Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1909-02-09
New York Insurance Agent
Whom Senator Grady
Attacked.
WAS HoPKINsvILLE BOY
Successful Writer of Life
PClicies--Proud of Letter
From Father.

If man voluntarily gives up g
yeayAy income of $4,000 or there
abedts, in order to take a public of
flee paying $1,000, he becomes ar
object of curiosity,i if not of interest
If he then retreats under fire from
a battery of criticism directed by a
graduate Tammany heller, he de-
velops into a subject of wonderment
in view of the contrast afforded by
his successful business career and
his remarkably unsuccessful sally in
to public life. That is why Freder-
lex A. Wallis of the Home Life In
surance Company is now being talk
ed about.
In answer to a question as to what
he expected to do at Albany, this is
what Mr.. Wallis said-of course, be-
fore he had decided to withdraw
from the contest:
81 don't want to boast. Perhaps
I'll not succeed in doing all l plan.
But if it is to be done by working all
the time, I'm going to make the
New York Insurance Department an
organization as fine as it deserves to
be. 1t is one Of the biggest concerns,
from a business point of view, in
the world. Five hundred companies
turn their reports into its Offices here
and at Albany. There pour in upon
it every week hundreds, sometimes
thousands, of report sheets, to each
of which must be given close atten-
ton If the business is to be conduct
ed properly. On deposit in its care,
froulAthe various companies, is up
waroBf $3.50, 900, 900.
with the biggest interests to
take care of, this department should
be the best in the world. If do not
make it that, the reason will be that
am unable to do it by sticking to
the job day and night, if necessary. !"
Proud of Letter From His Father
After his appointment, Mr. Wallis
received many letters of congratua-
ton. One of them was Indicative
of the source from which he had de-
rived his ideas as to the straight
road. IL was from his father, Am.
Wallis, down in Kentucky. After
expressing his pride over the fact
that the son had been chosen, out Of
millions of New Workers, to be State
superintendent of insurance, the IA
Their devoted several pages to advice.
He urged that political entangle-
ments be avoided. He remarked
that graft" was rampant and
should be fought. He urged his son
to follow the example of Hughes and
fight it.
Mr.. Wallis showed the letter to
his friends with unconcealed pride,
saying that the advice echoed his
own feelings, that he intended to
fight graft" if he found any hover
ing about the Insurance Depart
ment. and that he would run the de-
partment with no eye for politics or
the politicians. When he accepted
the place, he professed not to recog-
nize j. as a possible stepping stone
towgee high posts in the insurance
business, and those who had known
his ability to make money in insur'
ance without such assistance declar-
ed that he was not in need of boost
through public Office.
Looked Upon AS a Hustler
If his friends are asked to describe
Wallis, they invariably use the word
hustler" He is, in fact, typical in
manner and energy of the successful
insurance agent. Alertness and &C.
tivity bubble when he talks. So in
tru,siye is the impression of his men
taI'agility and physical persistence
that you feel sure he must keep him
self in trim by some sort of strenu
GUS exercise. But your guess is
wrong.
IL haven't had time for outdoor
fun in years was his response to
an inquiry as to what were his di-
versions. Baseball was my long suit
when was a boy, but / don't play
any game now"