The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-29
THEIR RISK ISNOT GREAT.
HOW INSURANCE MEN REGARD
YELLOW FEVER.
Their Losses During Epidemics in the
South Very Small-Typhoid Fever
More to be Feared.

From ule NeU YORK Tunes.
The ravages of yellow fever have hit the
insurance companies who do business in the
south very lightly so far, nor do, they ex-
meet extraordinary losses from this cause.
From their standpoint, indeed, yellow fever
is not to be feared as much as other dis
eases. There are only four New York COM
panies who have cultivated that section for
business on definite and extensive system.
They report very trifing losses so far. DR..
Gillette, of the medical department of the
Mutual Company, ventures the opinion that
the comparative mortality from yellow fever
to date, taking population into account, has
probably been less in Jacksonville than
was the mortality among children from
the heat in this city during the past summer.
Moreover, people who are able and disposed
to insure their lives are of the more thrifty
class They are likely to have had some
money laid aside. Little short of necessity
has detained residents of Jacksonville in that
city since yellow fever became epidemic.
The theory is that few who carried life in
s1lrance policies remain there. Those that
have stayed cannot now insure, for the com
panies issue no policies there at present.
Briefly, the above is the basis of calculation
on the part of the companies. They have
found it safe basis elsewhere and in former
elldemics.
How far the element of human nature err
tiers into the calculations of the companies
was illustrated during an epidemic on the
est coast of Mexico several years ago. The
large companies had penetrated that couu-
try and had written policies there for i'm
n6nse risks. One New York company alone
had 100000 in a city within the infected
district. The epidemic was quite as severe
as any on record. But not a dollar of in
surance had to be paid. Those who had in
sured got away, as it was expected that they
would. The people who died carried no in
surance. That experience furnished the
companies with an argument for
the establishment and continuance of
offices in the principal cities of
the southern states. Other reasons also
appeared for this step. The restrictions i'm
posed by quarantine and generally i'm
proved sanitary conditions throughout the
sections in which fever had fourished, Of
fered potent inducements for northern ven
lures. Accordingly the Mutual, the Equi-
table, the Manhattan and the New York
Life company began toput out new lines for
southern business. They feel well satisfied
with the results, and will be ready when
ever the epidemic shall have passed to re-
sumo operations in Jacksonville or any other
place that may be afflicted now or in the
Insurance men who have looked into the
subject" said DR.. Gillette, "believe that the
time has passed for extraordinary losses in
the south from yellow fever or any other
disease. Plaques no longer run over an
entire country. With the continued en-
forcement of rigid quarantine the time will
soon come when there will be no more
yellow fever in the south, except sporadic
cases. Quarantine will narrow the area of
the HieAaSp and pUAntUallv driUa III ont I
can remember when we had yellow fever
every year in New York. That no longer
happens, for quarantine has kept us free
from it. In the south the people used to
organize for yellow fever, not to keepit out,
but to care for it. With the regularity of
the hot season cases were brought into the
country from Havana, where it is endemic
and as regularly the fever became more or
less rampant. The rich usually ran away
from it, but there was no general exodus as
now. On the contrary, the common classes
had an idea that it was one of the necessary
evils of life, and it lacked the terrors that 1t
now possesses for communities, although OF
course it was dreaded. In those days stay
at-home clubs were organized to provide
care attendance, and other aid. One of
the cemeteries at Mobile is known as the
Cemetery of the Stay at Home Club. Only
those who were members of the club are
buried there. | mention this cemetery be-
cause it is well known. But everywhere
the stay-at-homes took care of each other
and of their dead, and were a recognized
clement in almost every Southern COM
munity within the usual area of the
scourge.
"All that now is changed. Many who
staid at home in the old days did SO from
choice. Now there are few such cases.
Those who can get away do it, The class
who insure are usually able to get away.
They don't join any stay -at-home club. The
companies are protected by these condi-
tions. They count upon them when they
seek business in that section. We are con-
WINGED from our experiences that there
are diseases more to be dreaded
than yellow fever by insurance com
panies. The Mutual Company has lost
only two cases, so far as can be learned.
Neither case has yet been reported through
our agency there. our information coming
from the newspaper lists One of the poll
cies was an old one for $4,000. The other
was for So, 900, and was taken out only last
year. 1t belonged to a large dealer in meats
aud provisions at Jacksonville. There has
been a great demand lately for the articles
which he sold, and suppose the temptation
to stay was too great for him."
An experience Of much the same tenor
was told by Mr.. Burdge, who has charge of
the loss department of the New York Life
Insurance Company: I'VE have done buSl-
ness in the south for forty years." he said,
land we have very little fear of loss to our
company from yellow fever. That disease
is one of the least troublesome to us. We
never worry over a yellow fever cpl
demic. Indeed, we cannot see that
there is any special risk in rea-
sonably cautious insurance in that
section of the country. We will not
insure a mans life down there unless
he is acclimated by seven years residence
i'll the country, or unless he has had yellow
fever. Our policies in northern risks are so
worded that holder of them who intends
to go south must get a permit from US, or
y COS at his own peril. Should visitor
Tim the north go south and get yellow
fever, neglect to get permit in advance
would annul his policy in case he died.
During an epidemic we would not insure
any one in that country, nor would we
grant permit to northern man to go
down there under any circumstances.
There are two excellent reasons why
people who insure with us are not likely to
have yellow fever. One is that we take
only selected lives, and the other is that our
company does not pay enough to agents 70
make 1t an object for them to seek small
policies. The consequence is that most OF
our policy holders, especially those who
have been secured through agencies,
hre men of means who carry large
amounts upon their lives 1t is
the history of epidemics that they
attack the poorer classes mainly. IL there