The mystic, glamo.ous east, which) annually sends its treasures to decorate mantlepleces and drawing rooms ai home, continues to be a good subject for sharp practice. What a New York correspondent frankly admits Is "racket" is described in a letter to Tocal firm wherein a warning is [Sounded to others who may be tempt: ed. 'The local firm in question is 0 branch' of a world-wide company' which has extensive interests in the East and, therefore, it came as 10) surprise to receive a telephone message inquiring for a man whose name resembled one of their Far Eastern managers and for whom, according to the message, two Chinese teakwood chests and a Chinese rug, had arrived when a steamer put into Baltimore, Strengthening the argument was the man's statement tha they had arrived fon board a steamer chartered by the Field Museum, Chicago, which had just returned from a scientific researen voyage to the Far East. Owing to the fact that the vessel was shortly sailing for Samos, according to the informant,
at Baltimore but as. the Museum was impossible to deliver the stuff} authorities "were sending a large quantity of material to New York these chests and carpet could be delvered together with the expedition's results. This sounded reasonable and a cheque for USS1548 was sent by messenger to a New York hotel, made out to the alleged purser of the yesso!, land handed to the man who made the telephone call and who said that this represented the amount paid. for customs duties and other fees. Needless to say, the cheque was cashed. Dut no goods were delivered and the: most careful search of the maritime: list failed to find a vessel of any such name as that mentioned by the Senerous scientist willing to oblige a friend, Tt is believed that as this incident occurred during the Christ mas Eve rush when gifts {rom friends in China were pouring into New York members of other firms with Far Eastern branches may have suffered similarly.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.