The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-01-19
The Universal l..
and A. |. Co.
BY M. QUAD
Copyright. 1911. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

ing ana well dressed stranger le1t TIT
ears at the town of Stratford and walk
ed up to the best of the two inns ans
announced himself as the state agen
OF the Universal Life and Accident In
surance company. He tried to buy ou
the Inn, but as the landlord and own
er did not wish to sell j. Parsons Wat
son, as the stranger was named. engag
ed the ladies' parlor, the ballroom and
ten of the best located bedrooms. Then
he bought the privilege of hanging out
signs, and after a couple of days the
inn was covered with them. They
were gayly painted signs, reading
1.-THE Universal Life and Accident In.
surance Company"
Stratford was surprised, then star
tied Then 1t began to inquire what 1t
was all about j. Parsons Watson was
right there on the yeranda to greet and
tell them.
Stratford read the signs, heard what
the agent had to say and then declared
the thing fake. J. Parsons Watson
smiled and insured the landlord against
accident, pushed him off the veranda
and paid him $50 cash. The landlord
said he wasn't even scratched, but the
agent knew better.
A man named Robinson was dying
of consumption. The doctors said he
couldn't live a week longer. j. Par
sons Watson gave him life insurance
policy and when death came handed
over the money.
A Mrs Graham, washerwoman,
was given an accident policy. She fell
down and skinned her knee and drew
S25 for 1t. Mr.. Storrs, carpenter, had
insured against accident for the trifing
sum of 10 cents week. On the third
day after the policy was taken out he
hit his thumb with hammer and re-
ceived SIS fcr doing 1t.
These things were advertised and
talked about, and there was a change
In public opinion Then there was a
rush for insurance. j. Parsons Wat
son and three clerks were kept busy
most of the time. They wrote 1000
policies before there was any let up.
Then came something to renew the
rush. J. Parsons Watson announced
that any person that so elected could
take out a policy. accident or life, on
another and reap the benefits. Yes,
ten, twenty. tifty, could take out poll
cies on one and the same person.
There was Graham, the well digger.
He was liable to death any day, and
fifty different persons could get $1,000
insurance In case the grim monster
came. You could take out policy on
the life of the minister, the black
smith, the carpenter, the merchant
even on your neighbours child. In all
such cases the agent would promise
not to give you away. Death came
and you put in your claim and got |
your money and no one was the wiser. |
]. Parsons Watson had struck the |
keynote. Those who had insured
now wanted to insure some |
one else. Those who had no insur-
ance didn't propose to benefit others
by getting hurt or dying. The rush
kept the insurance force working day |
and night. 1t did more than that. 1t |
stirred up the town until gossip, scan
dial and rows were the order of the |
day. The fact that Smith had taken
out insurance on Brown leaked out or
was strongly suspected, and when they
met there were hard words.
$50 you expect me to die, ehT' de-
manded Brown in menacing tones.
"Why no najphbor"
"Then why did you get a policy on
meT
"Why, you see, you may possibly
die, though I hope not, and might
rs well make a thousand dollars out
Of It,"
"You are a blamed hyena, sir!"
Don't get excited. It's business"
ri get insurance on you and on every
member Of your family clear down to
he baby. Yes, sir, I'll get the policies
IN your uncle and aunts and nieces
Ind nephews."
Stratford had been peaceful town.
Z had boosted Of its law and order. 1t
lad advertised that its residents had
neighborly feeling toward each other
n the matter of lending tea and fiat
rons. All this had been changed.
they wanted each other to get hurt
O get off the face Of the earth, to be
10 more. There was hardly husband {
n the place that didn't glare at his |
wife across the table and feel that she !
vas keeping him out of a small fortune
" living on. He encouraged his chill
rem to climb trees. buy gunpowder
nd play around the mill pond, and ,
ghen they came safely through 1t all
e realized that he had been defraud-
d or his rights.
This state of affairs could not go on
brewer. j. Parsons Watson didn't In
End that it should. He thought six .
7eeks would turn the trick, but 1t took !
an. During this time he paid out sew n
raj hundred dollars. and how many 8
thousands he took In was only TO be
uessed at The rush rushed itself out,
nd people began inquiring about the
in a way that seemed to ex-
ress "a doubt and one night the man
licked up his grip and vanished In the :,
arkness. Only the next day three Of $
is insured died of old age. and seven c
thers were badly hurt at the same +
me by the fall of a scaffold. He had
opad IN fiYna