Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-14
WOMEN AND INSURANCE.
Many of Them Now in the Business
Lots Of Actresses Insured.

LOtS OF Actresses insured.
From the Chicago Record Herald.
The insuring Of the lives of women and
the employment of women as solicitors by
insurance companies Is a comparatively
new idea. but ii has become very popular,
and Is growing rapidly. There"are probably
1000 women in the United States today
who make their living in the insurance
business, and they have been so successful
In securing business and earning large COM
missions that 1t may already be considered
an established profession, and women in
surance agents will hereafter work on the
same terms and under the same conditions
as men.
The big life insurance companies here all
have women solicitors, and the managers
are unanimous in commencing them. The
New York Life was the pioneer. and en-
ployed Its fir women agents in Chica go
about eight years ago. 1t came about nat
urally. Miss Jessie F. Niccolls, who had
been a teacher in the publie schools and
was compelled to give up that employment
because of poor health. had brought in
some business to the general agency here,
and was told to go out for more. That
company now has twenty-one women Solic-
itors, the Mutual Life has thirty or more,
the Equitable six or seven. and all the
other companies have women among their
solicitors
The managers also tell me that a larger
proportion of women who attempt to solicit
life insurance are successful than of men.
They show more tact, they are more in
telligent in collecting and presenting facts,
in handling their patrons: they are more
persistent in following up arguments to
their clients, and are not easily dis
couraged. They work among men, but
chiefly with women. and. I have said,
the insurance woman has recently become
a fad
When asked Miss Niccolls how she hap
pened to go into the business she said
IT had to give up school and was COM
PEELED to do something else 1 saw that the
insurance field was open and entered it. At
first 1t was very hard work. but 1t has
grown easier every year. The first year
made about $45 a month which is the sal
airy Of a teacher in a primary school.
confined my work to women. and had to
educate everybody that 1 talked insurance
to. The second year l made three times a S
much money as at first. and the third year
did still better. Now l am working among
men as we'll as women. and the same
terms the men solicitors. and 1 am sure
that soliciting insurance has become a per-
maEent and will be a profitable occupa ton
for women. l see no reason why it should
not particularly as women are taking out
more and more insurance"
who are your clients?"
Mostly working women, and 1t would
surprise you how many of them are sup
porting or contributing to the support of
families. I believe that nine-tenths of the
wage earners Of Chicago have others
wholly or partly dependent upon them. an1
this class of people Is beginning to learn
that Insurance is not only very good but
a necessary investment to protect those
who are dependent upon them and to pro-
vide for themselves in their old age
Women are now considered. good risks
Formerly a woman had to pay an extra
premium to secure Insurance. but about six
years ago that was removed. and now
nearly all of the life insurance comranie s
accept them on the same basis as men,
One Of the old conservative companies Just
yielded the point few weeks ago. but still
makes an exception to married women. as
several of the other companies do The
mortality among women is no greater than
among men, and their liability to accident is
not 40 great"