Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-05

surance companies or from no experience at
II all, you imagine them as addressing the pubhc
in general from soap box, with ready made
policy in one hand and a ready, capacious nat
in the other.
Possibly you have acquired the common conviction
that they go up and down with glib rapacious eager
ness seeking whom they may buttonhole ana hypho-
tize into giving up premium. Perhaps recent ar
ticle in the SUNDAY HERALD on the tricks OF the
trade practised by the life insurance agent mas
contributed to your impression.
If So you are wrong. Contrary to the rough hand
opinion that grew out of the early days of life in
surance the obtaining of insurance brises with re-
strctions, not merely upon the applicants, but upon
the methods of the companies themselves. And the
restrictions increase in number The big life insur
ance companies refuse average one out of every
nine persons who apply for policies. 1t is fact sell
dom considered that they spend large sums of money
and employ extensive staffs merely to guard them
selves and their pocyhoders against business which
is not absolutely desirable and free from suspicion
The agent has more influence upon their atutude
than the candidate for insurance.
OF all the private detective and protective bureaus
employed by corporations to prevent imposition and
to gather necessary information none is well or
ganized so discreet trusted those of the big
life companies 1t might be added that none
is so little known to the public carries its work
so quietly.
You never read in your morning newspapers of the
wonderful exploits of Detective Blank of the Grapne
Life Insurance Company; his consummate cleyerness
in unravelling mysteries or unveilng dangerous sit
uaton He is never sung in romance or in news re-
port But he Is there-considerable numbers of him.
1t is his duty to dig that have bearing
upon the issuance of policies and if he 4hould ever
write his memoirs, which he never will, they would
contain many strange and interesting things He sup
plies the points by which his employers decide ac-
ceptance refusal in doubtful cases. One word from
o11t thoo ifc condor
lists and certificates and frantic pleading of agents
conceivable.
The Case of Mr.. Ruiz.
There lives in New York Spanish-American who
owns wholesale importing business worth fully half
a million dollars. He is in middle life, in per-
feet health living contentedly with his family and
free all unusual worries His firm is absolutely
stable dealing with products that involve chance
of sudden depreciation His name is not Ruiz, but
that will
Came to him one day a bustling agent for one of
the large insurance companies. "Ah-ha Mr.. Ruiz,
have you ever thought of life insurance." asked this
enerprisng agent. Mr.. Ruiz had not, but he was
willing to give up hour so in listening to the
many fine things that the visitor had to tell him..
He not hard to convince, the idea seemed good
and he won over at the one sitting The agent
was delighted
How much do you think you would like to carry?"
he asked Mr.. Ruiz said that he thought $4,000 would
not be too much The agent was all smiles and made
an appointment for the usual physical examinations
The physician came, sounded and pounded Mr.. Ruiz
and in his report to the company. He pronounced
Mr.. Ruiz not only good risk, but excellent
He had rarely well equipped to live to
ripe old age. Mr.. Ruiz glad to know it and
awaited the outcome with confidence. Some weeks
later he received letter from the company couched
in vague polite terms. and informing him that his
application regretfully refused. 1t might be in
serted here incidental tragedy, that the enter
prisng agent hearing of the physicians report had
hied him to the suburbs and made first payment
the house he had had his eye upon for years In
premature enjoyment of his commission thereby vivid
ly illustrating number of venerable adages
But Mr. Ruiz not content TO let the matter rest.
Having learned the desrability of life Insurance.
he wanted 1t. After he had retired bafied from sew
era attempts obtain explanations he found the next
step easy An agent for another company pounced
upon him joyfuly. History does not say whether
this agent was a close friend only rival of the
first, but he rubbed his hands and smiled cheerfuly
when he heard the size of the policy that Mr.. Ruiz
wanted
"Certainy, Mr. Ruiz I haven't the shadow OF a
doubt that we can satisfy you" his comment
Again Mr. Ruiz sounded and pounded, ana
again he waited the outcome. After some misty
correspondence the second company out fiat with
the statement that it could not give policy to Mr..
Ruiz
1t may be supposed that Mr. Ruiz nettled. He
could imagine possible for these strange re-
fusals, and meanwhile the companies would give
none SO he ventured third time His next appli-
cation was made to large company having mead
quarters in another State. The outcome was exactly
the same, and he finally gave up.
The Secret Service.
Now this, approximately, what happened In
the office of the first company receipt of the app-
cation:-The desired policy large enough to war;
rant special investigation Ordinary policies for small
sums one two five thousand dollars are seldom
considered in detail beyond the routine examination
into state of health and occupation But the company
could not risk $4,000 policy without knowing all
that could be known concerning the applicant Ac-
cordingy, the matter turned to the secret
service bureau.
The detectives embarked upon thorough, lu'et