bankers. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 237 S H. Real Estate. S F. & Co Tin Plate, Ja- panned Goods, etc. T Mrs. K Saloon. T Bros Filter Wells, etc. T W. & Co Wood and Coal. T Bros. & W .Dried Fruits, etc. T & S . . , . . .Hotel. N & Co Elevators. -S. J Real Estate. - J. & Bro Planing Mill. - Y Co Yeast. - D. & Co. . . Whol. and Ret. Mil- linery. -T Real Estate. - T. & Co Artificial Stone. [TO BE CONTINUED.] CINCINNATI, O. A C. M Boots and Shoes. A S Seeds, etc. A N U A S. & Co. .Watches, Jewelry, etc. A M. T. & Co Com'n D. G. A J. C Distiller and Essence of Coffee. H. F D. G. J. S. & Co. Hats, Caps and Furs. D. B. & Co Stoves and House Furn'g Goods. II Tinner, Roofing, etc. W. & Co Ladies' and Gents' Furn'g Goods. & Co. ... Bankers. E. & Co Chemical Works. B F Furniture. F. W. & Son Pianos. B H.N. &Co... ..Chairs. & L Whol. D. G. H. & Co Whol. Liquors. & Son Liquors. J. Sons Cordage. II Saddler. B S. B Pork. 15 L Notions. B P Wines, etc. B II. H Whol. Wall-paper. B F Mnfr. Plush and Fringes. B J. H. & Co Gro. B P. C House Furn'g Goods. B A. G. & Co Bankers. D Flour Mill. B & B . . .Cont'rs and Builders. C J Com'n Boots and Shoes. C L Smokers' Materials. C R. W Distillery. L & Co. . .Pork Packers and Com'n. Bros. & M Importing Agents Lace Goods. W. B. & Co Stationery, etc. R. W. & Co Publishers. T Wines. D. & Co Mnfrs. Shoes. C B. & Son Gro. C J. G Boots and Shoes. C F A C F. & Bro Queensware. C J. S. & Co. . .Horticulturists, etc. C E & Co Mnfrs. Shoes. C R. & Co Lumber. C F. A Drugs. D J. A. & Co Oysters, Fish, etc. D W. & Co Spice Mill. D & X Whol. and Ret. Music, etc. D R. M Gro. and Tobacco. D G. T Whol. Jewelry, etc. D R Books, etc. D D. H Ranges, etc. D J. T. & Co Coal. D W Gro. E E. C Paint. E & M Paperhanks, etc. B J. A Drugs. B J. N. & Co. . .Wines and Spirits. B & Co Vinegar. B N. F Fwdg. B S & M Iron. C H. G. & Co Carriages. C T. & Co Founders, etc. C J Shoes. D J. H. & Co Com'n Wool. F C. J Hotel. F T D. G. F R Lumber Com'n. G W. . . . . .Boots and Shoes. G G Steel Spring Mnfr. H T Cabinetmkr. H W. J D.G. K W Clothing. K J. & R Music and Sewing Machines. M J Lamps, etc. M I Whip Lashes. N T Speculator. R J. W Physician. T J. Melodeons. W T. C D. G. W R Ice. W L- & Co. .Sewing Machines. W S Boots and Shoes. W J., Sr Gro., etc. [TO BE CONTINUED.] THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 253 HABTFOED, CT. B B. B Silversmi t h. B & Co Dyestuffs. B H. & S Masons. B R. F. & Co Iron, etc. B J. H Gro. B E Harness. B H. M Jeweller. B H. S Confectioner. B A. E Restaurant. B R., Sr Capitalist. B W Harness. B P Gro v B I. B. P Co. B E. W.' Fish. C -A Clothing. C J Clothing. C S & W F M Co. D L Miller. 1) & R Carriagemkrs. D A. B Clocks. D A. & Son Wool. F T S M- Co. F & H Gro. G D Boots and Shoes. G H. &Co D. G. G D. A *. Furniture. G H. A., Est. of Drugs. G & F Soap and Candles. H H. & Bro Jewellers. H P Co. H S Co. H &F D. G. H W. K Flour and Feed. H N Leaf Tobacco. H A. J Baker. H W. C Printer. K H. P Gro. K & F Wines, etc. K R. & Son Carriagemkrs. K H. F... ...Gro. A/G.'.'.' M. M.. - F. W .' Pens' L Hotel W. H Electrotyper. B. . . . Carriages. Bros Builders. -T Tea. - R Banker. - H. & Co Upholsterers. - L. B. & Co Sashes, etc. -S. M Marble. -C Silversmith. $ Co. M. C Teas and Lqrs. R Lqr. and Gro. J Lqrs. T. H Coin'n Prod. Bros Meat. M Hotel. A. G Tobacco. Oysters. P & Co Milliners. .Boots and Shoes. ). . . .Ag'l Impl'ts, etc. - J. C. & Co Packing Boxes. - E. & Son Lime and Cement. - & D Cigars. - P. H. B Tailor. C. L Builder. O. D R. E. Broker, etc. &Co Gro. F. C. &Co Whol. Meats. D Builder. W. B ... Lumber. . C & Co Tripe, etc. - W Auctioneer. _ s M Co. - E. H. & W. S Stevedores. - D. R Coal. - C Paints, Sashes, etc. - & Co Boots, and Shoes. - J. K Drugs. [TO BE CONTINUED.] 254: THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. HOUSTON, TEXAS. - N . .. . Prov F C J . _ J J Hotel F Boot and Shoe Mkr -M. A - J C, Tailor. Gro. H A. & F H H. & Co I &G . L &Bro. .. M W.H.. M - S Whol D G . . .Whol. and Ret. Gro. . .Furniture and Uphol- sterers. D G. - J. W. & Co. . . - Mrs F Cigars, etc. G S -E. H Books, etc. - J. A . . Machinery, etc. Carriagemkr T W .Bankin^ Gro -J. W. Can W &Co iage Trimmings. .Mill. M S. S Lumber Dealer. R Mrs. M. S J . J R F'cy. Goods. Gro -&Co.. Whol. Liquors. S F A Clocks etc - G . . Stov esand Hardware. . D G etc S & H v W.'B'.'.'. V &B Pub'rs -I . Cabinetankr. .Clothing- _&v . Gen'l Com'n -E Gunsmith. G. t Cotton and Com'n. G S -P Confec., - W Banker, and Ex- change. D G - T. R. . . ...D. G., etc. [TO BE CONTINUED. 1 INDIANAPOLIS, A D. M . Broker. B - C H Patent Medicines. A C . Boots and Shoes. Chairs. A H & Bro Saddlers C W S Printer A & G Wood. C & T . Engines, etc. A E S Real Estate C J H .Jeweller A D W B & Co Co. Factory. C R. P. . . . . .Photographic Mtr'ls. Money Lender. B &D .. . .Real Estate. C R. & Co. Coal. B & Son Drugs D -J Fruits, etc. B H S . Agent. D R M . . . . . .Millinerv. B W P & Co Jewelry D H . Notions etc. B FA D W J & Co H'dware. B J. C. &Co... . . .Whol. Lqrs. D C. . . . . . Drugs. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 255 D Bro. & Co Clotli.n . D W Boots and Shoes. D C. & Co Mnfrs. Sup. D J. B Drugs. D J Shoes. D M Tanner. E & . ..... .Carpenters, etc. E S Stoves. F I. L Stoves. V I. T Tobacco Broker. (i A Carpets. G I H C Co. G J. C Mill. G J. W Hotel. G H, & Co Mill. G G. O Lqrs. H M. T Giro. H A. N. & Co Machines. H J. Newspaper. H & M Drugs. H J. C Saddler. li R &H Undertakers. H K & Co D. G. -J. W Cigars. - S L S Co. -C. D Hotel. _ p &p Co. - W W . J A Candles. J E. W Marble. J J Marble. K A Jeweller. K J. S Drugs. K C Gro. K A Drugs. L L. & Co Notions, etc. L Miss Millinery. ' L & L Iron Works. M J.W... ...Chairs. - E Druo-s. -E D.G. - S Liquor. - H &0 Agts. - J. P Brewer. - P & Co Coal. - C Chairs. - W. L Sewing Machs. -D Mnfr. -II Fey Gds. - C Plumber. J Ale. E. L Statnr. - H Boots and Shoes. J. T Lumber. S P Co. R Mrs. M Hotel. R W Stoves. U & p Gro. R & S Furniture. R & L Coal, etc. R R. R. & Co Pumps, etc. S C Gro. S J .Notions, etc. S & Co Lumber. S Mrs. L. D. . . , Millinery. S W Gro. S M. H. & Co Notions, etc. S J Boots and Shoes. S J. B. & Co Lqrs. S Mrs. S. L Millinery. S J Harness. T & S Factory. V S. C Publisher. W L. S Chemicals. W E. H Hotel. W & S Drugs. W B & Co Printers. Y & P Books. Z T... ...Jeweller. [TO BE CONTINUED.] JEESET CITY, E\ J. A W & G P Co. C A Lumber. D S Hulling Mach. F J. A Shoes, etc, G M Stoves. G R. L Dry Goods, etc. G T Livery. II A. & Co Fey Gds. H W. C .Iron. J C I W K W Drugs. L T. T Tin, etc. L L. D H'dware. M B. . . Real Estate. 256 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. 31 J. A Newspaper. M B Co. M J. M. & Co Livery. M B. H Drugs. E. S. & Co Clothing. C. G Contractor. & F Brewers. S J Boots. S W. D Books, etc. T H. A Gents' Furn'g. W & C Coal, etc. W J. P Coal. W S. R Lqrs. [TO BE CONTINUED.] KANSAS CITY, MO. I. H Hardware. H. W Furniture. A. A Genl. Com'n. Agts. Lqrs. D Agent. B & Bro D. G. and Gro. & Co Gro. Bros Pianos. W. E Drugs. J. H News. M Hotel. J. N Leather. E W. B. Builder. F N. R. & Son .' Gro. F H. C. & Co Hotel. G M. B. & Bros Cattle Dealers. G W.C Lqrs. H J. & Son Hotel. H I. P Gro. H G. W H'dware. &C D. G. &D Gro. W Prod, and Feed. & Co Jewellers. R. H. &Co Coal, etc. J. L. &Co H'dware. & T Furniture. A. S Hotel. & W Publishers. M I. W Saddlery. M J. E Drugs. M & S Machinists. M & Co Cattle Dealers. R & Bro Vinegar. R E. P Boots and Shoes. R &Co D. G. S J. C Hotel. T & Co Whol. Gro. T H. & Bro Whol. Tobacco. T G Gro. T & B Agl. Implts. W J. Q. & Co Bankers. [TO BE CONTINUED.] THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 257 LAWRENCE, MASS. J. R Gro. Gro. Mrs. A. M Fey Gds. W. E ' Jeweller. B A. D Books, etc. B R. & Co Newspaper. C W. C Boots and Shoes. C B. D Bobbin Mnfr. D. Jr. & Co Gro. Mrs. J Liquor. S. & Son Contractors. T. W Hotel. W Millinery, etc. W. B Waterproof Cloth. J J. K Pottery. Braid Mnfr. .Boots and Shoes. .Drugs. & B Co. H Jeweller. MissR Fey Gds. W Fey Gds. M. A Harness. D Liquors. M. A D. G. J. A. & Co Painters' Sups. - J Sewing Mach. -A. H Gro. -S... ...Gro. [TO BE CONTINUED.] LEAYEISTWORTH, KAN. A S Capitalist. A E. B ; Capitalist. A J. M Stationer. A J. & Co Lqrs. B M Clothing. B W. C. Jr. & Co Boots. B T. G Prod. B F. B Furrier. C T Printer. C E Coal, Grain, etc. C M. A Gasoline. C C Agent. C W Gro., etc. D M. E Gro. D Contractor, etc. E L Marble. G T. C Seeds. H Miss A Milliner. H 0. J Ins. Agt. H J. W Agent. H A. A Agent. H S. E Capitalist. II I. P , Gen. Store. I J Lumber. I S & Co Bankers. K W & C Co. K T Co. K W. D Agt. K & W Brewers. K J. B Contractor.. K A. T. & Co Livery. L L Dry Goods and Clothing. L J Boots and Shoes. M & Co Agl. Implts. M H. L. S Livery. M W Printer. M J. W Capitalist. N B D. G. R J. S. & Co Hotel. R M Packer. S F. W Gro. W J. A Lqrs., etc.. [TO BE CONTINUED.] 258 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. LOCKPORT Y. A M. Hotel. B S.M Lime. B & G Gro. B R Miller. B A. A Prod., Fwdg., etc. B H Drugs, etc. B J. L Carpets, etc. C H. F Boatbuilder. E S. M Gro. G. B ...Miller. H Mrs. A. C Clothing. K P. & Bro Fey Gds. K J. P Sashes, etc. M A. J .' Glass. M J. P Afft. P J. H Fwdg. , etc. P & Co Wool. P G v . .Dairy. R T Carriages. gent. I U Mrs. E. S Clothing. .D. G. I W W. J. . . . . .Dyer. [TO BE CONTINUED.] LOUISVILLE, KY. A A. J Lumber, etc. A H. C Physician. A C Books, etc. A rJ. C Gro., etc. A W. E Hotel. A H & Co Pork. E D. S Com'n Prod. B Bros. & Co Liquors. B W Blacking, etc. B & F Foundry. B M. & Co Foundry. B M & Co Carpets, etc. B C. F Chairs. B R. R. & Co Stat'y, etc. B J Capitalist. B R. L Com'n and Prod. B I Millinery. T? H. S. & Co Notions. C & T Liquors. C D & Co Stock. -C & M . . . Com'n. C D & Co Gro. C & Co Com'n. C E. H. & Co Liquors. C A D. G. C M D. G. C Mrs. A. H F'cy Goods. D M & Co Foundry. D J Grb. D D. & Co Hides, etc. D F Books. E H & S Hats, etc. E J. V. & Son Pictures, etc. F F Lard, etc. F J Parlor Furniture. F H Books. G J Fruits, etc. G E. S Publisher. G Mrs. A. E Millinery. G Mrs. W. F D. G. H J Elevators, etc. H K & Co Furniture. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 259 H M & Co Clothing. H J Builder. II G Gro. H I Contractor. H & A Gro. II & Son Gro. H H. J Physician. II- & Bro Printers. K J Confec. K J Gro., etc. K J Hats. K J. & Co Newspaper. L B. C Agent. L A. & Co Clothing. L J. S Stoves. L D Foundry. L A. B Confec. L J Nails. M W M Co. M W. H Carpets. M T D.G. M W. H Boots and Shoes. M J Jewelry. M & V B'krs. M J. W. & Co Saddlery. N N & Co Florists. N M Clothing. N E. P. & Co Hardware. O R. F. .. ..,Gro. P D. G Real Estate. P E. & Co Cigars. P M Brewer. R M. C Jewelry. R M. & Son Wagons. R M Carriages. R L Saloon. R J. H. & Sons Gro. S F Trunks. S C Gro. S F Clothino-. Glue. A Machines. F Flour Mill. A Brkr. S M & Co Liquors. S Mrs. L : Brewery. S G. M Hemp Dusters. T Miss K '.Fancy Goods, etc. T J. H Newspaper. V C. J Drugs. V P Real Estate. W J. C Books. W & B Tobacco. W- J. S. & Co Tobacco. W H A & Co Livery. W J. H. H Agent. Y &Co ...Ro6fers. [TO BE CONTINUED.] LOWELL, MASS. A S Dry Goods and Sewing Machines. A W. & Son Flocks. B A. & Co Planing Mills. B W Furs. B E Gro. B M. A Gro. B M Provisions. B J. M Fancy Goods. B S. D. Foreign Fruits. B E. O Notions. B S Tinsmith. C C. E Drugs. C P. & Co Gro. C S Co. N Iron. C E. G Tanner. D -T Tailor. D J. & Son Mnfrs. D A Mnfr. Shoe Shanks. F F Mason. F O. D Drugs. F G. R Ladies' Suits. G J Boots and Shoes. G J Boots and Shoes. H M Dry Goods. H B. V Shoes. H D. W Coal. H J Mnfr. Boots and Shoes. H C Newspaper. 260 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. K R Machinery. 8- L J H Hats Caps etc s L F S L D & Son -Co. . Mnfrs Knives S- T-. M J A . . -Co. Mnfr T- T- M - O Furniture W- M D. J Liquors W- P J. N Machinist. W- R A. J... . . . Produce. J Mnfr, Shade Rollers. A. W Gro. S &Co Flour. T Co. T Waters, etc. J. M. &Co Boxes. J Roll Coverer. -G. H Mnfr. - Bros. & K Gloves. -W. H... ...Builder. [TO BE CONTINUED.] MASS. A S. T Hotel. A J. L Upholsterer. B T. W Shoes. B S. J Shoes. B W. N. & Co Coal, etc. S. H Boots, etc. W. &Co Gro. Shoes. B W. N Stitcher. B H. H Drugs. C C. H Builder. C H. R Boot and Shoe Mnfr. C H. & N Morocco. C B. F Carpenter. D & D Shoes. D B. & Co Shoes. D H. T Boot and Shoe Mnfr. G W. H Paster Inner Soles. G S. A Shoes. G S., Jr Shoes. H J. W Cement. H G. W Stiffenings. H P. C Shoes. H W.S ...Gro. H & D Shoes. H^^ P. H Builder. J L. S Slippers. K J Paints and Oils. K J. P Hotel. C: H Uppers. J. W Shoes. J. P Shoewax. S. S Boots and Shoes. J Gro. G. W Shoes. M R Carpenter. N & W Shoes. P E Shoes. P G Shoes. P J Shoes. P H. L Shoes. R J. R Stoves, etc. S & P Shoes. P. P Shoes. A. F Shoes. & M Shoes T W. S Operator. [TO BE CONTINUED,] THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 261 MANCHESTER, N. H. B G. F Auctioneer. C J. B. & Co Leather. C T Provisions. C T Clothing. C W Needle Mnfr. C D Gro. E W. H Jeweller. F S. C. & Co Machinists. G F .Boots and Shoes. H P. W Hotel. H A. D Tobacco. J C. H Fey Gds. M S. T. & Co Druggists. M S & L Co. M & Co Gro. N & H Machinists. R J Lqrs., etc. S A. W. & Co Carriages. S Bros Stoves. W G. W Millinery. W A. C Lumber. W A. H Clothing. W Mrs. J. L Fc,y Gds., etc. [TO BE CONTINUED.] MEMPHIS, A B & Co Furniture. A S. M Com'n. A M. & Son Boots and Shoes. A J. L Fancy Goods. A T. P. & Co. ..Cotton and Com'n. B H D. G. B M. F Gro. B & S Whol. H'dware. E. P. & Co Cotton Factors. B & Co Com'n.. II D. G., etc. M. M Sewing Machines. B. J Com'n. N. A. &Co Gro. B H Furniture. B J. T. & Co Com'n, etc. B & C Books and Stat'y. B C. G. & Co. . . .Prod, and Com'n. B J. M Cotton. B W. M Stockyards, etc. B W Newspaper. &P- - Cotton and Com'n. J. J. &Co Com'n. J. S Cotton. W. J. & Co Feedstore. E. L Books and Stat'y. E. D. & Co. . .Cotton and Com'n. ...:... D. G. J. W Contractor. H. C.&Co Prov. Hats and Caps. Com'n. & B It. E. Agency, etc. J. S Cotton Buyer. - W. J Upholsterer. - R & Co . . Cotton and Com'n. T. A Stoneworker. S D. G. & D . . . .Tobacco and Cigars. F Gro. - S Boots and Shoes. - Bros Cigars, etc. -W. B., Sr Capitalist. - G Furniture. THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. - J. S. & Co Books and Stat'y. -J. E Gro. R. C Newspaper. -B. A Dyer. - H. G Pianos and Music. - C & H ..Whol. Notions. -G Baker. D. & Son Gro. - & S Printers. -F. W. & Co. ..Cotton Factors and Com'n. - D. C. & Co Publishers. - K & Co. Wagon Factory, etc. -J. T... Whol. Gro. - C Builder. - S. D. & Co Com'n. - S Brewer. - & G Florists, etc. -& Co Plumbers. - P. . ., Machinist. -L D. G. - C D. G. and Clothing-. - L Clothing. - M. & Co D. G. and Clothing. -W Newsdealer. - W Plumber. - & Co Com'n and Prod. - P. J. & Co Plumbers, etc. - R. M Gas Machine. - J Stone Works. - & Co Boots and Shoes. - & Co Whol. H'dware. - T Marble Works. _ & A P Co. -A _ & R R -R - G. & Bro Whol. Paper. - V. B Com'n, etc. T T T T U V W- W- W- W- W- W- W- w W- W- W- W- W- W- W- & S Boots and Shoes. J. & A. P Carriages. A. R fc Com'n. G, Claim Agent. J. A. & Co. . .Cotton and Com n. J. C Speculator. & M Cotton Shed. G. W. & Co. Gin and Machinery. C & Co Com'n and Gro. S. G D. G. J. N Gro. B Coniec. &C Hotel. M & M R . N Clothing, etc. J. B Cotton Buyer. & S Cotton. C Plumber. J Paperhangings, etc. G. W. & Co Com'n. J. M. & Co Whol. Gro. & Co Auction and Com'n. L D. G. F. W Drugs. - & Co Storage. - Miss A. A Millinery. - & G Carriages. - C. C. & Bro Whol. Drugs. - & Co Dental Depot. - G. G. & Co Gen'l Com'n. -Z. H Hotel. - E. & Co Publisher. - T & Co. ..Rolling Mill, etc. - G. J. & Co Lumber. - A. N. & Co Feedstore. - J. M. & Co. .Cotton and Com'n. - & Co Mnfrs. Bitters. -M D. G. - & Co Drugs. [TO BE CONTINUED.} MILWAUKEE, WIS. A G. A Foundry. A D Clothing. A P. N Blacksmith. A A ., .Stages. O. & Co. . .Bankers and Brokers. M & Co Dry Docks, etc. J Marble. Bros Whol. Saddlery. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 263 J. W. & E. J Com'n. G Boots and Shoes. & R Whol. Dru^s. & M Com'n. H. M Wood and Coal. F Com'n and Distillery. F Mill. & P Coal and Wood. P Boots and Shoes. . W. & Co Carpets and Mnfrs. Woollen Goods. Miss I Milliner. F. & Son Com'n and Prod. J Gro. J. B. & Co Pianos. H. L Mdse. Broker. K & K . . A Co. H. S Photographer. L. J. & Co Ag'\ Implts. J. W. & Co Painters. & B Whol. Tobacco. N Co Printers and Pub'rs. & B Newspaper. T. P. & Co Painters and Wallpaper. E. G. . Com'n. W. W Mdse. Broker. L Lumber. L Roofer. J. H Whol. Gro. G Tanners. W. J Wool. T Whol. Liquors. F Hats and Caps. R. P. & Co Coal. T Co. J Wagons, etc. F. & Bro. . . .Flour and Woollen Mills. A. D Agent. J. W Boilermkr. J. S. & Sons Upholsterers. ...Mnfrs. Furniture. W. & Co Whol. and Ret. Hardware. Whol. Liquors. M Hotel. S Dry Goods. & Co Carpets, etc. S Mnfr. Slippers. T Fruit, etc. A Vinegar. F Whol. Hats and Caps. J Boots and Shoes. & S Millinery. J. M Notions. E. A Foundry. W Rags. & S Publishers. K C Jeweller. H & D Ins. Agents. H C. J Com'n Flour. H J Gro. H H Notions. H & V Com'n and Ins. H J. H Jeweller. H W Composition Marble. J J. & H Furniture. J P '. . Blacksmith. K F Liquors. K S D. G. K F Type Foundry. K & C Hotel. K I. & Co Notions, etc. K A Boots and Shoes. K A D. G. K E Musical Insts., etc. L C. C Saw Works. M R. A. & Co Mnfrs. Soap. M A. D Boots and Shoes. M J. S. & Co Lumber. M J. T. & Co Musical Insts. M & S Foundry. M H Feed. M J Wagons. M H & L Co. M U D Co. M & N W^ S M Co. M F Cigars. M M & Co Flour Ma. chinery. & D Doors, Sashes, etc. Printers. B. A Com'n. F Wines, etc. E. B. & Co Com'u. A. P., Son & Co Soap, etc. A Miller. G Sashes, Doors, etc. D. G R. E. Agent and Trip Hammer. R W. C Ag'l Implts R J Fruit, etc. R R. & Co Clothing. R P. Jr Com'n. R L Distiller. R Bros Whol. Liquors. R A. & Co Jewellers. S R Wines and Liquors. J G. S. J. H R. E, Wood, etc. J. & Co Bridge'Builders. C. A Furniture. C Wood and Coal. & P Ales and Liquors. M & Co Gent's Furn'g Goods. &Co Books, & C Pub'rs, etc. H Mnfr. Hats. g & Co Lumber. 264 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. U A Com'n. W- W J. P. & Co Com'n. , W- W J. W Prod, and Com'n. W- W W. A Billiards. W- W E Boots and Shoes. Z -R. J. C Fruit, etc. -A Tobacco and Cigars. - J. T Packer. - & M Ag'l Implts. & R Jewellers. [TO BE CONTINUED.] MOBILE, ALA. T. S Books and Stationery. W. A Drugs. H & Co Drayage and Storage. J Com'n. H. W Drugs. Mrs. M. C Hotel. Z Drugs. L. & Co Cigars. E. W. & Co Produce. J. & Co Cotton Com'n. J D. G. & \V Gro. J. D Harness. J. A Furniture. S Gen. Store. L. G. & Co Com'n Prod. R. L. & Co Tobacco. G Jeweller. C P Co. . I. L Drugs. E. F Cotton Com'n. S. N. &Co Dredgers. J. & Co Founders. B. R Boots and Shoes. Mrs. M Boots and Shoes. M M Cotton Factor. M I. A. & Co Com'n. M & Son Cotton Brokers. M J Livery Stable. M D Furniture. M F &Co D. G. M G. H Boots and Shoes. M W. H Auction. M A. J Safes. M M Furniture. X C. D Gro. P & P Cotton Pickery. P L. & Co Gro. P A. A. & Co Com'n Prod. P W. D Seeds, etc. P C Whol. Hardware. R A. B. & Bro Cotton Press. S E. R R. E. and Ex. Bkr. S J. F. & Co Gro. and Com'n. S I Co. T R. E Prod. Com'n. T & C Lumber. W W. L Cotton Factor. Y G. W Hotel. Z G. & B. . . . . .Furniture. [TO BE CONTINUED.] THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 265 MONTREAL, QUE. A A. & E Imps. Leather. A E - Banker. A & Co Fey Gds. B E. I. & Co Livery. B & S Express. B W. H Crockery. B W. P. & Co Founders. B B . . .Contractor. B S. W. & Co Coal. B A. R Liquors. B E Coal Oil. B C Provisions. B A, & Co Furs. B J Butcher. B &C ...D. G. B D. & Co Com'n Merchants. C W. A. & Co. . . .Coffee and Spice Mills. C S. &Co D. G. C J. B D. G. C J. & Co Soda Water. C C. E Wines, etc. C A Trader. D N. & Co Bkrs. D & P Cigars. D S. & Co Mnfrs. Cigars. D J Contractor. D E Hotel. D & M Gro. D J. N D. G. E D Com'n Teas. E H. & Co Imps. Cigars, etc. F R Marble Works. G &Co D. G. G M & Co Gro. G J. G Lithographer. G E. E Machinist. G S Tailor. G F Mnfr. Trusses. H & Co Lumber. H J. N. & Co. . .Whol. Hardware. H D. A Fancy Goods. H T. W. & Bro Liquors. H & S Fwdrs. H M. & Sou Mnfrs. Hats. H E. Fils & Co Dry Goods, etc. H B Whol. Gro. K & Co Machinists. K W. L. & Co Engin'rs' Agts. K A Cooper. L H. & Co. . . . . .Produce. R Lumber. L. H. &Co Whol. D. G'ds. F Lumber. A Carpenter. R Flour. T. & Co. .... .Boots and Shoes. J. . .Whol. Jeweller, and Fancy Goods. L M Hoopskirts, etc. D. E. & Co Drugs and Oils. W. F. &Co Wines. C. B. & Co Lumber. L. & Son Brokers. P. P. & Co Whol. D. G'ds. J Agent. D. I Gro. W Straw Works. D Leather. & Co Lumber. M & J Forwarders. M W. M Iron Works. M H. & Co .Dry Goods. M G. W Com'n D. G. M M. & Co Lumber. M P Wood and Coal. J. & R Whol. Dry Goods. P c. E Furniture. P W Mills. P J Jeweller. P J Mnfr. Cider. P L. & Co Printers. R W. H. & Co Com'n. R T. & Co Paper and Stat'rs. R P. A Lumber. R G. L. & Son Shoes. R P Dry Goods. R & j Oils, etc. R B. & Co Fancy Goods. R A Confec. S- 0. & Co Whol. Gro. g D.&J Books. S C. E Leather. S Bros. & C - Tanners. S H. J. & Co Auctioneers. T M. & Co Shoes. T E. H. & Co Shoes. T M Dry Goods. V N. & Co Iron Founders. W & F Shoe Findings. Y J. M... Prov. [TO BE CONTINUED.] THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. E"ASHYILLE, TE10T. R. F Hardware. F.M Carriages. & A Jewellers. J. W Boots and Shoes. & Co Auction and Com'n. & J Lumber. & P Com'n. A. L. & Co Patent. C A. W. .- Scales. C J Clothing. C Bros Lumber. C W Gro. C S Dry Goods. C &Co Gro. C J. 0. &Co G. S. C 1 & Co Auction. B. R Shoes. D.D Mill. P & Co Drugs. F E. H Cotton Broker. F E Hotel. F E. & Co '. .Boots and Shoes. G R. I Drugs. G M. C. &Co Saw Mill. G H Clothing. G J. P. & Co Fancy Goods. H C. B Boots and Shoes, etc. H & Son Com'n. H G. W Drugs. II W. T Cotton and Com'n. II & Son Dental Depot, etc. II S Clothing. I Miss E . . . Milliner. - & W Restaurant. - C Printer. - J. N. & Co Leather, etc. - J. E. & Co Fancy Goods. - J. A. & Bro Music. - M Dry Goods and Boots and Shoes. -H & Co Gro. - J. & Sons Saddlery, etc. - & H Clothing, etc. - A Boots and Shoes. - T Cotton Speculator. - S. & Son Clothing. - Mrs. E. F Gents' Furn'g. -G. & Co D. G. -C. L Gro. - J. A. J Clothing. T. F Photographer. H. G R. E. Agent. C & R Co. & P : Carpenters and Builders. H. C Oils. N U . & P Brewery. S. & Co Leather, etc. . & C Boots and Shoes. - I. & Co Jewellers. - Mrs. E Millinery. - J -Mer. Tailor. - W. E F S . [TO BE CONTINUED.] THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 267 1OJWABK, KJ. A F Fertilizers. A H. B Jewelry. A & C Stoves. A J. G Oilcloth. A & S Brewers. A I) Lumber, etc. & Co Machinists. P Contractor. H T Co. M Co. M Co. W. J Boots and Shoes. S Morocco. J Livery. E A. L Undertaker, etc. F J Soda. G R. J Engines. G A Imp. Wines. G A Books, etc. H C Contractor. H W. W Cooper. H C. H Slater. II W. A. & Co Clothing. J M Co. K J. H Wagons. M M .Prov. M P Liquors. M J Hats. M L. B Mattresses. M S & Co Machinists. M J. & M. A Livery. N T T Co. M Spring Mnfr. P C Co. R J. H Springs. R & S Junk. R W Bags. S U Brewer. S & S Flour, etc. T & W Boots. V N ' Silverplater. W A Boots, etc. W C. & B Brewers. W J News Depot. Z & B . . . . . .Plumbers. [TO BE CONTINUED.] , CT. A A.. A N A J... A H. Lqrs. Co. Oysters. Architect. B G. M House Mover. J Hotels. G. A Lqrs. & W Boots and Shoes. W. A Daguerreian. T Gro. M Co. B & D Bros Gents' Furn'g- B W Builder. B C. W Hotel. B F. S. & Co H'dware. B I. M Drugs. B W. H. & Co Mnfrs. Coaches. B M. P Corset Mnfr. B S D. G. B F Boots and Shoes. B B Gen. Store. B G Cigars, etc. 26S THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. . & g Stk Bkrs. J Harnessmkr. P Lqrs. C. L .Cabtmkr. .H'dware Mnfrs. L. & Co India-Rubber. & Co Publishers. J. E Dry and Fey Gds. R. T Hotel. - J. G Flour and Feed. - H. D. & Co Bldrs' Materials. - E. A Paperliangings, etc. - E Co. . p, w P Co. -&S Whol. Prod. - & Co Carriages. - F. A. & Co Stoves, etc. -C. C. &Co Shirts. -B &Co D. G. - W. J. & J. E Tinners. -H. P Mnfr. - W. P Builder. - T Harnessrnkr. -H Gro. - & P Machinery. -E Hotel. - C. P Gro. - P .Brewery. - Bros Publishers. - R. H... Printer and Steam Heat- in#. - J. L Harnessmkr. - B Real Estate. - E Steel Shanks, etc. - C. F Auctioneer. - A. J. & Co Builders. -D. M Hotel. A. G Fruit. - & B Lumber. - H. H Gro. and Prov. - E. . . . . .Lumber. -A Boots and Shoes. . w F Co. - J. T Perfumery Mnfr. -W....- Gro. -P Gro. -P Lqrs. - & S Iron Foundry. - M Co Needles - C Tobacco. _ E F Co. - F Oysters. - F. Wire Works. - E. P Window Springs. -F Leather. - C Ins. - W Billiards. -M.&S D. G. -F Saloon. -J. C Tailor. - J.' G. & Co "...Ins. - & O Tobacco. - W Gro. - C. H Mnfr. Coach Lace. - J. S Fey Gds, etc. - Bro. & Co Brass. -J. H Pickles. -L J Real Estate. -D. F Gas Fixtures. -S Broker. - W. J Musical Insts. - B. N. & Co Oysters. - H. J Boots and Shoes. C. & C Boots and Shoes. H. B Gro. S Iron. J Gro. - G Flour. J. E Stoves. J. D Drugs. - H. N. & Co Crockery. - J. M. . . . ..Picture Frames. [TO BE CONTINUED.] THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. NEW-ORLEANS, LA. - J. F Variety. -G. E Lqrs. - J Drugs. -C. W. &Co Com'n. - G. & Co Brewery. - & L Bakery. - L . Tinsmith. - & N Whol. Boots and Shoes. - J & Co. Whol. Boots, Shoes, D. G., etc. I. & Co Whol. Gro. L. & Co Whol. Gro. M Whol. Millinery. P Tailor. H C. H. Broker. . & C Whol. H'dware. - J Paints. - J Exchange. - J. A Lumber. F Com'n. C. W Broker. & V Wines, etc. R. Y Bonded Warehouse. O Cotton Factor. & W Steam Cotton Gunnery. J Foundry. M Clothing. T. M. & Co Com'n. W. C. &Co Whol. Grain. T. S Planters' Agent and Com'n. J. B ' Saloon. B. & W D. G. J. P Oils and Lamps. - T. & Sons D. G. -P D. G. - J. A Hotel. -P Blksmith. - M Pianos. -A Gro. and Coffee. -H Ale Bottler. - J Gro. -P. H Gro. - C & Co Com'n. - & D Bldng Materials. - J Saloon. G. J Builder, etc. - D Sugar Broker. G R Stoves. G F Tailor. G M. & Son Com'n. G Bros Hats. H J. G Broker. H B Gro. H R Tailor. H W. & Co Cotton Factors. H J. F. & Co Restaurant. H A. F Gro. H P Mill, etc. H & G Cotton. H & V Com'n. H J. M Powder. H L Coffee House and Wood- yard. H & M Produce. H A. W Stationery. I G. B. & Co Saloon. J J. W Builder. F Books. & Co Coal. W. A. Oil and Lamps. E Fancy and D. G. G. H. W Boots. L D. G. S D.G. I. K. & Son Notions, etc. V Gro. J. G Com'n Cotton. L & B Ship Brokers. L P Cemetery Marble. L C Brewer. M T Gro. M II Fancy Goods. M D Clothing, etc. M L Gro. M N D.G. M G. F. Com'n Coal. M J Produce. M S. E Crockery, etc. p & R Gro. P & T Hay and Feed. P E Cotton Brkr. Q F. A Nursery. R Mrs. C Millinery. J Saloon. J Boots, etc. F. L Furniture. F. . . . . .Gro. THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. J Saloon. & Co H'dware. J Crockery. J. A Boots. &B Gro. S F Boots. S T Leather. S B Variety. S M. & Co H'dware, etc. S & K Rice. S D Stationery. S J. B Gro. S J. G Gro., etc. S M & Co Com'n. S J Broker. S & M Crockery. S G Marble. T & A Cotton. T R. F Gro. T W. C D. G. T & Co Mdse. Bkrs. T M Gro., etc. V & B Wines, etc. V C Boots. W J. J Brewery. W M Paints. W F. & Co Butchers. W & M Clothing. [TO BE CONTINUED.] ^OEFOLK, YA. A J. S. B Fancy Goods, etc. B W. R. & Co Com'n. B A. S. & Co Whol. Gro., etc. D. G. W. &W D. G., etc. Gro. and Liq. B D. B Carriage Mnfy. B B. B Com'n. C A & H D. G. , etc. C & H Com'n. E H Oyster Packer. E- & P Crockery. F S D. G., etc. G J. O. Jr Lumber and Coal. G J. R Stoves, etc. G & C Mnfrs. Funnels. G M & Co Furniture. G J. W G. S. H W. T. & Son Upholsterers. H W. T. & Co Whol. Gro. H W. T . Confec., etc. K Mrs. B Liquors. K F. L Drugs. K J. H Tailor. L W Shipping and Com'n. M A. A Lumber. M R W., Son & Co. . . .Hardware. R Bros. & Co Com'n. S L Furniture, etc. _&L Whol. Gro. and Com'n. S. W W T hol. Liquors. . E & W .Whol. Hdware. E. & Co Liquors. - B. F Prod., etc. - S Boots and Shoes. _&H . .. Gro. [TO BE CONTINUED.] THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 271 O^WEGO, ]ST. Y. A G. W D.G. A H D. G. and Notions. A G Capitalist. A A Hotel. B F. E Gro. B B. D Jeweller. B E Boots and Shoes. B P. Clothing. B C. W Tobacco. C W. G Oil. C T Painter. C E Saslies, etc. D & Sons Carriages. D A & Co Millers. P J. & Co Gro. F A. & H Clothing. T Gro. Co Lumber. H D Junk, etc. H J Fish and Fruit. H E Lumber. H S. J Boots and Shoes. J D Com'n. K A Gro. L B Liquors. M P Upholsterer. M A. M Hotel. M J. J D. G. M & M Brokers, etc. N M. P Clothing. O J. & Co Gasfittings. O M Co. O P Co. P J Tailor. P C Paints. P J. L Paperhangings. R W Gro. R I. &W Gro. R L. B Jeweller. S R. E Tools. T & B Painters. W A Picture Frames. W C. H. . . . . .Builder. [TO BE CONTINUED.] PATEBSCOT, N. J. A D Harness. A C. B. & Co Mnfrs. Silk. B M Liq uors. B L. J., Jr Silk Mills. C E Lamps and Oil. C W Scrap Iron. C & H Crockery. D J Contractor. F T Gro. G 0. V Drugs. G & L Dyers. H & Co Furniture. H W Cottons, etc. J. H Painter. -S. C Miller. J Cotton Mills. C Coal. Bros Silk. L G Fancy Goods. Hotel. R M Co. - B C Co. M Co Machinists. G Tinsmith. J. P Hotel. [TO BE CONTINUED.] 272 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. PHILADELPHIA, PA. A J. K Clothing. A J Coal. A R. Jr Coal. A T. M Flour and Feed. A E Clothing. A S Clothing. A W. S. & Co Sashes, etc. A & K Lumber. A A Liquors. A G. & Co Music. A & Bro Coal. A V. E D. G. A D Hatter. A E. D Lumber. A F & Co Queensware. A H Grist Mill. A W Shoes. A H & Co.Mnfrs. Sewing Silk. A H & L Co. A S. W Tobacco. B C. W., Jr Flour. B J Furniture. B T. W Jeweller. B J. J. & Co. Hosiery, Notions, etc. B F. & Co Brandies. B H. A R. E. Agent. B S. M Tailor. B E Hotel. B J Mnfr. Shawls. B J. P Gents' Furn'g. B & S Files. B P Stoves, etc. B A. & J. B D. G. B W. T Spar-yard. B H Gro.,etc. B W Gro. B Bros H'dware. B & S Clothing. B T. & Bro Finishers. B I Brewer. B & R D. G. B E Notions. B- D. & Son Coppersmiths. B A. & Bro Lumber. B & G Factors. B J Wines. B C Lqrs. B R. . . ... Machinists' Tools. E Mnfr. Carpets. &I Co. Co Hatters. &F Liquors. F. E Horn. Druggist. G. & Co Japanned \Vare. & G Chemists. Mrs. J Crockery. Bros Mnfrs. Paper. W. H.&CO Lumber. & Bros. . . .Hosiery, Gloves, etc. E Coal. & Co Mnfrs. M Co Machinery. J. G. &Co Cars. & Bros Whol. Dyestuffs. & Son Printers. D. & Bro Lumber. M C Co. W. R. & Co Iron Pipes. & M Liquors. P Coal. J Painter. P & W . .L Works. E Millinery. & K Tin Plate, etc. S. S. & Co Confectionery. & A Sash Mill. W. P D. G. G. w. H & Co Whol. Drugs. T Co Sleeping-Cars. M Co. E. W. & Co Brokers. J. S Ranges and Stoves. T Com'u Merchant. T. & W Liquor?. M. Jr. B & N Co. J D. G. J Hotel. J H'dware. S. I. & Co Flour and Grain. & Bro Gro. S Whol. Linen Gds. F Soap. . C Auction and Com'n. J. W. & Bro Mnfrs. F'cy Ca- binet Ware. W. & Sons.. Ships and Engines. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 273 & Co Carpets. G. & Sous Wines. & K Bankers. J Builder. E Catholic Bks. -R Mnfr. L. & Co.. . Whol. Millinery Gd's. K Flour, etc. J. F Millinery. -J. & J Mnfrs. Woollens. T. & Co Mnfrg. Hosiery. -B. &Sons China. H. A Seeds. & Bro. Liquors. - 1 Co. Bros , Bankers. J. S. & Sons Paintings and Looking Glasses. J. & Son Soap. F Toys, etc, C & Co Bankers. T Co. J. & Co Com'n D. G. D & H Notions. B. F Gen'l Com'n. R & Co Whol. Drugs. Bros. & B . .Whol. Clothing. C P R Co. R & Co Coal. P Brewery. K & Co Bricknikrs. W. W Mnfr. Bibles and Albums. &Co Oils. & H Co. H. W Hotel. G Mnfrs. Cottage Furniture. & S S P R Co. M N & B Sugar Re- finers. M W Stationer. M T. J Liquor and Distiller. M S & Co Cotton Brokers. M & Bro .Gen'l Com'n. M W. C. & Co Brokers. M H. G Machinist. O J. S. & Son Grain. P J. W. & Son Leather. P R. & Co Com'n Cotton. Philadelphia C Co. Philadelphia P B M Co. Philadelphia & S M Co. p S. R. & Son Whol. and Ret. Saddlers. P I Co. P R. H Coal. P c & I Co. R H. R Whol. D. G. R M. & Co Mnfrs. and Com'n. R J Corks. R H. W Tobacco. R M. & Co Lumber. R & B Gas Generator. R D. E Sewing Machines. R J Imp. Drugs. R- S. T. & Son Builders. S P M Co. S M Co Iron Founders. S & N P R Co. S W & Co Miners and Coal Shippers. W. Frames, Looking Glasses, etc. W.H Coal. W. &A. J Hardware. J, G Carpets. M Co '. . .Paper. J. T. & Co Carpet Yarns. J... ...Builder. [TO BE CONTINUED.] 274 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. PITTSBURGH, PA. J Jeweller. J Lumber. V R Co. B M Co. .... . . .Sasli - D. D. & Co Gro. - J. C Molasses Cans. - C. II. & Son Coal and Coke. - S.H Gro. - J. J. & Bro Tobacco. -T Teas. - W. A. & Bro. .Boots and Shoes. W. B Contractor. S Mer. Tailor. C. C Oil. - & S Mdse. Brokers. J Coal. - T. L. & Co Mnfrs. Office Furniture, etc. Mrs. M Notions. N.N Builder. A H'\vare and Gro. J Wines, etc. J. M. & Son Boilers. H. W. & Co. . . .Mineral Water. W. & Son Land Dealers. J. R Wigs. A Liquors. - J. M. & Co Whol. Liquors. Bros Stained Glass. -Co. T Co Glassware, etc. J. W Hotel. A. J .Hotel. C Co. S. P Tobacco, etc. I Co. J. M Boots and Shoes. Bros. & Co Pianos and Musical Insts. &W Coal. W. H Clothing, Hats, etc. G. & Co Jewellers. & P R. E. Agents. J. A Notions. J Bricks. J. R Furniture. T .Mer. Tailor. W... .. .Mer. Tailor. D P Co. D J. H Brass Founder. D G Co Dealers Glassware. D H .' Mnf r. Bricks. D J. II Physic'n and Drugs. D A & Co Coal. D Bros Gro. and Liq. D J. L Whol. Liquors. D W. C Boots and Shoes. E J. D Books. E D Whol. Tobacco. E & G '. Hotel. E G Scales, etc. E F Co. E D. W. .' Variety. F W Jeweller. F C Hotel. F J. S. & Co Distillery. F & Bro Oil Dealers. F Mrs. C Gro. F D. H. &Son D. G. G B Co Mnfrs. Bricks. G C Tailors' Trimmings. G J. W. & Co D. G. G & B Patent Agents. G S Agent. G W. J Trunks. G P Silks. G & M Nursery. G I. W Com'n Coal. H H & C Co. H W Co. .Grain, Flour, etc. H M. & O .. .Mnfrs. R. R. Iron. H & M Rags, etc. H O. C Drugs. H A. & Co Engine-builders. II D. P R. E. Agent. H E Brewer. H L Lumber. II F. Jr Gro. H W. & Co Com'n Whol. Tobacco. H W. A R. E. and Ins. Agent. H J Lumber, etc. H G. B. & Co Brokers. H W. & W Coal. H H. M... ...Coal. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 275 - & II Belting and Rubber Goods. - C. & Son Contractors. - A & Co Mnfrs. Bolts. - J. W. . .Whol. Lightning Rods. .&Co Saw Mill. P Clothing. . & B Teas, etc. - D. M Teas, etc. - J. J. & Bro Patent Rights. - P Liquors. - J. W Jeweller. - & Co.. .Prop's of G W . -G Tin. - D Harness. - Mrs Variety. W. J Drugs. L.. Coal. 0. F IF ware and Mnfr. Hubs. II. A. Com'n Iron. W. A. & Co Pianos. R. T Oil Broker. W. II Furniture. M Trunks. G. W Tailor. &Co .-..Oil. & C Com'n Pig Metal. J Boots and Shoes. C. II & B . . . R. E. Agent. Ins. Agents. J. 15. & Co. . .Mnfrs. Flint Glass. S & Co Iron. Mrs. S. W. . . .Fancy Goods and Millinery. - A. A Stock Broker, - H. R. & Co Mnfrs. Brooms. -J. J Whol. Teas. -D. A Coal. -J. S Coal. . & D Whol. D. G. - P Linen Goods. - Bros Scrap Iron. - D. & Co Iron. - P & Co Furnace. - T. K. & Bro Variety. - W. F Leather. - M. K Tobacco Broker. -& Co Hotel. - M. L Carpenter. -C : Tailor. -R. S Tailor. - J Variety. -M Clothing. - W ~- & Co Tanners. . B of P . -C Marble. - D. & Co Mnfrs. Patent Tin Cans. - S. & Son Furniture. - H & Co Whol. Liquors. M P. H Gro. and Liq. M C. & Bro Cabinetmkrs. M J. M. & Co Jewellers. M D D & Co Springs and Axles-;. M & X Job Printers. M C. W Confec. M L. & A Saw Mill, M P Gro. M S Tin and Woodenware. X J Carriagemkr. X C II Co. X F. C. Co Coal. X W Mnfr. Colored Glass and Painter. P F. G Burning Fluid. P C. II Hats and Caps. P M Co Patent for Steam Boilers. p & v Liquors. P T. F D. G. Pittsburgh & C S R Co. Pittsburgh & St. L I I Co. P C. T .....Oil. P & J Scenic and Fresco Artists. P J. B Lumber. P H Wagons and Carriages. P J Clothing, Hats and Caps. P W. G. Sr Foundry. R J. S. & Co Oil. R & R Coal and Lumber. R J Com'n Iron. R J. W. & Co Coal. R A Mnfr. Corrugated Iron. R C Pianos. R J Brewery. R T. R _. . .Boots and Shoes. R W. W. Co Lumber and Planing Mill. It J. r> Coal. R R. J Analytical Chemist, K__ & \y Coal. R II. G Carpenter. R L Hotel. R M Hotel. . .Woodenware, etc. & H Physicians. S & II Clothing. S F. W. & Bro Carriages. S J. J. & Bro Printers, Books, etc. S P Furniture. S J. A Tailor. S C Tin and House Furn'g. S T Co. S C. A Tobacco. S L. B Fancy Goods. S T Clothing. S G. E Boots and Shoes. S N . . . . .D. G. 276 THE COMMERIAL AGENCIES. T. A Editor. W. J. & Co Fruit and Prod. A Liquors. & Co Coal and Coke. & G B Co. J. I Jeweller. C Liquors. Co. & B Firebricks. Bros Oil Brokers. L Boots and Shoes. T Co. U S I & T P Co. W W. W Marble and Machine Works. W S. B Builder, etc. W Bros. & Co Iron. W H Brewer. W J. W Mufr. Gaspipe Tongs, etc. W J. W. & Sons Furniture. W J. T. Contractor.- Y S. M. . ...Gro. [TO BE CONTINUED ] PORTLAND, ME. A E. C Books. A B. & Sons Furniture. B & W Misses Fey Gds. G. W. H Baker. W' & Co Brushes. J. J Gro., etc. D. W. &Co Ice. F. W Bricks. D. W Com'n Flour. & W Lumber. K R. E. Bkrs, etc. J. & Co Gro., etc. L L Mow'g Mach. A Furniture. J. B. & Co Painters' Oils, etc. F C. H Tanner. F C. R. & L. E Builders, etc. F A. P Varnish. G M. S. & Co Hotel. G G. G Boots and Shoes. G W & Co. ..Boots and Shoes. H S. B Carriages. H & M Millinery, etc. H W. P Organ Mnfr. H H. H Drujrs. H J. & Co Gro. H W. F Hotel. I C. L. & Co Clothing. j & W Coal and Wood. K G & Co Flour. L & Co Plumbers. L J Apothecary. - W & Co Ship Stores. -J. F Stabler. & W Flour. T. & Co Whol. Gro. -P Lqrs. -G. H Periodicals. - E Druggist. - C & B Lumber. -M. G Boots. -N. M.&Co H'dware. - & Co Machines. - M W - W. A Bookbinder. -C. D Hotel. -A Books. -&M Wood, etc. - & C Lumber. - G. C. & Co Fey and D. G. - & Bro Spruce Gum. - J , Carriages. - Bros Pictures, etc. - O. P Razor-Strap Mnfr. . G & Co Shoes, etc. -G. W. &Co Spices. - G & Co Flour, etc. -E. L Drugs. -A. B Chandler. - J Iron Founder. -L. D D. G. -E. N D. G., etc. -& C Findings. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 277 W B Co. W T. H Gen'l Com'n. W W. W. & Co Drugs. &C- M P. E. .Lumber. ...Hotel. [TO BE CONTINUED.] PORTLAND, OE. G Com'n. & II Saw and Planing Mills. Mrs. L D. G., etc. J . G Contractor. C. C Books and Stat'y. W. & Sou Gunsmiths, etc. .B. & S., Clothing, etc. M & Co D. G., Gro., etc. E. J. . . .Builder and Contractor. & G Boots and Shoes. I Painter. H. II Crockery. A Saloon. W. & Son Mer. Tailors and Sewing Machine Agents. & M Whol. Gro. K Money Broker. T Tobacco and Cigars. A. J Agent. & D Gro. A. & Co Boilermkrs. M. &Bro D. G.,etc. W Prod. Dealer. J. W - Builder. J. & Co Drugs. & C Contractors and Builders. J. L Contractor. R. S Hotel. . g & L T Co. E. B Gro., etc. B. . . .Steamboats and Railroads. P... ...Locksmith. & S Butchers. -J Clothing. F. & Co Boots and Shoes. J. & Co Com'n. J. R Stoves and Tinware. L H. R Contractor. M S. J Books and Stat'y. M M. Boots and Shoes. M J. . .Whol. D. G., Millinery, etc. M &F D. G., etc. M A. L Clothing. M D Glue and Curled Hair. M J. B R. R. Contractor. M C. H Plumbing and Gas- fixtures. & U Tailors. and C Co Pub'r. W. T....: Agent'S. M. S. F. .Carriagemkr and B'smith. D Clothing. J . . .Doors, Sashes, and Window- Glass. B. F Lime and Cement. Bros. & Co Lumber. B. L Jewelry, etc. C Books and Stat'y. . & M Saddlery. I W R T Co. & M Gro., etc. R D. G., etc. [TO BE CONTINUED.] 278 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. POUGHKEEPSIE, K T. S. B, & Son Boots, etc. & M Drugs, etc. J Boots and Slices. E D. G. W. H Tailor. A. F Boots and Shoes. G. L Stoves, etc. R Builder. L Tobacco, etc. F. & Son Stoves. E Crockerv. H L. E Crockery. H P. M Drugs. H J. C D. G. M W. R Fey Gds. M F. Jr Stoves, etc. M A Boots and Shoes. M Mrs. J Wooden ware. P J. J Coffees, etc. R A B'smith. S D. Sons Soap, etc. V M. & Co. . . Brewers. [TO BE CONTINUED.] PEOVIDENCE, E. I. A T Cotton Dealer. A E. & Co Carriages, etc. A S Mnfr. Cotton. A T Hotel. A W W Co. A G. O. . .Periodicals and Fey Gds. A D Co. .Mufrs. "Woollen Gds, etc. B A. O Jewelry. B J. M Patternmkr. S. W. . .Mnfr. Prints and Horse Blankets. ?". & Co. . .Steam and Gas-Pipe Fitters. T. H Pianos. W. H D. G. B F. L Harness, etc. B J Boots and Shoes. B G Tea and Gro. B E. W Fey Gds, Toys, etc. B C. E. & Co !Mnfrs. Ladders. B & B Mnfg. Jewellers. B J. B. & Co Mnfg. Jewellers. B H. . . . . .Brass Founder. B C H Co. B G. W. B Gro. B Bros. . . .Flour, Grain, Hay, etc. J Pile Driver. &H Books. E. S Fey Gds. H. A. & Co. .Mnfrs. Comforters. H. T. .'. . .Jewelry and Fey Gds. D. Jr Apothecary. S. W. & Co Fruit and Prod. & G Lumber Dealers. D. B. & Son Hay, etc. C. B Drugs, etc. C. G. & Co Mnfrs. Kaleido- scopes. C Pig Iron and Stoves. C G. M Gas Pipes. C B. B Painter. C T & Co Furniture. C J Paints, etc. C S. B. & Son. . .Mnfg. Jewf" <:.-. C E. P Silk Ribbons. C J. H Apothecary. C E. S Mnfr. Straw Goods. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 270 C W Co. C J. M. & Son D. G. C & W Carriage H'dware. C A. Fancy Goods and Periodicals. C J. B., Jr D. G. and Gro. C L. & Co Boots and Shoes C J. M Gro. C C. E Teas, etc. C & S Gro. and Liq. C P. C Lqrs. C J. E. & Co. . . .Mnfrs. Carriages. C J. H Pickles, Fruit, etc. C & R . .Mnfrs. Spiral Springs. D W & Co Whol. Drugs. D & M Gasfixtures. D L ..' D. G. D M Co. Mnfrs. Wringers and Tools. D C. T Com'n. I) C. & Co Mnfg. Jewellers. D M Gro. and Liq. I) J. F Broker. D W. H Nursery. E & p Express. E C. F. & Co Cotton Goods. E H. W Mnfr. Carriages. E J & E Co. F G. E. B Drugs. F J. ..Lace Goods and Underwear. F N. B Composition Roofing. F D Co. F M. F. & Co Apothecaries. J Gro., etc. P O A Mnfr. Shirts. N. L. & Co Cotton. T Lqrs. J. & Co Brokers Drugs, etc. S. C. & Co Fancy Goods and Periodicals. II. & Co. . .Gro., Liq., and Prov. Bros Lqrs. G N. G Cotton Broker. H D. G Gro. and Liq. H C. W Sewing Machines. II W. A Steam Engines, etc. II G. '& Sons Whol. Prod, and Fruit. II & W . ..Laces and Fey Gds. H & Co Machinists. II E. A Coal and Grain. II I. M Mnfg. Jeweller. H G. L Flour and Grain. J & C '.Agents. J C. W. & Bro Mnfrs. Paper Boxes. K J Liquors. K D. H Whol. Gro. and Fruit. K P Wool Waste. K & Co House Furn'g. K & P Boots and Shoes. L H & Co Gro. L W. H. . . .Gro., Flour and Grain. L W Tob., Periodicals, etc. L O. E. & Co. .... . .House Furn'g. L D Whol. Teas and Spices. L M Co Soap. L C. 11 Jeweller. L T. J Mnfg. Jeweller. M W Gro., etc. M M Saloon. M J Liquors. M J D. G. M J. H D. G. M W. S Wool. M S. M Printer. M A Mnfr. Hoopskirts, etc. M T. L Cotton Dealer. M J. A. . .Mnfr. Foundry Facings. N B Co. N R Co. N G. H Coal. O A. G Fire Supplies. O C. J Coal. O M & Co ...!... Mnfrs. Wire. P E. A Wool. P J. B. & M H'dware. P A. & Co. Wool and Wool Waste. P H. C Hotel. p & H Gro. P M. V Hotel. P C. F Mnfr. Woollen Yarns. P E. B Boots and Shoes. P J. L. & Co Starch and Oil. P F. C Advg. Agent. P J. C Jeweller. P J Co Japanners. P M G & P M Co. Q Co Print Cloths. R T. A. & Co Cotton. R O Mnf r. Carriages. R T. C Hats, Caps, etc. R G Mnfr. Woollen Goods. R S. E. Stationer. R I B F M Co. F S Co. R I N Co. R Bros Cotton Brokers. R J Fancy Goods. R W I Co. R Bros D. G. R C Boots and Shoes. J. A. & D. S Woollens. Furn'g and D. G. E. A H'dware. G. M Auction and Com'n. G. W Liquors. 280 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. S J. E Mnfr. Chandeliers. S S. W. Cotton and Cotton Waste. S W. S Cotton. S Bros Men's Furn'g. S A. J Apothecary. IS B. S Hair Goods, etc. S G. J Mnfr. Caps and Clo. S A. & W. M Co. S J. L Carpenter. S- & M M Co. & B. F Woodenware. T O. A., Jr., & Co. . . .Mnfrs. Starch and Gums. T C. F. ..Mnfr. Patent Cop. Tubes. T J. F Hotel. T L Mnfr. Horn Jewelry. T L. H. & Co Plumbers' Mate- rials. T & M N Co. T G. &Co D G T E. W. & Co D G U A L Co. V A & Co Books, etc. W S & Co. . .Genl. Coin'n and Oil Mers. W N Boots and Slices. W E. M. & Co. . .Boots and Shoes. W O. B Coal. W J. H Steam Heaters. W W. H Stoves, etc. W S. B Fruit and Prod. W B. W Stock Broker. W- G. E Hats and Caps. W J Mnfr. Woollens. W A. & Co Fruit and Com'n. W J. S Harness Weaver. [TO BE CONTINUED.] RALEIGH, 1ST. C. P. & w Gro. Mrs Milliner. J.C G.S. S Gro. and Liq. E. W Gro. Dr. G. W Hotel. r. M Hotel. L Books, etc. T. B Speculator. C. S Hotel. N. L Confec. J. E. H Drugs. J.H Books. - J Editor. -S.D Gro. -J Gro. K J. L. . . . Patent Pumps. K Mrs. & Son. . . . rGunsmiths, etc. L J. S Whol. Liquors. L A. G. & Sons Com'n, etc. L J. C. S Tinner. N P Co. E & H Liquors. S W Drugs, etc. T J. M Auction and Com'n. U A. N Gro. and Liq. W J. W Photographer. "W B Co Com'n and Cotton Factors. [TO BE COXTIXUED.] THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 281 RICHMOND, VA. A R ...... Baker. A A , , iv*. Coufec. A It. P. Imp. Tobacco. -* .; Jr Tobacco. Books. & Co Whol. Liquors. P Clothing. M Clothing. W. W. & Co Editors. L Clothing, etc. J. N Gro. E. J Ropemkr. M Liquors. Mrs. E. V Millinery. J. L Hotel S & Co Com'n. & O It Co. A. D. & Co Com'n Tob. C A. & Co Fancy Goods. C C. A Hats. C J. F Coal. C E House Furn'g. D J Brewery, etc. D R. H Com'n. D J. P Drugs. E G. W. & Co Carpenters, etc. F R. J. & Co Fertilizers. F J D. G. and Clothing F W. L Confec. F S. G Planing Mill. F L. H. & Co Tobacco, etc. G J Liquors. G C Tobacco, etc. G & B Printers. G J. H ' Tobacco. G O. P. & Co Tobacco. G J Tob. Boxes, etc. H tf. C. & Co Mills. H R Contractor. H C. H Paper Boxes. H & P Publishers. H G.I Whol. Gro. H M Com'n D. G. II S. D Com'n. H I Notions. J J. F Mdse. Broker. J Mrs. L. P Milliner. J W. M Speculator. K M Shoes. K W. T... ...Mills. K J Trunks. L J.A., Jr Gro. L F Undertaker. L P Clothing. L S D. G. & Shoes. L & Bro . . . It. E. and Auctioneers. M W. M Com'n Liq. M J Auctioneer. M J. V. L Hardware. M C Fertilizers. M J. H Coal Oil, etc. M C .Restaurant. M Mrs. T Fancy Goods, etc. M - R. H. & Co Com'n. M D. C. & Co Tobacco. M A. M D. G. M W. H Baker, etc. M J Whol. Gro. M M Clothing. M M/& Bro Clothing, etc. N O." Gro. N & Bro Hardware. R. W Mnfr. Tobacco. P H. T Gro. P Mrs. W. T T P P Co. P G. S Tobacco. R F. J Wines and Liq. D P & C M R. F. &Co Coal. D. G. M. J Mnfr. Cigars. S J. W Cabinetmkr. S J. G Cabinetmkr. S J D. G., etc. S & Co Smoking Tobacco. S E. J Gro. and Liq. S &Co Shoes. S J Gro. and Tobacco. S S Guns, etc. S W. H Livery Stable. S J. F D. G. and Notions. S H D. G. and Clothing. T S. C. & Co Whol. Gro. and Com'n. T C. F. & Co Who!. Gro. T W D. G. T P Leather and Findings. T & Bro Tobacco. U M Co ... ... Tobacco. THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. & Co Publishers. A Restaurant. .Mnfrs. Tobacco Boxes. Mrs. E.E & \V J. F... Gro., etc. Clothing. Liquors. [TO EE CONTINUED.] EOCHESTEE, ]^. Y. A D Gro. A O. E Hotel. A E. R Printer. B J Carpenter. B P & S Lumber. B Bros Tailors. B A Meat. B T Pictures. B J. M Gro. B I Capitalist C W. & Son Leather. C \V Mason, etc. C R & Co.. Covering Machines. C B. H Staves, etc. C H Cooper, etc. C M Bookseller, etc. D & L Millinery Goods. 1) D. M Books, etc. H W. & Co Cotton Batting. E J & M Bankers. F W. S Printer. F J Gro. F T Tanner, etc. F J Hatter. F & Co Nursery. G G. W Turner. G & Son Soap. G A & Co Furnaces, etc. G & Son Shoes. G Bros. & Co Bankers. G M Edge Tools. G J Shoes. G S Hats. H Mrs. J Ladies' Underwear. H V Tailor. H B M Co. H H. J. & Co Scales, etc. H Bros Stairbuilders. II C Boots and Shoes. K &C . .. ...Bankers. M. C.. J.. J.. .Con fee. . . . .Gro. Gro. . . .Gro. - & Co Lumber. - J Cooper. - J. \V. & Bro Pianos. - S. G Furniture. - S Clothing. -E. P Machinist. - L. W Flour, etc. - C. & Co Gro. - & II Vinegar. -P Blacksmith. - S Chandler, etc. - M Jeweller. -D Clothing. - & C Stoves, etc. - H. S Capitalist. -J .Ag'l Implts. - F S Co. - F & C Co. - 1 M Co. P .Gro. F. & Co Hardware. B Gro. . & M Stoves. . S Showcases, etc. . E Clothing. F ....Gro. S Gro. . Bros Filecutters. G. I*. & Co Stationery. J.H D. G. Mrs. E. M Gro. . & C Machinists. _ S Lumber. - R. & T Tobacco. M... Blacksmith. [TO BE COXTINVED.] :HE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 263 SACRAMENTO, OAL. A & K Brewers. B R Wool. B II. M Carriages. 13 J Restaurant. B J Furniture. B R. T. & Co Clothing. C J. L Paints, Oils, etc. C G. W. & Co.Whol. Gro., Liq., etc. C E. & Co Sashes and Blinds. C W. E Saloon. C C. S Ins. Agent. C P Hotel. C A., Sr Harness. C J. F , Music. C A. H. & Co Fruit and Prod. 1) J. G Furniture. D B. & Co Crockery. 1) S. C Boots and Shoes. E L. & Co Whol. Clothing and Boots and Shoes. E W. P Hotel. F N. G. Co D. G. F & Co Bookbinders. F G Furn'g Goods. G M. & Co.. Stoves, Hardware, etc. G Bros I). G. G S Coffee and Spices. G J Saloon. G W. & Co Foundry. II A. & Co D. G. II T Boots and Shoes. II \V. A. & Co Carriage and Wagon Materials. II & A . . . , . .Boots and Shoes. II J Carriagemkr. H F.A Hotel. H W. H Tinner and Plumber. H & A Steam Saw and Planing Mills. K L. . .Stoves, Tin and Hardware. K M Wagons and Blacksmith. K M Fey Gds. L A Hatter. M J Gro. M A. N. H Varieties. M J Gro. M & II Liquors, etc. M W Wagons. M A Toys, etc. M H Boots and Shoes. M S Dry and Fey Gds. N A Cigars, etc, N S. J Clothing and B. and S. N C. P. & Co Clothing. O R Boots and Shoes. P W. M Clothing. P Mrs. J. L .Drugs. p L. & Co Whol. Liquors. R W. B Blacksmith. gUI Mrs. C. H Milliner. S W. A Produce. S S Tobacco. T & K Saloon. T L Boots and Shoes. W H Jeweller. W D Stoves, etc. W J. B Tinware. [TO BE CONTINUED.] 284: THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. , OAL. A L Clothing. A & Bro Variety Store. A B. & Co Lumber. A B Clothing. A J. & Co Imps. Clothing. A S Hats and Caps. A S. O. & Co Imps. Clothing. A J Hardware. A & H Whol. Liquors. A T Co. A T Coal. A & I Gents' FurnV. A A Jeweller. A & D Wood ware, etc. A S. S .Varieties. B & H Ag'l Implts, etc. B S. M. & Co Com'n and Whol. Prov. M. M. & Co Jewelry. A. L. & Co Stationers. Bros Clothing. I. D Real Estate Agent. B E. I Cigars and Liq. B C. P. & Co , Produce. B S. Co Whol. Furn'g. B H. D Banker. B J Tanner. B J. C Carpets. B & P Com'n. B P. & Bro Hats and Caps. B M Mnfr. Soap. B N Coal. B S Fancy Goods. B & Co. Gro. B R. M Gents' Furn'g. B L Boots and Shoes. B Mrs. N Millinery. B & T Horn. Medicines. B & B Livery, etc. B T Advg Agent. B G. F. & Co Com'n. B & Bro Imps. Leaf Tobacco and Mnf rs. Cigars. B M Contractor. B C. O. & Co Com'n Prod. B G Marble. B A Hay and Grain. B J. L Tailor. B M Com'n. B & Co Drugs. A. J. & Co Ins. M. C Stoves and Tin. J. W. & Co Carpets. A Drugs. J Warehouse. C. A Printer. F M Co. B M Co. F. & P. J Whol. Liquors. P Co. J. & Co Imps. Crockery. T W . C W. S Speculator. C H. A Mnfg. Jeweller. C T. R Clothing. C & B Newspaper. C J. P Brickmkr. C C. & Co Com'n Prod., etc. C & M Cigars. C & H Ship Chandlers. C G. & Co Whol. Cigars. C C. J Hatter. C D Fruit. C F. D. & Son Flour Mills. C M. G. . . .Saddlery and Harness. C I. & Bro Whol. Dry Goods. C A. O Coal. C W. B. & Co Blankbooks. & W- Whol. Liquors. Bros Fancy Goods. C. M. & Co Whol. Wines. & Co Boys' Clothing. A. C. & Co.. ; . .Oils, Lamps, etc. B & Co . . Leaf Tobacco, etc. F Gents' Furn'g. A Jewelry. T Mnfr. Soap. J. & Co Distillers and Rec- tifiers. D M Lamps and Oils. B. & Co California W r ines. J. M. & Co Wire Works. Bros. & Co Boots and Shoes. H. & Co Bitters. Tobacco, etc. F & Co Ship Chandlers. F H., Sr Com'n Prod. F B. P. & Co Packers, Wool Dealers, etc. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 285 F M Bookseller. F Bros Imps, and Com'n. F & Co Stationery. - I Speculator, etc. F & Co Tanners. < { H Wine's; (r & H Brewery. G Bros. & Co. Imps. Fancy G'ds, etc. G S & Co Sugar Refinery. G N Undertaker. G M Boots and Shoes. H & Co Foundry. H G. S Gro. H C. C. & Co Clothing, H T. H. & Co Batter, etc. H M. C. & Co Hardware, etc. H Bros. & Co Millinery. H & L Pianos, etc. H W. & Co Cigars, etc. H & Co Corks. II A II. E. and Broker. II , P & Co Saw and Planing Mills. II B Transportation.' H B. & Co Contractors. II H. T Lime and Cement. II M I Co. H & Co Hardware. II Bros Clothing. I & G Clothing. I J. & Co Fruits and Nuts. J M. I. & Co Bonds, etc. J C. J Salt. J W. H. & Co Matches. K & S Gro. and Com'n. E. C Imps. Carpets. K J. & Co Lumber. K B. & Co D. G'ds. K C. J. & Co Sealed Goods. K R. C. & Co Leather. K C & Co Toys, etc. K Bros ' Dry Goods. K & Co Furniture. L & Co Sheep, etc. - 0. & Co Crockery. -B. H D. G'ds. -S. &H D. G'ds. _ & B Hides, etc. - & P Billiards, etc. - H. & Co Furs. - & B Tobacco, etc. - K & Co Hardware. - H Com'n. -F &M D. G. _ & H Real Estate. -G. O. &Co Gro. - IX A. & Co Saw Mills, etc. - & W Lumber. - I & II Com'n. M P Salt. M S. L. & Co Lumber, etc. M Mrs. C. H Candy. M D Money Lender. M & W Bags. M H. Clothing M P. & Son Millinery G'ds. M D. C. & Co Ship Chandlers. M & F Com'n Hides, etc. M & Co Oysters. M J. C., Jr Liquors. M F. P. & Co Furs. N J. P Com'n. N & Y Lumber, Tools, etc. N M. D Looking Glasses and Picture Frames. O E. F. . .Jeweller, Ship Chandler, etc. P O & L W . P R M Co. P I. & N Clothing. P & C M Co. Carriages, etc. P P. J Gro. and Liq. P G. W. & Co Lumber. P J. K Imp. Gas Fixtures, etc. R Saw and Planing Mills. R II & Co. . . .11. E. B'krs, etc. M. R Shipping and R. E. C & Co Shipping, etc. A. & Co Books, etc. R F & Co Boots and Shoes. S D Dry Goods. g & P S R . S & Co Clothing. S & V Whol. Liquors. S H Cigars, etc. S W. & Co Clothing, etc, S L Hides and Wool. S A. M. & Bro Lumber. S & B Foundry. S & H Carriage Materials. T C. L. & Co Com'n Shipping. T F. B. & Co. . .Oil and Lamp St'k. T & Co Com'n. T & Co.. Hard ware, Machinery, etc. V & D Iron, Steel, etc. W H. P Drugs. W M. S Wines and Liq. W F Stones. W H. & Co Wines. W P. & Co Merchants. W & F Wines, etc. W W. II Drugs. W W. & Co Liquors. W S & Co Pianos. W II. & Co.. . .Jobbers F'cy Goods. W Bros Cloaks, etc. W L & Co .D. G. & Co. .Com'n Prod. [TO BE CONTINUED.] T1IE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. SAVAOTTAH, GA. - J E ..... .Gro 1 -T Sr. C.n D G -M Co.. J H Cotton, etc. ... Liquors L - M Gro L H & Co & K . Gro etf. L --J Clothinf & D . .Brokers and Auction. P M - - -Fanrv Store. L J & Bro M A Marble R & Son . . Lumber etc. M J J . . . Lumber E Clothing. M J. W.&C. A. M & B .... Gen. Store. Carriage? L E . .Furniture. P Gro M J. & Son Auctioneers J D Beer Mnfr M Mrs E. . . Toys etc. E. W P J ictures and Frames. . . . D. G M C & Co. . . M A J & Co. .. .Boots and Shoes. Furniture. J. Y. & Co. A & Co . D G M H. T Jr . . Com'n, etc. ... . Lumber. M P & Co. . M G H Foundry. , . .Drills. J & Bro . D G. etc. M. & Co. . . C.F G. J G Lqrs., etc. Stencils. Printer. Furniture. M K. W Dru"s. P D. G Printer. P S. N. & Co. . P J Hotel. D. G., etc. D. G. P K Fey Gds. L D.G. R D. J Photo. Gds. - A. S. & Co. -S -A., Jr Com'n. S J. W Jeweller. . . .Flour and Grain. Clothing. S E. U . . . Crockery, etc. Boots, etc. Coal S J. A T G T - C Tailor -A. E Gro. T F. E Founder. - G W W D Clothing. - W W J M Contractor S &Co. - S. L W H M Com'n etc Lumber. W A. N Com'n. J Gro., Liq., etc. [TO EE COXTINUED.] THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 287 SCRAISTTON, PA. A M. L Picture Frames. A & J Paperhanorings. B F Furniture. B J Carpenter and Builder. B A. & Co Wagonmkrs' Mate- rials. B M Furn'g Goods, etc. B J Books and Notions. C C Hatter. C J. A Lime. C M. D Mnfr. Soap. C P. II Hotel. C J Clothing. C & G Clothing. C Mrs. C. C Milliner. D & E Gro. D J. H Liquors. D & G B. and S. D T. J Harness. F E Liquors. F A. L Hotel. F C. W Jeweller. G & S Tailors. G C Co. G & Co Cabinetmkrs. G P Furniture. H N Limekiln. H A. R Millinery and F'cy G. JL A Painter, etc. H E Carpenter. H A Livery. II & G . .Hats, F'ng Goods, etc. II C & I Co. H J Hotel. II & B Furniture. J C. J Gro. K M. M. . .Brewer and Whol. Liq. K W & Co Prod. L N. Y Physician. L J Gro., etc. L I D.G. L P .Butcher and Gro. M J Contractor. M J., Jr. . . .Fruit and Vegetables. M J. J. & Co Gro., etc. M P Gro. , etc. M M Clothing. M A. J. & Co Tailors. M H G. S. M B. G Drugs. M G Brewer. M T .Hotel. M H Boots and Shoes. N J .Gro. N M & E Co. O F. J. & Co G. S. O C Hotel. P J. W Florist. P A.S Ins. Agent. Q & D .Leather and Findings. R J Gro. and D. G. R M. & Co D. G., etc. R H Hotel. R C. & Co Whol. Liqs. R G. J G. S. . B Contractor. A .Coachmkr. F Baker and Saloon. S. B Physician. S & P Lumber and Com'n Mere. T B. H Physician. W & H Gro. W^ T G. S. W Bros D. G. and Carpets. W F. W Gro. and B. and S. W J Carpenter, Builder, etc. Z J Baker, Confec. etc. Z &B ... ...Hall. [TO BE CONTINUED.] TUP: COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. SPRINGFIELD, MAS! A J. F Varnish Mnfr. A J. C. & E. A Doeskins. B & W Hotel. B M Co Soda Apparatus. B S. & Co Flour B A. L Boots and Slices. B S. S Coal, etc. B G Hotel. B W. S Carpenter. C G Batting Mnfr. C G. E .Paper Stock. C H Tool Mnfr. C H. M Paper Stock. C A. W. & Co Agts. C .C. H. & Co Mnfr. C & K Gro. C H. M. & Co Boxes, etc. C Miss S. J Books, etc. F B. F Builder, etc. F & W D. G. F H. C Tobacco. G I. N Drugs. G C. M. & Co Paper. G &B Pipes. H & S Gro. H S Coal Sifter. H & B " Bridges. H T... ...Hotel. H J. & Co Carris H C. T Gro., etc. H & S Furniture. J & B Furniture. J A. H Confec., etc. K T. Jr Furniture. L G. M Lamps, etc. L C. M Hats, Caps, etc. L C. D Mnfr. Cartridge Shells. L J. L Builder. M J. D Carpets. M N & H D. G. M W. P. & Co Shoes. M A Contractor. M & F Curriers, etc. M A. D. & Son Soap. M D. B. & Co Tinware. M A. T Soap, etc. N Y W Co. N P C Co. R & B Lumber. C. H. & Co Lumber. C Co. M M C. C Boxes. - C Electrotyper. - & P Clothing. - & E . . . , Founders. [TO BE CONTINUED.] ST. JOH:N~, K B. A J. & Co Dry Goods. I C C J. A Bros Foundry. I C J. B.. A H. T. & Co Bopewalk. A A. Com'n. B G. B Musical Inst'ts. B T Gro. and Liq. B C.'E. & Co Furniture. B T. B Gro. and Liqs. .Shipbuilder. ..Cotton Mill. H. & Son Fancy G'ds. etc. C Liquors. D M Gro. J Boots and Shoes. B. B Com'n. G . . . . . .Com'n. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 280 E W. E Stoves. F E Lumber. F C. K Dentist. F Mrs Clothing. G J Hotel. H J. & Co Mnfrs. and Founders. H H Saddle and Harness. J E. & C. D Hats, Caps, etc. L E Junk, etc. L T. & Co Clothing. M J. T. & Co Tinware. M F. B Drugs. M & P Victuallers. M T Gro. M W & Co D. G. M J. D Shipping and Coal. M E Millinery. M J Boots and Shoes. M J Liquors. N P M Co. P G. R Com'n. R T. M Apothecary. R A. & Co Mnfrs. Saws. R C. E Shipping. S R. S.&Co D.G. S & M Gro. and Flour. S S Flour and Fish. W J. & Co Naval Stores. W L. H Salt, etc. W W. I Flour. Y A... ...Stoves. [TO BE CONTINUED.] ST. JOSEPH, MO. J Hotel. F. & Co Clothing. - :....Gro. Agent. Gro. G. S. Foundry. Feed, etc. W. L Livery. M Books. J. T Hotel. W Livery, etc. W Factory. J Gro. D News Depot. S. ; Blacksmith. W Painter. & A Hotel. J. G... ...Tailor. H A Capitalist. H B. & Co Liquors. H P. A Hotel. K A Tobacco. L J. C Saddlery H'ware. L F Blacksmith. M Mrs Hotel . M &J G. S. R & H Jewelry, etc. S J.W Scales. S C. C Newspaper. S C. L Drugs. S B & S Lumber. S W. P Feed Mills. S & D D. G. T J. M Hotel. T & Co G. S. U F Co. W & W Wagons [TO BE CONTINUED. 290 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. ST. LOUIS, MO, A D Books, etc. A W. H. & Co Notions. & Bro Safes. W. & Co Plug Tobacco. R. &Co Soap. W. S Books. Bros. & R Tobacco. Bro. & Co Hats, etc. L. & Co Com'n. J Corks. C B Newspaper. C W L Co. C I. & Co Clothing. C TJ Co D. G. , etc. D B & Co D. G. D W Gro. D G Tobacco. F J. D. & Co Gasfitters. F S. G. & Co Com'n. F J. H. & Co Liquors. F J. B Ales, etc. F E. & Co Wool, etc. G Bros Glass. G C. H. L Hotel. H W. H Auction, etc. H Bros Medicines. H & S Clothing. H R & Co. ..Railway Supplies. H & G Lumber. H L. W. & Co Stoves, etc. H C & Co Books. H J Gro. H E. F. & Co Books, etc. H & Co Clay. H J Machines. H L. J Tob. and Cig. H R P Co. J & Y Carriages. J I W . K H. A Tobacco. K & B Clothing. K W Clothing. K J Wagons. K E. C. & Co Painters. K J Brewery. L T Co. L P. & Co Live Stock. L G Boots and Shoes. M M Co. M J Carpenter. M H Pictures, etc. | M & M Gasfitters. M E. & Co Jewelrv. M S P Co. M J Shirts, etc. M A. W. & Co Bankers. M & T Transfer. M C Pictures. M & B Saw Mill. O J Saloon. O D. M. & Co Ag'l Impl'ts. P R. C Restaurant, P C. H. & J. W Planing Mill. P C Tobacco. P L Confectioner. Q O R. E. Agent. R T. & Co Tobacco. R & c Tools. B & Co Fruits. Gro. B & N Co. S P M Co. S W G M Co. S M. & L Clothing. S R. F F. Agent. S F. H. . , Tobacco. g H. M Broker. S Dr. G. H. & Co Pat. Meds. S L G. S. S V Mills. S C. P Liquors. T F. & Co Vinegar. books. V I W . W B Jewelry, etc. W M Maltster. W T. B. & Co Publishers. W J. G Books. W W Mnfr. Spring Bed Bot- toms. W G .Organs. W H Books. W A Mnfr. Brooms. W E Books. W J Ink Mnfr. W F Dry Goods. W T Iron Railings. W J. & Co Brewery. W E. K Books. Y & C Plumbers. Z & C Wines, etc. [TO BE CONTINUED.] THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 291 ST. PAUL -G Stoves, etc. - H Coppersmith. - G. M Ranges, etc. -E. C Scales. - & P Com'n. -& M Com'n. -H. & Co i Gro. - R Clothing. - J Boots and Shoes. - J . . .Supply Store. -E. R. &Co Hotel. - H. C. & Co Stationery. - & B Speculators. - H. P Newspaper. -P. R. L Leather. &M Boots, etc. - T. J Teas. - J. M Lumber. - D & Co Lqrs. - R. A. & Co Hats, etc. N Hotel. & S Carpenters Mrs. J. B Milliner. L. B Grain. P M Co. W T Co. O D Books. P H Tobacco. P N Hotel. R E. D. K Notions. R C Periodicals. R H. W Drugs. S A Books. S P A & M Co. S & K Leather, etc. S R. O. & Co Carpets. T H. J. & Co Lumber. T F. A News Agt. V W. A. & Co Com'n. W I. N Livery. [TO BE CONTINUED.] SYRACUSE, E", Y. J. & Sons Flour, etc. W. S Sporting MatTs. M Co. . . .Mowing Machines. B. & Co Millinery Gds, etc. R Livery. N. M D. G., H'dware,etc. M Salt. J.P Saloon. T. C Cigars. J Contractor, etc. & Son Carriages. M. N Notions. D Boilers' B Brewer. H P Gro. H F Saloon, etc. H Bros Oil. H E Carriages. H S. E. & Co Gro. j w. & Sons Shoes. J & B Fey Gds. L E Gro. - L & B Sashes, j M J Speculator. M & G H'dware. M & Co Clothing. M P. R Gro. N & N Plumbers. 292 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. P A. F. & Co Lqrs. P G. A, & Co Salt. P & L .Foundry. P M. S D. G. K A. & Bro Clothing. It R. &Son... ...Trunks. S J Planing Mill. S D. R H'dware. S & B Clothing. W E. L Boots and Shoes. W C Qro. W J. M Ladies' Furn'g Gds. [TO BE CONTINUED.] TOLEDO, O. A VV. W Jeweller. A A. A Hotel. A D Gro. and Saloon. A H & W Brass. A H M Co. A S & S Sewing Ma- chines. A J G.S. B C Millinery and Fey Gds. B E Malt. B J Ship Timber. B L. C Shoes. B & C Ins. Agents. -U W. H. & Co. . Whol. Carpets, etc. C L. A. & Co Lumber, etc. C J. W Jeweller. C C. W Com'n. C H. E Teas and Coffees. C G & Co Com'n. C J. D Auctioneer Fey Gds. C, J. C. & Son Fire Apparatus. D M. S Hats and Caps. D C. E .' Clothing. F Dr. D. G Drugs. P J Gro. & B Prod. M Clothing. V. W. & Co Mer. Tailors. J Ins. Agent, etc. &W Com'n. H P. T Com'n. H & B Drugrs, etc. H & W Sashes and Blinds. H & N Paints, Glass, etc. H J Brewer. H M. W Real Estate. H L. J. H Box Factory. K T. L. & Co Com'n. K P. W Gro. K Bros R. E. Agents. K J. & Co Com'n. K L Saloon. K C Boots and Shoes. K F Boots and Shoes. L &C D. G. L J D. G., etc. L & W Staves. L G Stoneyard. L I Clothing. L F Boxes. M G Gro. M W. H Gro., etc. M & Y . . . .B. & S. and H. & C. N J Boots and Shoes. O J Marble, etc. O J Teas, etc. O & S Lime, etc. P J. S Mill Supplies. R G. H Sewing Machines. R G. W. & Co Millers. R B Harness. R & T N Works. S J. V Planing Mill, etc. S S Boarding House. S & H Fwdg and Com'n. S & Co Brewers. S T N. & Co. .Mnfrs. Tinware, etc. S J. L 'Furniture. S J Hotel. S J Mer. Tailor. T A. B. .. . Ag'l Impl'ts and Seeds. T J. L Jewelry. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 293 W L Builder. W C. A Boots and Shoes. W & F . . .Saddlery Hardware. W H & Co, , , .Mnfrs. Tobacco. [TO BE CONTINUED.] TOEONTO, ONT. A & Co Brewers. A J. R Foundry. A D. & Co Wkol. D. G. B N Miller. B J Shoes. B B Saloon. B E. O Iron. B J. & J. L Milk, etc. B B Flour, Grain, etc. B W Builder. B M & Co Fey D. G. B & Co H'dware. C R ' Books. C S & Co D. G. C P. G. & Co Wkol. Gro. C A Fey Gds. D N & Co Foundry. D W. E Cigars. D W Blksmith. D F Cigars. F A. & Son Hall. F A. & Co Wine Mers. G J Plaster. G M. J Jobber Cloths. G R. C. & Son Printers' Mtrls. H G Plumber. H B & Co. . . . Whol. Millinery and Straw Gds. II W Whol. Confec. H H Restaurant. H J Shoes. H Bros Whol. D. G. J &C Builder, etc. J J. B Shoes. K J ; . .Hotel. K W Hotel. K S. P. . . . . .Watches. L T & L G. S. L E Gro. L E Drover. L G. & Sons Nursery. L Bros Printers. M R Saddler. M A Prod. M H Patent Rights. M T Produce. M & H D. G. M D. Estate of Steamboat. M Mrs. A D. G. , etc. M W. A. & Co D. G. M W. & Son Coal. 'O D & Co Lumber. O J Lumber. P J. S House Agt. R A Drover. R J. H Hats, etc. R T. & Son Watches. R M Gro. S & F Machinist. S H. T Plumber. S J. B.. Lumber and Planing Mill. S J. W Chemicals. S J Tailor. S Bros ,. . . .Tavern, Gro., etc. T R Prov. T T. & Son D. G. and Shoes. T T Saddler. T P & Co Leather. V P Gro. W C. & W Mer. Tailors. W & Co .Prov. W Mrs Millinery. W A. B.&Co Lqrs. [TO BE CONTINUED.] 291 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. TRESTTCOT, IS". J. A H. G Flour Mills. G Hotel. C. E Fancy Goods. I. T Coal and Wood. A. J. &Co Candy. C & N Liquors. C & C Hats. D & V Undertakers. D D. O Liquors, etc. F L Furniture. F D. P. & Co Pork, etc. F & Sons Brkrs. G I. C Gro. G W. E Baker. H R Co Rubber. H P Gro. H E Blacksmith. H E. M Hotel. J J. T. . . , . .Tobacconist. J Shoes. A. R Hotel. - L. H. & Co Furniture. - & E D. G. - & A Pottery. - I Miller. - J. W Newspaper. - . A Capitalist. -E. &Co Crackers. J. W Gro. - J. A. Sons Rope. H. G G. g. A. D H'dvvare. J Boots and Shoes. J Packer. J. L Physician. H & B A - B Carpet Mnfr. [TO BE CONTINUED.] TROY i'N. : 'Y. A M Hotel. A S. & Son Gro. A H. & Co..Agts. N S Co. A J ,. . . .Furniture. B G. H Liquors. B P. & Son Flour and Gro. B J. L Tinware, etc. B J. W Undertaker and Livery Stable. B H. K Hotel. C E H'dware, Tools, etc. C & F Wooden Ware. C Mrs. S. A .Milliner. C H. & H. S Stoves. C G... .. .Mnfr. Shirts. C L. & De W Mnfrs. Paper, Collars, etc. C J. W Com'n Mer. C Mrs. K Brewer. C T. A Roofer. C & Co Gro., etc. C W. S. & Son Tailors. C R.F Books. D F. & Co Gro. D M Furniture. D W. H. & L. L Stone. E J Drugs. E W Boots and Shoes. E L. D Engineer, E J Billiard Saloon and Cigars. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. E E Clothing. F J. S Clothing. F & P Clothing, etc. F W. W Ins. Agt. F T. B. & Co- Liquors. F & L Fish . F M Jeweller, etc. 1 G A. G Laundry. G & Co Boots and Shoes. G S. O Drugs. G L Cotton Mill. G T & S . . .Jewellers, etc. H A. M Fruit. H A. E Printer. H W. J Builder. H T. J Job Printer. H E. W. . . ....... .K. E. Operator. J W. H Gents' Furu'g. J & B Clo. and Tailor. J O Foundry. K & Co Shoddy Material. K C Upholsterer. K R Gro. K & M Liquors. K J Clothin"-. L W. II Clothing. L W Clothier. L H. L Feed. L Mrs. J D. G. L E. C Varieties. M L. J Hotel and Livery. M & C Boots and Shoes. M M D. G. and Notions. M T Fwdjf. M Mrs. E Fancy Goods. M & P Mufrs. Paper. M & A Hotel. M & Co Gro. and Com'n. M T Carpet Weaver. N W. A Claim Agent. N H. E. & Co Gro., Prov., etc. - & B Ins. Agents. - J Junk. - F. T Fancy Goods. -J. B Publisher. - G. D. & J. W Gro. and Liq. - J. H House Furn'g. - G. N Hats and Caps. -C. W Candies. - D ..Boots and Shoes. -J. II Jeweller. J Clothing. - M Tinware. G. W ..Shoes. &II Stoves. &Co Fish, Salt, etc. M , D. G. E. &M Milliners. A. H .Drugs. Bros Gro. and Liq. & Co. ..Plumbers and Gasfitters. H & Co Furniture, etc. J. E. & Co Lumber. J Upholsterer. R.H Druggist. J. F Brewer. E. L. & Co :Ins. Agents. T. S Mnfr. Boilers. -J. S. & Co Clothing - W. II Machinist. D. D Mnfr. Paper. - B C Co. - N Coffee and Spice. & S Boots and Shoes. . A & Co Coal . - N. S Patternmkr. - & T Ag'l Implts. - E. & Sons Boats. - J. B. & Co Clothing. - D. M Fancy Goods. - C. H. & Co. . .Boots and Shoes. - J. F Musical Insts. [TO BE CONTINUED.] UTIOA, "N. Y. A & G Boots and Shoes. B F. W Gro. and Saloon. B J Builder. B C Brewer. B . F. W Florist. B W... ...Builder. B- H. C Boots and Shoes. C H. N Stoves, Tin, etc. C Mrs. S. A Hotel. C N & P Mnfrs. Caps. C & C Whol. Clothing. C A. E Transportation. 296 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. . P. & Sons Glass, etc. Gro. Lumber and Planing Mill. R. C Marble. J. E Flour, Feed, and Grain. G. & Co Crockery. M Co Hoes, etc. B. G. & Co Wkol. Jewelry. F. D Roofing. H. D. & Co Boots and Shoes. H. &W. K Coal. E. B. & Co Mnfrs. Paper. J. P Physician. T. J Printer. J. B Mnfr. Boots and Sboes. G. W Jeweller. & L Mnfrs. Boots and Shoes. G. T Factory. A R. E. and Speculator. J Builder. P Hotel. F & Co Stoves, etc. & H Pipes. W. Harness. C Drugs. E Oysters and Fruit C. A. &Co ". Hotel Hotel. & Co Picture Frames. H. C Gro. and Prov. E. C Window Shades, etc. & H . . . Whol. Tob. and Cig. N. C. & Son Paints, etc. 1 T Boots and Shoes. W Mnfr. Boots and Shoes. J. Sons Whol. and Ret. Gro. & C Boots and Shoes. W. B Tobacconist. F Gro. L Builder. R. W Printer and Bookb'dr. L Gro. andD.G. J Hotel. A. H. & Co Mnfrs. Saws. N. F Hotel. W. B. & Co. Mnfrs. Spring Beds. C. F Mnfr. B. and S. W. S Jeweller. & P Fdwg. H. H Paints. [TO BE CONTINUED.] WASHOTGTO:N\ D. o. A J. H Stoves and Tinware. A L. . . . Cigars. A I Watches, etc. A J Paperhangings. A A. M Paperhangings. B L Agent. B P. L Gro. B J. C Gro. B G.W Prod. B & S Feed and Lqrs. B J Books and Stat'y. B A Undertaker. B L. C Drugs. B B Millinery. B H Liquors. C J. T B'ldng Materials C C. R Drugs. C E. T. & Co . . , . . .Lumber. C T. A Books and Stat'ry. C J. H. & Co Gro. C C Boots, etc. C R. & Co Shoes. C J.C Gro. E Cigars. Tailor. D A. W. Com'n Paper. D A Hats, etc. D T. G Prod. D - E Tailor. E C.M D.G. E S N Co. E F Cabinetmkr. E H. M Tinware. F & S Bldng Materials. H J. C Architect. H G. M. & Co Stoves, etc. THE SYSTEM EXPOSED. 297 H V . ... . . . Baker. M- C H G C . ...Clothing. M J. T D G H H .... Jeweller. M F. & Son . . H F Whol. Gro. M W. J . . J H. S Saddler. R W K X ; Clothing. S A K G. E Gro. Gro K \V E S J H & Co C loth i no* L &Bro L J & J E D.G. S &W S C & Co Lumber. L H & T . . .Gents' Furn'g 1 . Hotel M C. . . ...Hotel. W J... ...Hotel. [TO BE -CONTINUED.] WILMIITOTCOT, BEL J. A Stoves and Ranges. J. P Gro. and Prov. &H Mnfrs. D & Co Builders. G. W Agt. Sewing Maclis. J Paints, etc. J China, etc. W. H Hotel, etc. T. C Iron Railings. I. T Currier. J. A. & Co Harness. E Com'n. S S W- -T. Sr Gro. E. C Physician. L. M Drugs. . G. W Com'n. J. K Boots and Shoes. J Boots and Shoes. W Physician. C Druggist. R. H Gro. A D. G.,etc. S. E .Trimmings. & E Printers. E Flour and Feed: Mrs. C D. G. W. H Gro. -P Weaver. -J. B Hotel. H. X. & Co Cotton Gds. & B . . . . . .Coachmkrs. J , Hotel. - A. L. & Co. Machinists. W. M Jeweller. P Liq. and Gro. G. W Trimmings. H. S Silverplater. R. H Leather. & W . . Printers and Stat'rs. J Operator. E D. G. R Picture Frames. N Clothing. O Shoes, etc. O. C Queensware. J Prov. P C. & Co Gro. J Gro. MissM. J Milliner. A. B Drugs. W Painter. W Carpenter. L Greengro. W. H Auctioneer. S. & Son Morocco. -R Marble. L Baker. M & G Hubs, etc. M. B. & Co Bolts, etc. & Co Florists. J. M. & Son Gents' Furn'g. & G Gents' Furn'g. J Cooper. [TO BE CONTINUED.] 298 THE COMMERCIAL AGENCIES. WORCESTER, MASS. A J. C. W Boots and Shoes. A J Tobacco. A W. G. & Co Cabinetmkrs. B C. & Co > Lumber. B R. & Co Machnry. B H & Co Boots. B & W H'dware. B W. C Soapmkp. B J. J Fancy Dry Goods. B F Mnfr. Slippers. C J. S. & Co Leather Varnish. O j. w F'cy Goods. C J Gro. C J Braes. C J. &Co Gro., etc. C G. H Paints. C W. S Wool. C C. &J.A Fndry. E B Gro. E D. H. & Co Clothing. E H. W. Carpenter. F A Clothing, etc. G G Hats, etc. H J Gro. H C. C Mnfr. Paper Bags. H W. P Crockery, etc. L J Boots, etc. & Bro Cards, etc. D. & Co Apothecaries. T. S Sons Boots and S. T J. C Boot Mnfr. U- C. A F'cy Gds. W S W W W. Boots and S. W E. B Contractor. W P & Co Clothing. W G. W Brewery. W & Co Bakers. W & L G & P Co. W T Rubber Goods. W S. J. & Co Dry Gds. W M S Co. [TO BE CONTINUED.] A 000024949