“It is a strange thing to behold what gross errors and extreme
absurdities men do commit for want of a friend to tell them of
the same! The help of good counsel is that which setteth business
straight.”—BACON.
I have, for many years, visited nearly every town in the kingdom,
on commercial pursuits, at intervals of six months; and wherever I
have met with the brazen advertisers alluded to, I have issued public
notices, and inserted counter-advertisements, to put my friends and
the public on their guard against such egregious imposition. Such
a step, spiritedly carried out, has uniformly proved successful,
and the notable pretenders have decamped from Bath to Norwich, from
Brighton to Carlisle, sometimes assuming other names, or changing the
initial letters; as S. and E., who had been vapouring away at Norwich,
suddenly flitted to Margate, and there announced themselves as C. and
B., the celebrated opticians from the Royal Eye Infirmaries, &c. &c.
For low cunning and unprincipled trickery, such adventurers as I have
described, stand unrivalled. Upon several occasions they have echoed my
cautions, and copied, word for word, remarks levelled at themselves;
hoping thus to shield themselves from detection, and confuse the public
in identifying them; as the pick-pocket, when the hue and cry is
raised of stop-thief, joins in the shout, in order to allay suspicion.
It is in the provincial towns that such persons are most successful;
the game is seldom played in the metropolis with so much effect; and
although some of the tribe have been lately launching forth dashing
advertisements in the London papers, it is understood to be with the
design of attracting country customers, and overwhelming their dupes
with an idea of their _professional_ importance, rather than with the
expectation of effecting sales in London.
When they sally forth to “fleece the natives,” who would think of
questioning the abilities of such renowned opticians, armed with
testimonials, credentials, and certificates! _so_ recommended by the
newspapers, and patronized by such eminent practitioners?!!
The fair trader would defend himself at the same time that he unmasked
imposture, and protected his customers, if, when his neighbourhood is
infested by such mountebanks, he advertised the simple truth. He would
assuredly find
“That those base slaves, ’ere yet the fight be done, pack up.”
A few extracts from the advertisements I have inserted in the London
and provincial journals may be useful as specimens.
“Spectacle swindlers are now practising deceptions upon the public
to an unparalleled extent! They are principally wandering tribes of
licensed hawkers, who change their names, or shift their residences,
as occasion requires; copy the language of honest men, and puff off,
as their own inventions, the very articles, which, without a shade of
difference, have been regularly made and sold for above two hundred
years. To accomplish their designs of fleecing the public, they
resort to the most pompous and extravagant eulogiums on the peculiar
virtues of their ‘Saxon Crystals!’ ‘Patent Preservers!’ ‘Tinted
Amber!’ and ‘Light Refractors!’ ridiculous terms, which _they have_
invented, and which, embellished with a long list of distinguished
names, are calculated to entrap, and impose upon the uninitiated.
“Spectacle wearers, beware! those tricksters, with all their lofty
pretensions, are ignorant quacks. Their charges for the trash they
foist upon you, are beyond all precedent, enormous!
“The flagrant impositions daily practised on Spectacle wearers, by
hawkers and ignorant pretenders, imperatively demand exposure. The
boasting charlatans are certainly indebted to the silence of practical
opticians for their successful career, since persons requiring optical
aid eagerly listen to whoever promises most. To those who have been
victimized not another word is necessary to direct their choice,
but experience calls on all who need optical remedies to profit by
advice, and procure such important scientific instruments only of
the known working optician or his resident agent, and thereby insure
every advantage—better quality, lower charges, a liberal trial, and an
exchange if not approved of.”
* * * * *
“The patronage such individuals quote has never been bestowed, or has
been surreptitiously obtained. Mr. C. has documents from celebrated
oculists stating this fact most unequivocally, and authorizing him
to give publicity thereto. He has the gratification of knowing that
his efforts to expose such fraudulent delusions, to defend the fair
trader, and to protect the public, have been properly appreciated
by the reflecting and intelligent, who perceive the impropriety of
countenancing persons who resort to falsehood, misrepresentation, and
dishonest artifices; and allow the superior claim of the respectable
resident shopkeeper, whose charges are fair, whose desire and interest
it obviously must be to supply the article which will suit and to make
any exchange or alteration if required.
“Beware of the tricksters who blazon forth their pretended discoveries,
in terms which, however absurd and ridiculous, nevertheless catch
the attention; and combined with an array of great names, unbounded
assurance, and various manœuvring devices, enable them to foist their
worthless wares upon purchasers at the most exorbitant prices.
“Such charlatans are the pests of science, and speculators on the
credulity of society.
“Mr. C. feels assured that his friends, and the public generally, will
remark the necessity there is for some one, practically acquainted
with the science of optics, to come forward and state the real facts
of the case, at a time when bombast and chicanery, supported by the
most shameless falsehoods, are put forth by itinerant hawkers and
pedlars—the pretended discoverers of a superior method of constructing
glasses for spectacles. He is anxious to expose such deceptions, and
to protect the Spectacle wearer from the gross frauds and impositions
continually practised in the sale of Spectacles at enormous prices,
although made of the cheapest material, and in the most inferior manner.
“Such Spectacles are productive of endless annoyance to the wearer;
and, instead of rendering any assistance are instruments of torture,
producing the most serious consequences to the sight, owing to their
imperfect construction and the misapplication of their powers to the
purposes required.
“Persons requiring Spectacles are earnestly recommended to seek advice
and assistance from opticians or their agents, of known respectability
and experience, who are capable of judging what kind of lenses are
necessary in each particular case: and to avoid those charlatans whose
ignorance of optics is only equalled by their impudence, in obtruding
themselves into houses, and alarming the occupiers by declaring that
they perceive serious defects in their eyes, the formation of cataract,
incipient blindness, &c., in order to give an exalted idea of the value
of the remedies they offer.”
* * * * *
“T. H., Watch and Clock maker, agent to Cox, optician of London, begs
to caution his friends against the impositions of itinerant hawkers,
who boast of exalted patronage, wonderful discoveries, and superior
skill in optics, professing to suit the sight by merely examining ‘the
figure of the eye.’ Such individuals frequently enter into respectable
houses, and terrify ladies and gentlemen by declaring that they
perceive serious defects in their eyes, and, of course, that nothing
can avert the evil but their wonderful Spectacles; sometimes pretending
that their only motive in calling is from their wish to relieve mankind
from the chances of losing their sight, and to enable them to see as
well at fourscore years of age as at twenty, while their main object
is to fill their pockets at the expense of those who have fallen into
their snare.
“The fallacy of their statements may always be ascertained by the
parties taking medical opinion of known value, and consulting a
respectable optician.
“It cannot be too generally known that the best glass lenses,
constructed on the most accurate principles, suited to the purposes of
vision, and worked by hand, can be had of all respectable opticians,
at from one shilling and sixpence to three shillings per pair, shewing
that there can be no occasion for persons, who require a change of
glasses in their spectacles, to pay a guinea or thirty shillings, and
give up their old pebbles or glasses into the bargain.
“A trick was practised at Brighton, during the season of 1834, which
shews that those certificated gentry do not hesitate at trifles.
“Two Jews, licensed hawkers, inserted glowing advertisements in the
Brighton newspapers, couched in their usual bombastic style, but naming
_one gentleman_ only as having taken up his residence at Brighton, and
stating that he would wait upon the nobility and gentry with a splendid
stock of his _wonderful_ and _improved_ Spectacles.
“A man called at the houses of the gentry, made many sales at the
usual swindling prices, and disarmed all suspicions by inviting the
purchasers to call at his residence, and make any exchange they
pleased. In some cases, where the price was objected to, or the
parties were taken by surprise, not having suspected that they wanted
Spectacles until this _experienced professional optician_ told them
they did, they were, notwithstanding imposed upon, ‘for,’ said he,
‘to prove that I am anxious to preserve your sight, which is rapidly
leaving you, and cataract is growing in your eyes, these Spectacles,
which are five pounds per pair, I will leave you at half-price, and
you may pay me the balance at any time.’ This offer appeared so very
liberal that it succeeded in several instances, and, it is scarcely
necessary to say, left to the hawker forty shillings profit, five
pounds being only mentioned to get more easily the smaller sum.
“But the most profitable part of the scheme is yet to be told. Those
who purchased soon found that something was wrong—the patent preservers
gave great uneasiness to the eyes, which, suffused with tears, seemed
to grieve at the simplicity and credulity of their owners. The
residence of Mr. —— was besieged with complaining purchasers, who,
when their turn arrived, were ushered into the presence of the other
of the partners, and as the person who had sold them the Spectacles
promised to make any exchange they required, they asked for a pair
which would suit their sight, or a return of the money paid. The man
they now saw looked at them, and asked, ‘Am I the person who sold you
the spectacles?’ ‘Why, no,’ was the reply, ‘I cannot say you were the
gentleman, but he was uncommonly like you, and he told me he would
exchange the Spectacles if they did not suit.’
“‘Then you had better find him and compel him to do so, for the trash
he has sold you will destroy your eyes and ruin your sight. He is an
impostor; I know nothing of him.’ ‘Bless me,’ said the disappointed
purchaser, ‘what a scandalous shame! what would you advise me to do
now, Sir?’
“‘Why, _my_ Spectacles are produced after twenty years of deep study
and research, and manufactured, under my own eyes, upon improved
principles, yet I only ask fifty shillings per pair; but I am sorry for
you and though those you have bought are vile rubbish, I will take them
in exchange, and thirty-five shillings for my Patent Tinted Crystals,
which are the only Spectacles proper for the eyes.’ Thus the reader
will perceive a double imposition was effected. A., after performing
his part in the scheme of deception, kept out of the way until B. had
completed the fleecing of the nobility, gentry, and public, and in a
few weeks the _resident_ opticians were on their way to other places,
chuckling at their success, and inventing fresh plans of operation.”
* * * * *
Page after page has been pirated from the works of eminent authors,
and palmed upon the public as their own composition; consequently,
though the advice may be excellent, the parties from whom it appears to
emanate are vile plagiarists, whose _practice_ is quite uninfluenced
thereby. When imposture disguises itself in such a plausible form the
difficulty of detection is increased, therefore our best security
against deception is to transact business with men of known reputation.
The resident tradesman has a character for fair and honourable dealing
to maintain. He can be appealed to if any exchange or alteration is
requisite, and the spirit of fair competition, now abroad, is the best
security against overcharge from him; while the itinerant vender and
pompous advertiser has to repay himself for such forced and expensive
means of getting custom by exacting great prices, pushing off coarse
and inferior goods, and practising any dishonest trick rather than not
effect a sale of his wares. It may be said, with great truth, “his
articles are not cried up because they are things that ought to be
desired, but they are desired because they are generally cried up.”
The Liverpool Mercury of Friday, Sep. 15th, 1834, has some remarks
on this subject, which, as they are important and appropriate to our
purpose, I transcribe:—
“We beg to caution our readers against the arts of all those who
profess to supply the public with superior Spectacles; we have been
for many years connected with the business, and we can assure the
public that the Spectacle glasses sold by the advertising eye quacks
are precisely the same as those provided by any respectable optician,
the only difference being in the price. The charlatan varies his
charge according to the gullibility of his dupes; sometimes he puts
up with double the proper and regular price, but more frequently he
exacts three or four times more than a regular and honest optician
charges. We recollect a once famous optical quack, in London, who
made a large fortune by cheating the public. He advertised _his_
superior glasses, which he assured the public were all ground to the
true parabolic curve by his own hand, and for each of these glasses
he charged four shillings, whilst the working optician who lived a
few doors from him, and who furnished him with all his glasses, could
only get nine pence for the very article for which the puffing eye
doctor charged four shillings. As we knew both the parties we pledge
ourselves to the fact, and, in conclusion, we advise the public to
have nothing to do with quacks, whether they be scientific quacks, who
are plentiful enough, or other quacks, who swindle people out of their
health and cash at the same time.”