Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-06-08
The" Fat Contributor "0n Insurance
Agents.

IPEKKD him out for an insurance man
as quick as / saw him There was no
mistaking that glance of inventory with
which he took in my age, occupation, par
ents long or short lived, age of great
grandfather when he died, pulmonary COM
plant on my mothers side, and summer
complaint on my fathers, etc, etc. Before
he ever spoke to me he would sit looking
at me for an hour at time with great
tears in his benevolent eyes as big as soap
bubbles, grieving because one so young,
and yet so fair, wasn't insured. Then he
would clasp his hands and gaze yearningly
upon me as if to say: why, why will
you not take out a policy?"
Oh, but it was touching to hear that old
man go on at the table and tell Of the hun
dreds and hundreds of families whom he
had rendered comfortable and happy by
inducing husbands and fathers to get in
sured And he did it out of pure good
ness of heart and love of humanity, too,
that was the best of 1t. The satisfaction
it afforded him was all the reward he
wanted.
If, in 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 should be
afraid that well-meaning but impetuous
old man would contrive to get me killed
for the satisfaction of handing the insur-
ance money over to my widow.
was greatly touched by a story this
venerable insurance man told about his
search for poor woman who had policy
on her husbands life, in a company he re-
presented, in order to pay it to her, having
heard casually that she wanted it. think
he was occupied some fifteen years in his
hunt for that woman; and yet only one
payment on the policy had ever been
made! But it is SO much the custom of
life insurance companies to do this that
it is hardly necessary to mention that.
At length his efforts were rewarded. He
found the poor woman with her six chill.
dren in miserable garnet, trying to earn
living for her family by splitting up tooth
picks at one cent thousand. Lying in
corner was her brute Of a husband, dead
drunk But will let the agent tell it in
his own words
was sure had found the right wo-
man, but went about it carefully to find
out whether she still kept the policy. |
had to be cautions, you know, or | might
drive the poor woman wild. "Haye you
nothing. to maintain yourself by" said 1,
"save this toothpick mandatory
Nothing whatever" she replied. "My
husband ought to support us, but he don't.
He's good man when he's sober, but he
amt ever sober. He can make good
wages when he amt drunk, but he has
been drunk ever since l knew him"
Didn't he-now be calm, madam, con-
troll yourself -didn't he have life insur-
ance policy?"
"No. Stop, though. Yes, now l recol-
lect he did have one, but that was good
many years ago (sighing). He only made
one payment on it, and then let 1t run
out"
Where is that policy?"
Dunno. Kickin' round the house
some where, spose. Saw it In an old
barrel in the loft, last time remember it /;
that's well on to dozen years ago. But
what use is it? It's run out long ago"
Madam" said /, impressively, scarce
ly able to repress my emotions for fear the
policy was lost, "the company represent
never allows any policy it has issued to
run out, no matter if nothing has been
paid ON it,"
With this she fastened into the loft,
and to my unspeakable joy here the in.
surance man produced a pocket handker-
chief and wiped away some tears she
soon returned with the policy had been
searching for fifteen years, torn some, It's
true, and considerably soiled, but for the
most part there. The endorsement was
torn off, but the signature of our President
was all right, and that was enough. There
upon paid the overjoyed woman fifteen
thousand dollars, the amount of the pre-
MUM"
And the man not dead yet?' inquired
"Well, yes" said the insurance man, "he
was dead drunk, but our company don't
draw any fine distinctions under such Cir
cumstances"
We all wept at this touching recital, and
one of the party could not refrain from
catching the good old man in his arms and
o.n him l,nnio mt Ylalaa