The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-06-15
Insurance..

A late number of the Racine -aGtocdts has n
disquisiticn on the subject of insurance, in which
new company is spoken Of whici. We hope will
Immediately establish an agency in this place, as
there is ,Euch need oft. The Advocate says.
we learn that another company is to be form
ed to insure the Insurance companies, SO as 10 make
assurance doubly sure" and take a policy from
fate, as Mr. Macbeth did, though the allusion here
is unfortunate, for he in common lingo, slipped up
his policy having been forfeited because he was NOT
of woman born"
The gentleman alluded to by the Advocate as
having slipped up" il his policy from fate was
not a-Shit more unfortunate than some of our ci'
tizens are likely to be, who took policies from
institutions Of somewhat more modern establish
ment 1t is recollected tina, there was lire in
this place some three months ago, at which some
$1,000 worth Of property was destroyed; aud it
is also recollected the the losers received compa
rative!y little sympathy from the public because
their property had been insured for than half
the amount it was worth But the public have
not yet been informed that the policies were
promptly paid according to stipulation, and the
sufferers, We are sorry to say, also still IN IT,
norance of that interesting fact The truth is
with exception of the Illinois Mutual Insurance
Co, which paid promptly, the companies that lost
a few hundred dollars each by the tire alluded to-
they were the Protection ms Co, Hartford, and
the North Western ms Co, Oswego n. " have
not met their engagements, and the course they
have pursued in the matter indicates that they 90
not mean TO- unless forced--so we are informed
And nov see the ineanness and injustice of this
thing Of being obliged to appeal to legal force
One OF the sufferers by the fire alluded to is wi
dow lady who can little afford to lose and " no
must have all her business done by expensive
agents. Tho Insurance company owes her 500
and acknowledges the debt but by the most coli,
tenptible shifts neglects to pay, and she must
bring suit. To do this she must fee LAWYER at
Ottawa and incur other expenses, say $50 in all
He fixes up her papers, and then another law
yer must be feed at Hartford, Conn, and another
heavy bill Of expenses incurred to get into court
there. And now after years dilly dallying she
may get her case to trial right under the shadow
counsel may be stockholders or retainers Her
chance OF obtaining justice is a hopeful one in.
deed In three or four years she may get her mo,
ney, after having expended half of it, and had
trouble and yexation enough to make up for the
other half
The case of the other sufferers is quite rs hard
as the one just gwen They are Young men who
had embarked their all in stock OF goods, and by
the FIRE they are made penuyless They are in
beautiful condition to 90 to New York, fee law.
yers, aud commence q prosecution against huge
moneyed institution! We have suspicion that
the company links they will not be able to do it,
We have alluded to this subjects and Shese ca
sea because We believe the interests of the public
demsndis. Our people have within Il few years
paid thousands of dollars to these foreign insur
snce companies, in the honest belief that they
were thu. securing themselves ngains; loss bu.
on the very first demand they make for trlng
return Of their heavy OUTLAWS they are walked up
to the fact they are to be swinded If this is
true, it is due 10 the public that they should
know IT,
We honestly think that unless better DISPOSE.
ton 10 be homes, is manifested on their part these
foreign insurance companies should be utterly dis
eoa"ssnaHced by our people, at leas. until some
legislation can be had in reference.to them. Their
agents herexhould be obliged to give security to
the amount they insure, and the companies should
be made liable TO he sued where thev insure.
After heavy loss by fire few men are able to go
to distant state to commence a prosecution
where they have every chance that wealth can
always array against simple Justice to contend
with and indeed most men will sooner give up
a claim of few hundred dollars than attempt to
recover 1t against such odds, md the insurance
companies seem to be just mean and dishonest
enough to take advantage of this fact
We have not intended, in anything we have
said, to reflect on the agents hero of those insur
ance companies We believe they have been dis.
posed from the beginning to do all that was re-
quired Of them to secure justice to our citizens