New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-16

LAVISH EXPENSE OFTEN NET BY INsUR-
ANCE MONEY.
SMALL. POLICIES THAT ARE TAKEN OUT EH-
PREssLY FOR BURIAL cHARGES-KAfA'looS
rNDERrAKERs AND PETTIFoGGING
LAWYERS


VIVA, TO eat and drink and how to be housed are
questions foremost in human life. but TO the poor
those who in forceful phrase. live from hand to
mouth the question OF burial is yet more difficult
problem.
.Iu lust keep the change account says
life-insurance agent. stufiing the 81 bill when the
mistress Of a tenement house home handed him into
his pocket.
"Oh no. the woman objects. II can't spare H.
LET me see there's % cents the old man and 10
cents apiece for the five children and 20 cents FOR
ne; that's good deal TO pay out each week besides
the rent II it wasn't for Potters Field staring us
In the face we wouldn't DO IT,"
The agent shrugs his shoulders. and hands the
change back then wends his way up the stairs to a
family above. from whom he likewise collects dues
The father and mother in this case are insured for
10 cents each of the three children for hve
The life insurance agents frequent visitors In
the tenement houses. All day and any day they
may be seen. notebook in hand. jotting down the
dimes and quarters that OFTEN are "runs iroi"
scanty cXchcquer
when the sum received at child's death Is
large is the money all spent on the funeral? was
asked OF a mission minister.
"Inyariaby once took the liberty Of suggest
ing 10 the mother OF family that $50 was TOO much
10 souander on burial charges when she did wash
ing for n living and her other children were In need
~ proper nourishment and clothing. She admitted
that was right but exclaimed feelingly ON, SIR
I couldn't use cent OF that insurance ior any
thing but Jimm!es funeral 1t would 80 against
the others for me TO blood money TO buy
them things
TEXT FOR INSURANCE AGENTS.
'You See the life insurance men have some elo-
ouent texts TO preach from, should a poor person
hesitate about taking policy. I'll give you an
instance A little girl came to the sewng-class. as
usual one morning and when the teacher greeted
her said in III. mos, unmoved way: My mn Is dead
in bed at home The teacher went nome win her'
and sure enough. the woman was in bed just as she
had been in the night. dead. They had not touched
her because as she had died suddenly. they were
waiting for the Coroner She had been - drinking
woman bur died of heart disease. This being
officially ascertained the undertaken was summoned
and agreed to bury the body for 81
.The coffin was brought and the dead decently
apparelled and placed within it, but when the
funeral hour came the undertaken stipulated that
SO out of the 81 must be paid down before the
procession could move The husband went out 10
trv and raise the money If possible but failed and
what did the undertaken do but tumble the corpse
out upon the floor like sack of meal and march
off with his coffin. 10 the horror and amaZement OF
the spectators, The city buried the woman in
potter's Field I doubt II there is single person
who was present on that occasion or who heard Of
the circumstance who has not since taken out
life policy II he had none before. That immedl
ate neighborhood was harvest FOR the numerous
AGENTS for some time. In contrast to that picture
prefer the overtime funeral.
after all continued the good man, There is
something touching in these peoples devotion 10
Their dead. and the solace they derive from lavish
ing their all upon them. small boy died while the
last snowsaorm was raging In whom we were inter-
ested. I really should like to send some flowers
said my wife, but they scarce now and 50
expensive that think could put the money 70
better use.' l went to that poor. shabby lodging
had baan and vi
get and the room was full of flowers. procured by
the family and sent in by friends. The poor
kind to each other In distress and death seems 10
touch them much more than suffering In life does.
Sometimes however the nonchalance with which
they accept calamity of this kind Is grotesque.
What sort will you have| asked the undertaken of
a woman who ordered chid's coffin: he meant
the trimming lining. casing. etc. oh the same kind
| usually get was the answer. She had buried her
husband and son previously. You may be sure
have treated her with such Difference. rs there
life policy? is the first question undertaken asks
when his services are demanded
THE wATCHFUL PETTIFOGGERs.
Inquiry reveals a singular means OF procuring
money for an elaborate funeral. The child Of poor
parents was run by n car. sustaining Injuries
which killed HIM
My sympathies aroused on seeing notice
OF the accident In the paper" said the boys sun
day-school teacher. land before went to my pus-
ness | FASTENED to the childs home Early as IL
was, a pettifoggng lawyer was there urging OH INC
grief-stricken mother the fact that she must sue
the city for heavy damages. You owe IL 10 o'"e.
mothers whose children may be run over ne 'o'o
her; you owe 1t to society IN general II - re-
lglous duty that should not be neglected. Inc
woman represented that she had no money 10 en-
ploy a lawyer. that she hadn't even money enough
to give the child decent burial an the time BOD
hing and CRYING In convulsive emotion .
'TOh YOU don't need any money Tor lawyer, ne
explained. I won't charge you cent unless get