The Dickinson press., 1902-04-12
Insurance Matter.

The Bismarck Tribune ofthe 9Th said:
Following the application Of the Mer-
chants Mutual Insurance company to do
business Of. fire insurance in the state Of
North Dakota. which was filed yesterday,
application was made today by the
Commercial Mutual company Of Grand
Forks to do business in the state. There
is a good deal Of interest through the
state in the two companies. The Com
mercial Mutual company. which filed ito
articles today. is the company which was
indorsed by the state grocers and hard
ware men at their recent meetings. The
incorporators of the company aresR..B B.
Griffith of Grand Forks. ]. E. Paulson q.
Hillsboro. c. E. Berg, ]. Walker Smith
of Grand Forks, B. F. Kraabel Of Hope,
A. ]. Gronna of Lakota, w. A. Mcclure
of Taylor, John I. Lerom Of Buxton and
c. ]. Bergquist Of Fargo. The officers OF
the company are r. B. Griffith Of Grand.
Forks. president; c. E. Berg. secretary
and J. w. Smith, treasurer. The incor-
porators are among the most prominent
business men in the state.
The Merchants Mutual company was
organized by Chas. r. Merry Of. Dickin-
son, who is first vice president Of the
concern. The rates and manner Of do
ing business of the two companies il
practically the same, each company tax
ing board rates as a basis and charging
60 per cent and taking notes Of the bal
ance. The directors Of the Merry COM
pany are Geo. Drenkel and CT Merryof
Dickinson, H. T. Graves, M. H. Nc
Gowan, A. D.. Grant, H. E. White, H. A.
Solidao. Lars Christianson and L. F.
Tavis. The commissioner Of insurance
has not yet granted the company certi6-
cate.
The Tribune Of the previous day had
Merry's own version Of the matter az fol-
lows:
Articles for the admission of the Mer.
chants Mutual Insurance Co. of the state
have been filed with the insurance com.
missioner today, and that official is con.
sidering the application of the incorpora.
tors of the company to do business in the
state. The company is a mutual fire in.
sursnce company, taking risks upon mer'
chants property, limiting them to $4,000
in n risk or 5000 in any one block,
Some s257,ooo Of insurance has been
subscribed by I45 persons. The officers
of the company are, H. E. White, James
town, president; Martin Jacobson and
Lars Christian. vice president; H. T,
Graves, treasurer, and Geo. Drenkel
secretary.
Then.follows a list of incorporators-
his W name last. A comparison of the
two shows that for obvious reasons he
did not mention himself as vice presi.
dent or as a director.
To the Forum a garbled report wa.
also sent but in that Merry does not even
appear as an incorporation.
A list of the Dickinson subscribers Ia.
been on file in this office since Monday
and it has proved interesting reading
and as great a surprise to the subscrib'
ers as to anybody. Two out of every
three find the amount doubled and those
who signed in blank are blank no Longer
but down for one or two thousand.
The business. is supposed to be al
mercantile but there are people on thu
Dickinson list who live in the country
and several not engaged in mercantile
business.
Merry got badly scared Tuesday wher
so many were sending in to have thei
names taken of and was strenuously.e n
deavoring to get signers Q a petition I,
the insurance commissioner to grant hin
power to do business at once. Signer
were not in evidence.