Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-28

ingly around at his stock. "'Nice store,
said I.
SIT is, says he.
Garry good bit of stock says I.
Yes, says he, looking at me somewhat
suspiciously.,
Good custom? says I.
Fair. says he, still puzzled.
Mostly cash. says I.
=" Some book accounts says he, where
i" :. Exactly says I. Insured, s'pose.'
oh, yes, says he.
Certain says 1.
Got all the insurance want says be.
III bet you're not insured says I.
QUITE A PUzzLER.
He began to get mad. He took me for an
insurance agent.
You think you are, of course saysI.
I've got policy says he.
Yes. for $4,000 says 1.
You have struck the right figure says
he.
g. Did you ever read it?' saysI.
Read what" says he.
why. your policy says I. This rather
staggered him. He began to get interested,
Nobody reads poliey-the fine print Of it
ali the way through. He said he hadn't,
put he knew the company was good, and he
knew the agent personally.
ihe agent don't pay your losses by
hre, says l. Let me see it9'
He brought it out. read him the fine print
which provides that in case of loss of in
sured stock payment will be made only for
what can be proven to have been lost with
out regard to the face of the policy.
=" Now says I, you see by this that it is
all the same whether you are insured for
$4,000 or $4,000, as you could colleck only
what you could prove was lost The COM
pany would probably offer you compromise
OF 81 900 or 81, 900 or take you into court to
prove damages. If you went into court
your business would be ruined in the mean
time and legal fees would swallow up con-
siderable. You pay premium on policy
for 81, 600, but that would not concern the
adjuster.'
THE PLOT THICKENS.
1.-THE adjuster?" says he.
"Yes; the man employed by the company
to adjust losses"
1 explained that to him, and he grew
more puzzled at me every minute. He be-
gan to see was not an insurance man.
Now, says ], "you have a changing
stock-selling off to-day and putting in to-
morrow-some cash, considerable on books.
IT your place was burned out tonight what
have you got to prove your loss?"
my books would show that" says be.
$50 they would" says I, "if they were
not destroyed. What do you keep 'em in?"
He looked around in q helpless way.
had found out all about that beforehand.
They were locked up at night in an old
desk.
"You are not insured" says I. "That's
clear. What you need in order to make
that policy worth anything is substantial
fre-proot safe"
The man started as if he had been shot.
He looked at me with a broad grin for
about half minute until he had fairly mas
tered the idea. Then he blurted out:
Look here; you want to sell me safe7"
SIGNING THE ORDER.
"T do says I, and here's your order al
ready made out, and here's your pencil to
sign it. You need a safe-I want to sell
one. So we are both suited. I've got the
one marked out here that exactly fits your
business, size so and so, combination lock,
weighs so many pounds, inside cash drawer
of steel, place for books, warranted-sign
right on that line-hold up; let me put my
name frst-cost you only S25 when put in
and so much a month-change it if you
don't like it-sign right there. That's
right-now you are insuredP
The man took the pencil and order, see?
and wrote his name down as directed.
And then he laughed and chuckled and
laughed again. and bought box of %
of his best cigars and walked out-snd
sold three safes in that neighbornood within
q week without an efort-he sold them for
me, see? CHARLES T. MURRAY.