A Tiny Office, No Warehouse, and a Load of Cut-Rate Onions

In the past week some pretty choice developments have come out regarding the Curtis Commission Co., of which firm we spoke in our last issue. The people at the head of this concern are either unscrupulous or are so wholly lacking in business judgment that they are altogether unfit to have the confidence of the farmers. Their circulars, which have been sent out in the country announcing the great boom on at Seattle and unlimited demand for supplies, are evidently bringing in results, for we find that their operations are creating quite a sensation on West Street. For instance, they sold a lot of onions for 2½ cents per pound—being bid in by enterprising rival commission merchants who realized that they were securing a snap, for at the same time such onions were worth easily 3 cents and upwards. Now, whether Curtis Co. were selling goods that have been entrusted to them by some confiding producers or not, we have not yet learned, but it looks like a mighty suspicious proposition. Their headquarters occupy a little room about 10x15, and no warehouse in sight. We are not saying that these people are not all right. We give facts and leave you to judge for yourselves.

A cordial standing invitation is given to every farmer in the Northwest, whether a subscriber of ours or not, to report promptly every new firm asking them for shipments. We would like those who have received circular letters from new and strange companies to forward some to us to enable us better to keep track of what these fellows are doing. This is protection to the farmers' interests, and if promptly taken advantage of, will be the means many times of saving hundreds of dollars to them.