The Portland daily press., 1897-08-04
Companies Wary Of Taking the
Risks.
SOME CONCERNS PEREMPTORILY
FORBID ISSUING SUCH POLICIES.
Orders Have Been General in United
States and Canada-Immigrants With
out Years Supply of Food Turned
Back.

Back.
Chicago, August 3-The Chicago agent
of the Travellers Insurance company OF
Hartword, Conn, has received instrue-
tions from his office not to insure any
person going to the Klondyke region.
Inquiry develops that many of the
principal life and accident insurance
companies have issued positive instruc-
tions to their general agents in the
United States and Canada against as
suming any risks upon the. lives of per-
sons contemplating visit to Klondyke.
Many of the general agents representing
eastern life and accident insurance COM
panies in Chicago have received letters
from the home office of prohibitory
nature against these risks. The action
taken by the Travellers is similar to that
taken by the Provident Life and Trust
companies.
Mr.. Harris, the manager of the New
York Life Insurance company in Chicago
has received no instructions that prohi bits
him from issuing a permit to policy hold
ers in that company to visit the hion-
dyke, but he says they have positive in
structions to accept no applications for
increase of insurance or new policies.
The Provident Life and Trust company
have positive instructions not to take any
insurance of this character while at the
office of the Equitable Life Insurance
company they are refusing all such risks.
The manager of the Equitable in
Chicago is out of the city but his assistant
stated he had written the home office in
regard to the Klondyke insurance. In the
case of old policy holders an extra charge
is made by the Equitable for permission
to visit Alaska What this charge is the
Chicago representative of that company
is unable to say but twill be at least an
addition of $5 thousand.
The Penn Mutual is another company
that has no instructions from the home
office against taking risk on the lives of
those going to the Alaskan. gold fields.
Their representatives stated today that it
was their policy in the absence of positive
instructions to refuse business of this
character. He said, however, that no
action would be taken in regard to policy
holders who desired to visit the gold
fields. Many of the smaller companies
and especially the local companies fatty
refused to accept business of this charac-
ter. They say the risks are too great for
the premiums.
The action of the life insurance COM
panies is not nearly SO surprising as tbat
of the accident. The companies carrying
accident risks are even more particular
than many Of those assuming life risks
They go on the theory that the trip over
and to Alaska is fraught with more
dangers to life and limb from accident
than is possible from disease. The only
thing that causes the accident companies
to hesitate In cancelling the policies is
the extreme prudence that the policy
holders have shown in the past. They do
not care to assume the risk upon daring
young prospector who will not take even
the precautions of carrying sufficient
clothing and food with him to the Klon-
dyke regions. They estimate that the
greater portion Of those going to that
country are persons unaccustomed to cold
and insufficiently provided with food and
clothing. 81