The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-08-16

MARRIAGE ENSCRASCE
Marriage Insurance. 10 becoming as
contse ious in Pennsyivania and I'D /.
joiningStatesss dealt bed insurauce, and
there 10 likely TO be ss much criticism
OF 1t. In some Counties the Judges re-
fuse to sgrant charters to the, marriag e
insurance companies, bat the parties
who are refused apply in neighboring
jurisdiction and are successful. They
readily procure . charter o. license to
go into the business Of guaranteeing Q
single young men and women one thou ].
sand dollars, more or less. when they
marry.
Soliciting agents Rad it very plain
sailing 10 the country districts. and do
considerable business among young
women by assuring them that young
men seeking wives invariably select
O young woman who has had sufficient
business tact and judgment. about her
to get herself insured in time. The
conseq quencs 10 that the young women
pay over their hard earned dollar and
then revel in the hope tina very soon a
young man will come along hlntibg q
wife; that he will select her; that she
will get $1,000 soon after her wedding
dsy from th' company, and that little
fortune will be 30 handy TO have in the
house to bay parier aud bedroom set.
carpets. q horse, Q few cows, and many
odds and ends to start married life
with.
These concerns. more properly. should
be called guarantee companies. They
only do business with unmarried peo
pie. No capital is required TO start a
company moro than is necessary to pay
for charter. furnish an office. pay for
the printing of lot of blanks, circu
lars and letter heads, and start cut a
lot of agents. A few hundred dollars
is sufficient Agents scour the country.
scatter the spIendidly worded circulars
broadcast, and in few months 1000
young people have joined class A. aud
paid 81 each to become participating
members. Some companies do not
charge as much. Out Of this $4,000 paid
in, the agents receive their very large
percentage for commissions. say $1,000.
aud the balance goes to the directors.
Whenever any one member Of class A is
married. be or she srnds in the certi-
fcaie of marriage, duly witnessed by
the local agent. and the company at
once proceed TO collect 81 from each Of
the 99S other mem bers OF that class.
They promptly respond. and the direc
tors. after ,deducting 90 per cant. of the
1899 90 collected. send the balance to
the member who 10 married. The COM
pany 10 expected to do this il it is gov
erned BY honest principles Of business.
Hence the directors receive nearly 500
from every member who ,marriss, o.
their charge for collecting the assess
ments. Some companies with lsss brass
charge but 10 per cent. for collecting
sssessmsnta. and retarn about $500 to
the bens6oisEy. Tho bsttsr kr 4 OF
company charges but : per cent. The
person marrying drops out Of the class,
and - fast ~ marriages OCCUR, new
members are substituted to keep the
class Of 1000 full Some successful
companies have thre. full classes going.
Children thirteen years Of age are re-
ceived a. members aaii sssessvd 60
much. The younger the person is. the
less the rate. and the older the higher.
The ofRcials pretend 10 have system.
based upon reful calculation, as TO
marriage probabilities. Just the same
- the old line life companies have as
70 death probabilities.
IN - ~..- 49,
woman engaged to be married . year
FROM date may join company. pay her
initiation lee. run the chances of half q
dosen assessments, aud when she is
married she will recsise. il she's fairly
dealt with. about $500 II her intsud-
Cd 10 smart. be. too. viii Join com.
pany. and he. too. will receive 500
sixty OF uinety days alter suficient
proofs have been Z, eeised Of his mar
risge.
Thus far the experiences Of some
young men and young women in the
marriage in n,urarcelbusinsss are interest.
ing. A Schuyikill county young lady
left her home because she cauld no,
bear to b. ridisuled about her misfor-
tune with her intended. She thought
she was 70 he married last month, bni
the young man ran away and left her.
New she has neither the $500 that che
would have received nor q husband
The details Of her bad lnck leaked out
aud she went to Philadelphia to escape
the taunss and jibes of her rader ac-
quaintances.
Across in the rsxt county. Lehigh.
two young people we're married. They
belonged 20 different eosnpanies. Ii
less tkan thirty days they fought and
separated. but the proofs Of their mar
riags had bean SAINT in 70 the bom,
Office. and in due coarse Of tine eaei
received the exenct Of money due. ans
they are now separately enjoying 1t
The young woman IL OF on trip q
Earope. and the youog man started
haSuessnakinR shop. There are man!
uha now chSxep that The ycung voms'
Just married 70 eets her money. ans
4 - - 49, ~