The Dickinson press., 1903-12-05
Great Western insurance 70.

1t was learned last fall that c. +.
Merry had organized a life insurance
company as his latest venture and
that he was working portions of Mon
tana, but at Dickinson the thing wal
kept very quiet and everybody wondered
what kind of a graft he had this time
The Life Insurance Independent, pub
lished in New York, ia. its November
issue, throws light on the subject al
follows:
The Great Western Insurance Com
pany of Wheeling, w. Va, with a
"Northern Branch at Dickinson, North
Dakota, sends us a subscription order
(no cash enclosed) and a request for ad-
vertising rates. Both are declined, as
credit is extended. only to parties Of
known responsibility and our advertls.
ing columns are open only to companies
we believe to be all right in every
respect.
Somehow a West Virginia company
with $4,000 authorized capital" and
operating through a lock box at
Dickinson, N. D., does not command
confidence. Its literature is attractively
gotten up and assures us the company
"has been organized and incorporated
for the purpose Of furnishing reliable
life insurance" 1t proposes to write
distillers, employees Of distilleries, brew
ers, saloenkeepers, bartenders, railroad
employees" and others whose occupa-
tons cause their declination by regular
companies. Its published rates seem
sufficient for standard classes but not
for the GLASSES referred to. The compa-
ny's official roster is as follows: Hon."
Thos. Evans, president; Edward J.
Berry, vlce-president; George Drenkel,
sec. treasurer; John Riesbeck, asst.
secretary, and Dr.. l.. c. Smith. medical
doctor. The letter sent US is signed c.
F. Merry, manager.
The auditor of West Virginia under
date of Nov. 10th writes US the concern
was organized a few months ago with an
authorized capital stock of $4,000, but
has no authority to transact business
there. Fred Leutz, Commissioner of
Insurance of North Dakota, writes US:
Regarding your inquiry respecting
Mr.. c. F. Merry, manager of the North
ern Branch of the Great Western Insur-
ance Company OF Wheeling, w. Va,
located at Dickinson, | wish to say that
this is my first information that Merry
wal operating in this State. l learned
through the newspapers that Merry was
soliciting in Montana, but did not be-
lieve he would again try to write insur-
ance in North Dakota. Merry has been
singularly unfortunate in his insurance
career as we'll as in other business un-
dertakings. During the past two years
he has attempted to organize several
mutual companies in this State under
cover of other mems names, but his
methods ruined the companies before he
had them fairly started. He is bright,
cunning, r%esourceful and unscrupulous.
His manner of doing business and his
dishonorable methods have been de-
nounced by nearly every newspaper in
the State. He has been appointed agent
at different times by several reliable
companies only to be discharged for
good and sufficient reasons, best known
to the company.
have never heard of the Great West.
ern Insurance Company of Wheeling,
w. Va, until l received your letter. ]
conclude that it is a "Wild Cal" compa.
ny or it would not employ Merry.
The literature Of this company makes
the bold announcement that "all the
officers of this company are bonded"
and that it is managed by capable,
honest and experienced men," Hope
they have a good strong bond for Merry,