Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-03-13
CAN 44O FOUNDER
Be A GOOD RISK?
THAT IS QUESTION WHICH is
5oTHERiNG ~. w. 4. OFF,
GALS AT PRESENT TIME.
Little Mite From the EHete East Ap-
plies for Insurance Poiiey-is
Feet. Inches Tall.

From way down east. 70 be more
specific. the state Of New Hampshire.
an application for membership which
presents some unusual and unique
family history has Just found It's way
70 the head Offices OF the Modern
Noodmen iu this city. Life Insurance
companies are Of necessity strict in
thcir adherence TO certain standards
90 height. weight and measurement.
s. deviation Of more than a fixed per
ccntaCe either above or under these
standards is regarded as stamping the
applicant as @ bad risk" result, re
lection. 40 e necessary for the COM
ualiss to be stern and rigid IN their
application OF these standards for eN-
perieuCe has proved them 20 be cor
rect. iu the main. and careful medical
selection o. q sine quo non that no well
managed insurance organization can
safely ignore. whether old line or fra
terlaI.
The Modern Woodmen boasts OF
fuely organized and equipped medi-
cal department. upon which. TO a large
degree. rests the enviabIc reputation
90 that society I'm the choice OF its
risks and the resulting favorable ratio
90 deaths 90 membership. The society
rs particularly Jealous OF this reputa-
tiun. but Iu the case OF this certain APP
pl.catiou Go faces something OF a guam
dry or course. the applicants name
i= withheld. but the facts concerning
lis personal and family history are SO
remarkable as 90 be OF general pub
Dee interest Tie is SS wears OF axe and
H aHr.
lis life. is total ahstainer and is pro
uouced by the examining physician
to Doe an AL insurance risk.
Only Weighs 40.
But-ard here's the rub-he tips
the beam at 400 pounds and his height
is only five feet. seven and three F.
fdurthE inches This. albeit is deClsr-
ed 60 be q family characteristic, which
injccts q new element into the medi-i
cal features of the case. His muther, F..
O. is claimed. weighs 400 pounds, in .
spite OF which she holds the record in 1
the community OF her nativity for the
100 ward dash She is stiu living and .
iu good health az the age OF 90 Her
father and mother. whence the ten
darcy 20 excess avordupois was in
herited. lived To- the ages of 80 and 81.
resp ectively On his fathers side. the
applicants grandparents were also
lcu-lived. dying al tine ages OF IS and
o. His father is alive and I'm good
health at the age of IS Three broth
crs and one sister are living and in
good health. with ages ranging from
so Co so. The applicant himself
weighed l6 pounds AT birth and there
fore may bc regarded as q natural eN-
ample of abnormal physical develop 4
ueut. r. 10 be proper 20 link these two
adiec-fves in describing any physical
Is a Puzzier.
TN. Modern Woodmcu officials face
a puzz,Ing problem in The disposition
5f this application and it, VIII be an
open question as 20 which VIII win.
.he applicant or the standard table OF
rei-hrs and weights However rules
once adopted are binding and the
chances are that this applicant de-
spite his unusually favorable family
history. viii have TO look elsewhere Tor
his Insurance. Nature. IN this i'm
stance. appears TO have handicapped
lue o. her children by an excess of
generosity. The facts I'm the case are
interesting. nevertheless. as showing
hat trs su-called "enete east" can
sam claim few records that might.
b. first blush. seem beyond her capa- 3
iIities This applicant ancestors s
gcre French.