The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-06-10
FROM the Cincinnati Times
FAT CONTRIBUTION.
ssThat Insurance Man,
MEXICO. Mo. May II.

Missouri must be pretty good
State for life insurance. At the
Planters, in Moberly, where l
stopped, were five or six who pur
sue that inspiriting avoca,ion. One
OF them, an agreeable, middle-aged
gentleman, with full, flowing beard,
in which the sable was generously
silvered, had the worse case of life
insurance on the brain l ever met,
and we have some cases in Cincin-
natl that are past recovery. He in
troduced the subject on all man
ner OF occasions and in all manner
of WAYS. In his conversation life
insurance never failed to point the
moral, and if he told story, it
was the insurance that adoned the
tale.
I picked him out for an insur-
ance man as quick as saw him.
The ere was no mistaking that
glance of inventory with which he
took in my age, occupation, pa
rents long or short lived, age of
great grandfather when he died,
pulmonary complaint on my moth
er's side, and summer complaint
on my fathers, &C., DC.
Before he ever spoke to me he
would sit looking at me for an
hour al q time with great tears in
his benevolent eyes as big as soap
bubbles, grieving because one SO
young, and yet so fair, wasn't in
sured. Then he would clasp his
hands and gaze yearningly upon
me as if to say:
why. why will you not take out
apolicyT
that old man to 60 on at the table
and tell of the hundreds and hun
dreds of families whom he had
rendered comfortable and happy
by inducing husbands and fathers
to get insured. And he did it out
Of pure goodness of heart aud love
of humanity, too,--tbat was the
best of it. The satisfaction it af-
forded him was all the reward he
wanted.
If, in q moment Of weakness, l
should yield to his persuasions and
get insured, l shouldn't want to
remain in his vicinity long. So
anxious is he to have families reap
the benefit Of insurance 1 should
be afraid that we'll meaning but
impetuous old man would contrive
to get me killed for the satisfaction
Of handing the insurance money
over to my widow.
was greatly touched by story
this venerable insurance man told
about his search for poor woman
who had a.policy on her husbands
life, in q company he represented,
in order to pay it to her, having
heard casually that she wanted it.
I think he Was occupied some fiji
teen wears in his hunt for that NO.
man; and yet only one payment on
the policy had ever been made!
But it is so much the custom OF
the life insurance companies to do
this that it is hardly necessary to
mention that.
At length his efforts were rewar,
ded. He found the poor woman
with her six children in a misera
BILE garret, trying to earn living
for her family by splitting up
tooth picks at one cent thousand
Living in q corner was her brute OIL
husband, dead drunk. But
will let the agent tell it in his own
words:
L was sure had found the
tight woman, aut I went about il
carefully to find out whether she
still kept the policy. l had to be
cautious, you know, or l mig h'
drive the poor woman wild. Have
you nothing to maintain yourself
by said 1, save this toothpich
manufactoryS'
Nothing, Whatever she replied
my husband ought to support us
but he don't. He's a good mar
when he's sober, but he amt evel
sober. He can make good wages
when he amt drunk, but he has
been drunk ever since knew him.
Didn't he-now be calm, mad
am, control yourself-didn't HI
have q life insurance policy?