The herald., 1898-02-06
OFFICE OF THE HERALD,
s 1.-THE absurd man is the man who never
changes"

OFFICE OF Ill I1bI<ALD,
Los Angeles. Feb. S, 1898.
. "The absurd man is the man who never
changes"
"Do the heirs .of a suicide have to prove
tho insanity of the deceased in order to
recover the amount of his life insurance
policy?" is the question that is not unnat-
supreme court. already referred to in this
of Justice Harlan of the United States
supreme court, already referred to in these
column. To which it is replied that JUS
tice Harlans decision can hardly overrule
the terms of a contract. In the case which
he decided, the insured committed suicide
within less than a year after increasing his
insurance to the extent of 100000, and 1t
was shown that he had written a letter
the day before his death, stating that he
intended to kill himself, so that his life
insurance could be used to pay his debts.
or course, If such a trick upon an insur-
ance company were to be permitted honest
minded policy holders would be the suffer-
ers, because their interests could not be
properly safeguarded. Justice Harlan did
not decide that the heirs of a suicide have
to prove the insanity of the deceased in
order to recover the amount of the policy.
He decided that when man deliberately
declared that his purpose was to kill HIM
self to get the benefit of his life insurance
he should be held to forfeit his policy. The
case referred to went before a jury and
was appealed from court to court until it
reached the highest court in The land. and
the jury and the courts all decided against
the insured.
The letting of the contract for putting
under ground the extensive system of
wires for the Edison Electric company in
this city marks another step in municipal
progress towards the point where all such
wires shall be removed from the dishgur-
ing position they now occupy in he public
streets. The Edison Electric company,
which is the successor to the West Side
Lighting company, will have to expend
about $3.50. COO in the work now being under
taken for the purpose of complying with
the city ordinance requiring all wires 10 be
put under ground on or before April 1st.
II is worthy of note that the corporation
aid not find 1t necessary to accept an offer
made 10 it by the General Electric COM
pany of Schenectady. n. Y, which SUBJ
mitted figures for installing the whole
underground system. The Edison company
obtained local bid and found that the
Alcatraz Paving company was able to do
the work at figures which were satisfac-
tory, and therefore decided to give the
contract 10 a home institution. The AL
catraz people are also doing the work of
putting'in in the conduits for the San Gabriel
Power company ana are under contract to
get this work done in time for the resur-
facing of Spring and Main streets.
The works of the Edison Electric com
pany are to be built upon the lot formerly
belonging to the Lichtenberger estate, on
the south side of Fourth street, opposite
the Johnson house. the company having
just purchased the lot for that purpose.
o O o
1t may interest some of the mourning
md Snbers of the Massachusetts Benefit Life
association to haer that its assets amount
to about half a million dollars, and that
the accrued claims thus far made aggre-
gate over $l,O0O,OOo.
The exports of California wine from San
Francisco by sea for the year 1897 were as
follows:
Eastern, gallons. s.....................45S5 4 $50 $50
Foreign, gallons. s...................... SIC, ,7U4
TOtai %, 49, Csc
Also 203 cases to eastern markets and
1882 cases to foreign markets for the year
1897
Shipments by rail to the east for the
same period were 9,403,600 gallons and by
water 5493, 14S gallons making a grand
total of IA. .74S gallons. Value of the ship
ments for the year is s5,76O237, against
s5,65S,726 for the same time last year.
o o o
A process has recently been perfected
by which thin sheets of absolutely trans |
parent celluloid are silvered similarly to
the process formerly used on glass Such
@ plate of celluloid is covered with silver
on the back. and another celluloid plate is |
fastened on the back of the mirror thus |
formed. This naturally forms another mir
ror SO that the value of the celluoid mir |
ror is enhanced by being equally perfect
on either side, making it double looking |
glass.
The Wright Wave Motor Company has
granted to the Ocean Power Company its
rights for this county, on an annual royalty |
Of five dollars per horse power for every
horse power developed, and one-fourth of
Its capital stock. The grantee is to build
''such wave motor plants as may be nee
essary to supply the existing demand for
power within the county"
Insurance Notes
Tho Co n Two pciSoo Nau,e T otter.o,...