Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-24
Risks Taken on Threats,
Hands and Arms.
INSURING THEIR SKILL
SOME RENEWED FOR EACH PUB
Lie APPEARANCE.
PATHS Warbling Organ Held at $125
Each Time She Uses It
Other Artists.
Written for The Evening Star.


In the early fall all over the world during
theatrical season a peculiar and large line
of business is carried on in certain chan
mel of life insurance, of which the general
public has little or no knowledge what
ever. BY some Underwriters it is termed
freak insurance. and interests principally
famous and notable celebrities in the mu-
steal and theatrical fields, although this
special line of insurance has included costly
trained animals used for show purposes.
No less parsonage than the celebrated
Nine. Patti was one of the originators of
this extraordinary kind of insurance. Her
gifted voice. which has been heard all over
the world and which is the most intangible
of subjects, is insured for $1,000, on which
she pays premium of 1925 a performance.
Paderewski, of international reputat ton,
has his hands underwritten for $4,000 and
for each of his concerts a temporary policy
is taken out for $500. He considers his
hands more precious and valuable to him
than any other member of his body for in
the loss of them he would be deprived of
the means of revealing his soulful music
and making his livelihood
Josef Holman, less famous on both
continents, advocates most strongly this
KIND of insurance as he goes further into
the financial end of it, can readily be
price of $500 on each finger of both hands,
Think of it. Placing the sum of $50 900 on
the fingers of your hands, AS matter of
fact Hoffman, has placed more insurance
on his fingers than on his life And the
same statement holds good for the vast ma
Jorlty OF those who insure at a large figure
some particular portion of their anatomy
Against Partial Loss.
AS precaution against accident in pre-
venting him To u,
belik, the famous musician, has had his
right hand insured for $4,000 for each con-
cert. and for $4,000 against total disable
ment
1t was only a short time ago that the
scientific world was startled by the unique
and astonishing faculty possessed by Eva
w. Spear, young woman of Bridgeport
Conn, who developed the rare and peculiar
faculty of being able to whistle through
her larynX. AS far as known she has
the unique distinction of being the only
laryngeal whistler in the world without
even an imitator. 1t has all the softness
and delicate shading of flute note and
has already captivated thousands who have
heard it.
Following in the lead of leading must
clans and vocalists of the world, Miss
Spear, who has afforded high order of en-
tertainment for cultured audiences through
out the United States the past few years.
has had an insurance of $4,000 placed on
her voice and throat, and contemplates
this winter of having her throat under
written for $4,000 at every concert at which
she may appear in ''whistlng'' numbers
which she does without the use of lips
tongue, larynx, soft or hard, palate or
cheek.
The Good Right Arms.
SOusa, Damrosch, Victor Herbert and
other celebrated bandma sters and orchestra
Loo Of ha -,ft
WELD with their right hand the baton dur
ing every performance of the musicians
have likewise adopted the plan originated
by Nine. Patti of having their good right
hand insured against loss by accident or
inability to professionally mark time
Some surprise was caused recently among
the uninitiated by the statement that the
Insurance of the late Consul, the perform
ing ape, was for $125, 600 AS a matter OF
fact-and without prejudice-this heavy in
surance is the policy now followed by all
notable entertainers.
1t is well known that large amounts of
insurance have been placed on valuable
animals at home and abroad by individual
owners and proprietors of circuses and
menageries, then why should the sporting
fraternity, with speculative propensitjes,
hesitate about paying insurance premiums
on the lives of King Edward VII or other
distinguished members of the royal families
of Europe, when they move about the coun-
try, sometimes travelling among nihilists
who have no great amount of respect or
love for them?
What is Called "Freak."
That this is done is also a fact, and for
this reason King Edward is known to have
his life insured for a larger amount of
money than any other living man in the
world. This line of freak insurance OBJ
tains more widely in Europe, however, than
it does here in the United States.
Scores of freaks in every part Of the
world, who have been born without arms
but are blessed with feet, by which mem
bers they sew, knit and use in same man
ner as people in general who have come
into the world with a pair of hands, have
had their lower extremities insured against
loss by accident. Deprived of their feet
they would be unable to earn living.
Many of the uninitiated throughout the
country will thus learn for the first time
that many of the most famous and cele-
brated musicians, vocalists and whistlers,
who use their voices. hands and Threats
to entertain by their rare gifts large audi
ences throughout the world, carry more
insurance on their hands and voices than
the general run of people do on their lives.
V--
usr%o~So C1,;~,e, N,,,a.