The Penn's Grove record., 1886-07-10

OLn6TS. Wll6 Lle lCHeS meu III tue
country are always my surest patrons"
"You are Fortunate I said, perhaps
a little vexed at my obtuseness, in "be-
ing able to serve all classes 50 satisfac-
torily. You must have a sound finan-
cial backlng?n
"WeT, yes" he said, plainly enjoying
my mystification. "There is wealth
enough on hand in my business to pay
the entire national debt. 1t is not all in
one organization, but as they are con-
Quoted upon the same general principles
l am justified in claiming them all to
some extent. But the particular insti-
tuition I represent has alone more money
than the capital of any bank in the
country. There are others with more
and Others with less, but each has
enough and to spare to fulfill all con-
tracts with its customers"
you say that rich men are among
your best patrons" L said. "Perhaps
you are a capitalist or a representative
of capitalists"
81 represent capital, and plenty of ii"
said he, although it is money actually
belonging to the customers themselves.
But you do not yet scent my relations
with the wealthy classes. Let me be
palmer. l help rich men build up, and
often to create valuable estates"
"You cannot be a lawyer" l unused
aloud. "They only help settle estates
after a man passes away, except when
they help contesting heirs to unsettle
them. But what does a rich mar need
anyway of that which he already pos
sesses? He has an estate; why should he
require you to furnish him one?'
"The possible misfortunes of bust
ness" answered the gentleman more
seriously, care known to every sensible
man in the world of trade, The more
successful a person may be in commerce,
manufacture or finance, the more he
sees and appreciates the chances of dis
aster to all his prospects. The very i'll
te|lligence which has made him a man
of present ample means teaches him that
the future is full of uncertainties by
which a part or all of his possessions
may disappear"
"And your business is to make good
the loss?" I asked obviously.
"Oh, no, my business is to have fur
nished him the certainty of receiving a
good round sum of money after a term
of years, or of furnishing the same as AZ
estate to his heirs, an estate which In
t%ervening business disaster cannot i'm
pair, and which even those lawyers you
referred to cannot unsetttle. | give him
an estate which goes straight, and in a
lump, at once to those for whom he in
tends it."
"Yours should be q popular and an
easy calling" / said. 81 presume all
you have to do is to sit in your office
making arrangements with warns of
applicants, with policemen, perhaps, to
keep the crowd in line and see that the
rush does not overpower you?"
"To the contrary" he answered, II
have to visit, either in person or by
some of my assistants, almost every man
with whom l do business. l am obliged
to seek him at his office, store or home.
Every man with whom l have dealings
admits the value and importance of con-
Guiding an agreement with me, and
every man who has accepted what |
have to sell is glad he did so, while his
family feels and talks the same way.
Yet he has almost invariably only con-
Guided the contract after more or less
urgent solicitation on my part"
at is an interesting phase of human
perversity," 1 said, that you should
have what all seem to want and are
pleased to have obtained, yet which few,
if any, hunt you up to buy. No more
of your puzzles, if you please. What is
your business, any way?"
81 am a life insurance agent,n said
he, pleasantly, handing me a card of a
prominent company, with some we'll
written and clearly-Stated pamphlets,
showing the advantages of the system,
as a whole, and his company in particu-
lar.
We were a little over twenty-four
hours ON the train, but before reaching
Chicago my energetic and enterprising
friend had secured three new ''applica-
~tions," and it was difficult to tell who
were the better satisfied, the untiring
gentleman who had obtained the bust
ness, or those who had thus additionally
made sure of the future ease Of them
selves and their families.