Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-12-01
WANNAMAKER
ON INSURANCE
Great Merchant Of New York and
Philadelphia Tells Why He In.
vested In Life Policies.
Former Postmaster General Consid.
ers Life Insurance Best Form
Of Investment

A friend of mine once asked John
Wanamaker for his opinion on life in
surance and it's value to the average
business man.
Come around tomorrow and I'll tell
you about it," replied the merchant.
My friend called the next day.
"Well.' he said.
Mr.. Wanamaker smiled.
AT the time l took out my first in
surance," he said, Il worked out five
conclusions as the result of my own
thinking, without any moving cause
except my own judgment
Il. That at that time knew l was
insurable, and l could not be certain
of immunity from accident or ill
health, and it might be that at some
future time would not be insurable
That was the first step to the building
of sixty-two policies.
%. That life insurance was one
OF the best forms of investment, be-
cause from the moment it was made
H. was good for all it cost. and car
ried with it guaranty that there was
protection in that investment that
could not get in any other.
80. That life insurance in the long
run was a saving fund that not only
saved, but took average care of my
deposits, and took me into partner
ship in possible profits, that not in
frequently returned principal and in
terest and profit.
"a. That life insurance regarded
from the standpoint of quick determi.
nation was more profitable than any
other investment l could make.
"5. That it enabled man to give
away all he wished during his life
time and still make such an estate
as he cared to leave"
Food for Reflection.
My friend thanked Mr.. Wanamaker
and departed with the conclusions
carefully noted down for future ref
erence.
And in them lies food for thought
for the business man of all walks of
life. Particularly is this true of the
second and fourth points raised by the
big merchant.
There come times in the career of
the majority of business men when
they find themselves unable to obtain
accommodation at the banks, no mat.
ter how unimpeachable their business
and personal reputation may be. They
are unable to put up collateral, be
cause their sole asset is their bust
ness. They are perfectly solvent, but
collections are slow, and they lack the
ready cash to meet bills that are fall
inS due, and failure to meet which
means their ruin.
The Part Of Wisdom.
Then is the time when few thous
ands of dollars would carry them ovel
the rough places in safety and assure
them future independence.
If these men nave been wise in their
days of easiness they have carried q
life insurance policy, which now be
comes savior in their time of stress
With the few thousands which they
are Immediately able to obtain upon
1t they are enabled to weather theil
financial storm, to make prompt pay
ment upon their bills as they fall due
and to maintain unimpaired a credit
which it may have cost them years
OF hard effort to establish.
The endowment forms of policy
which almost every life insurance com
pany issues, and which mature in
ten, fifteen and twenty years, as the
the business which should commend
itself with especial force to ever,
young man.
There are few men who at some time
or other in their lives, have not hat
the opportunity offered them of en-
gaging in some profitable business il
they could command a small CAPT
tai. If they only had few thousands
Of dollars to take advantage of thess
opportunities the whole future course
of their lives might have been chang
ed, and independence. if not for
tune, assured them. For lack of these
few thousands, however, they havI
been compelled to crawl along through
life as the dependents of others, am
as age encroached upon their physi
cal activities and mental powers, t,
find themselves reduced to actual wan
or, at best, to lower earning capac
ity.
The Value Of a System.
So much for one side of the ques
tion let us take up another.
The insurance company places a
the service of the pOlicyholder no
merely it's warrant and it's credit. blu
it's machine" This machine" ha
been built up in years; it is expert
it is scientific; it delivers the goods
1t loses no mans money through in
vestment that is ill-judged. It jeoE
ardizes the future of no family by wei
meant mistakes. 1t absolutely care
for the money of the policyholder. an
in such manner that the money /
greatly increased. Such are its resoul
ces, its capital it's reserve, that, if OF
casional losses result. no one suffer
If Soma Snrn1uSago iS SUuan6oroC
no policy is imperiled.
The day of purity, absolute and ur
defiled, may come in high finance
1t has not come in government an
Alexander Hamilton declared that col
ruption in government was inevitable
Be that as it may, the day of impro,
ed conditions is at hand. And l hop
to show more fully than today tina
while corruption and mismanagemen
In very small minority of life insul
ence companies are deplorable an
will be remedied, they are after al
only excrescences, which do not touc
the vital heart. The great fact TO
the possible policyholder is that tn
insurance companies succeed, tina
they know how to get for him wha
they promise. He is only incidental
ly or academically-and perhaps pt
litically-concerned with their meth
DDS
Investments Of the Millions.