Pyramid scheme.  "High Fidelity" - ten tier. "This guaranteed chain letter was started in the hope ..."  US, 1905.
High Fidelity
This guaranteed chain letter was started in the hope of guaranteeing every participant a wonderful nest egg on the road to prosperity.
Make two copies of this letter, and personally hand them to two trustworthy friends whom you wish prosperity.
Under no circumstances shall you let anyone have a copy without witnessing with your own eyes the carrying out of the instructions in this letter by the person to whom you give it. In presenting this letter to your friend, give him an envelope, stamped and addressed to the party appearing at the top of this list. Have him put his dollar between heavy paper in the envelope, and in his presence put it in the mailbox. This must be done before letting him have the letter. This guarantees the life of the chain and assures the speedy advancement of your name from tenth to first place on the list.

[Here ten names and addresses are listed.]

Do not mail this -- You must personally witness the carrying out of these instructions,


Published: Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan, Wisconsin), 15 May 1935, p. 12. Title: "Guaranteed" letter. "At Madison from noon until midnight yesterday hundreds of frantic men and women milled in the lobby of the Park hotel. A chain letter crew had moved into town two days ago bringing a half dozen notaries with them. It was estimated that $5,000 had been invested at the Park hotel "market" alone, and the rush was so bad that several persons were overcome in the jam. Reports that "so and so" had made $160 for is two-dollar investment were circulated with suspicious regularity which excited the crowd more than ever. Everybody seemed anxious to 'get in' on the easy money." Last sentence was in parentheses.  Entered by DWV, Dec. 24, 2013.

me1935-05-15p2_HighFidelity_q2n10s1

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