The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-12-23
some QUEER FORMS
OF INSURANCE
YOU CAN INSURE AGAINST TWINS
OR ANY OTHER INCONVENIENCE
THAT YOU MAY FEAR.

An elephant the other day died from !
heat prostration on a train. This ele-
plant was not insured, but there is no
reason why it should not have been, !
for within the hst year or two the
dictum, Nothing is impossible in in
surance," has become almost literally
true; and today there are several
houses besides the Lloyds in London
that will issue almost any kind of in
surance that any one desires.
Are you a newly married man, and
do you wish to be insured against the
risk of twins? You can get such in
surance. Policies against twins have
been issued, and one has been collect
ed.
Do you own valuable horse, or bird
or dog, and would you like to insure
It? You can do so-for a week, for a
year, or for life.
Are you a pugilist, about to fight an
important battle and do you wish to
be insured against defeat? The in
surance is yours for the asking, pro-
vided that you are willing to pay a
rate based on your past performances.
! The treasure house of oddities in in
surance is the English Lloyds. Lloyds
! is a kind of insurance exchange. 1t
/ is a house composed of a great num-
/ Der of independent insurance brokers
| These brokers, when a policy of some
novel nature is asked for, share the
risk of it. They so on it, to the num-
! Der of IL or Is each for a small por-
ton of it's total, and thus a new chap
70 Of in
ance, a new set of risk statistics is
formed. and no broker runs the danger
Of mourning a heavy loss.
Four insurance policies against the
risk of twins have been issued, three
by the Lloyds and one by an Ameri-
can one, has been collected. 1t was
for $1,000. The American policy against
twins was issued in 1898 to a New
York man, tea merchant. He call
ed at the office of a New York house
that emulates the Lloyds in enter
prise and daring land he said:
81 was married six months ago, and
I have a horror of twins. A friend
of mine, an Englishman. told me last
year in London that the Lloyds has in
sured him against twins. Will you
i9SuS " POllSS Ilhe tHdL " me
How large a policy do you want?"
the agent asked.
"Well," said the tea merchant, II
reckon that $4,000 would about pay the
extra expense of a twin. I'd like to
have a $4,000 policy"
Did your mother" said the agent,
lever have twins?"
mo" replied the merchant.
Ibid your grandmother on either
side of the house?"
No"
did your wife's mother or grand
mothers?"
mo"
Glow about the great-grandmoth-
ers?"
'Wel I'm not sure about them. III
have to look them up"
81 wish you would" said the agent
The merchant looked up his own and
his wife's t-grandmothers' records
and was able to report that there had
never been any hint of twins in theiI
histories.
Then" said the agent, 1--WE will
Issue the policy that you desire. The
rate will be 5 per cent. That is tc
say, in case you should ever become
the father of twins we will pay to you
IL the policy is then in effect $4,000;
and you, to keep the policy in effect
will pay to us $3.50 yearly"
The tea merchant took out his twir
insurance upon these terms, and main.
tanned 1t for five years. During the
five years three children were borr
in his family, two girls and a boy
but these children came singly. The
merchant, assured that his fear OF
twins had been a groundless one, al
lowed his policy to lapse last January
It is said that there are today nj
twin policies in existence in the United
States, though several are still in force
in England.
There IS a company in Pennsylvania
that issues upon animals life insur
ances which men take out. This com
pany's inspectors and examiners e
from place to place, studying thu
horses, COWS and the dogs that are t
be insured Themen also make pho
tographs of the subjects, These pho
tographs prevent fraud; they make {
dead animals naturalization perfect
they make 1t impossible for any dis
honest person, foisting a WORTHLESS
!, carcass on the company to collect thu
a insurance upon some valuable ANNA
that is still alive.
An animal insurance agent said tn
|. other day: IT have issued policies Of