The general uniformity of the literature was at first thought by
me to indicate that the matrimonial agencies were banded together
in a gigantic trust. But later I learned that as they increased in
number the newcomers exhibited conscienceless audacity in copying the
forms used by their predecessors. It was also found in some cases
several matrimonial agencies were operated from one address and
one or two men, or a man and his wife would represent half a dozen
concerns by changing names and locations every thirty or sixty days.
Because of these facts and the added fact that whoever compiled the
original forms from which the others copied, realized, he was in an
illegitimate business, the plagiarists were never prosecuted. Thus the
buncombe administered to the suckers became uniform in phraseology.
If a person desired to make assurance doubly sure for gaining wealth
and marital bliss and he applied to several agencies at the same
time, the same mail would bring him letters from each matrimonial
agency with which he communicated, worded identically. They would be
mimeograph copies, and the only difference in their appearance would
be in the printed heading indicating the name of the agency. The name
of the recipient would often be written at the top in ink different in
color from the body of the letter.