The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-30

the strength of what they learned the
companies issued policies covering the
three or four months before the celebra-
ton. The queens health was good, so
the premiums were not heavy, and the
tradesmen were able to undertake ella
borate and costly preparations for the
jubilee and to rest assured of their
financial stability until the celebration
was over. A medical examination of
the queen by insurance examiners be-
ing, of course, out of the question, the
companies were content to undertake
the risk without it.
The patriotic desire Of all English
men to make the golden jubilee the i'm
mense success it afterward proved to be
counted for something in persuading
the English companies to undertake
this risk. But after the jubilee the
practice steadily grew. Tradesmen en-
joying court patronage realized in it an
easy means of safeguarding themselves
against the loss which would otherwise
fall upon them with the death of the
queen, and the competition between the
companies compelled all to undertake
the risk when it was offered. though it
j
Almost every tradesman who undertook
a court contract dependent in any de-
gree upon the sovereigns life insured 1t
for the period the contract ran. Others
who were not tradesmen saw the ad-
vantages of the plan. Nine Albant, the
queens favorite singer, was engaged to
give series of concerts at court. Be-
ing a shrewd business woman, she in
sured the queens life for the value of
the contract until it expired West
End tradesmen, on getting in their sup
ply of summer goods. insured against
the not very remote possibility of hav-
ing to sell expensive colored fabrics and
costumes at bargain rates, and to invest
in mourning fabrics at correspondingly
high prices. Some of them insured the
Prince of Wales also. Other persons
who had nothing to lose at all by the
death of either the queen or her elder
son, in sured one or both as specula-
ton. Soon 1t came about that the COM
panies were carrying immense liablli-
ties on both lives. The opinion Of insu-
rance men here Is that the speculation
has been much more of loss than
gain to all the companies, but Ameri-
can insurance men are warmly opposed
toany insurance gambling of this kind
Just before the diamond jubilee of
three years ago insurance on the
queens life was in great demand. The
reports of her falling eyesight and even
graver rumors as to her health sent the
rates up, for even the English compa-
MES began to hesitate at adding to the
heavy liabilities they were now regu-
larry carrying In this way for short
terms. Applications We're made to the
three American companies doing bust
ness in London to quote rates for
short-term insurance on the queens
life. But the American companies,
which have never cared to insure
crowned heads anyway, cared still less
to gamble, as they considered 1t, on the
life of feeble woman in her eightieth
year, and the rates they quoted We're
underbid by the English companies,
with whom the advertisement of in
surfing the queens life counted for a
great deal.
So far as could be learned here yes
terday, not an American company car
ries a dollar of the $1,250,0 insurance
said by the London DAILY Mali to be
due to policyholders on the queens
death. No data exist here as to the
rates given on such short-term policies
as comprised the bulk of this insurance.
New York Sun.