The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-06-20

In the year 1856, Mr.. Wllllam
Knowles at the age of Sc looked back,
on his life. Years of shoe-making and
smuggling in all weathers had left
him almost as poor as he had been
born. But he still saw ahead the
riches he had always dreamed of.
Clearer than ever, soon, for an idea
was shaping in his mind.
1t was not until he met in London an
old comrade in the smuggling bust
ness, Mr.. William Hole, that he felt
he could tell his idea to another. Mr..
Hole, he knew, would understand.
."All right, Bill Knowles" he agreed.
'If you say it means money, I'm with
you"
Together they counted their cash
on the table in the ale-house. "Therell
be enough to get the printing we want
done, and to take that house in Port
man Square, l told you Of" Mr..
Knowles said. 1T seems a lot, but
we must have the office in respecta-
BILE neighborhood
Soon in the country papers were
appearing advertisements calling at
tention to the Independent and West
Middlesex Life and Fire Assurance
Company It undertook to insure
lives for not only smaller premiums
than any other office, but gave larger
annuities. BY paying $1,000 and n
yearly sum of s24 man would be in
sured for $500 and receive for the
rest of his life 1920 a year.
The COMPANY was stated to have a
capital of s5,000,0OO and to have been
incorporated some 20 years. Some
af Io IN 7
appeared as its directors, and no less
! than the Bank of England were its
/ bankers. 1t had its offices in that
most respectable part of London -
/ Portman Square.
! Soon from the country the Compa-
ny was getting so many applications
! for insurance that it had to get as
sistance Mr.. Hole went to see a
/ hrother-in-law. a paper-hanger. Tom
I'll make a gentleman of you and pay
| YOU $500 year for it, he said. and
! the paper-hanger became manager OF
! the Independent and West Middle
| sex.
/ The Company's advertisements now
began to appear N the London papers
So many people wanted its insurance
and no other, that other help had to
be sought. A boy of fifteen was taken
on as a porter, and a school-master as
treasurer The bartender Of one Of
Mr.. Knowles favorite haunts in his
shoe-making days, was given the posi-
ton of auditor.
i All the employees were made dfrec
tors. Their only duty was to dress
we'll and wear rings. On board days
Mr.. Knowles had an inspection, and
~, 1INr, I@1
coming to a director of the Independ
ent Middlesex, was fined half dol
lar.
All over the British Isles the famt
of this company spread. Hundreds o.
people came to insure with it. The
Company put no obstacles in the way
as other companies did. 1t wanted M
doctors examination. no birth certifi
Gates and the like. All it wanted wa'
, the cash, and next DAY the policy wa:
delivered.
The boy of fifteen was found to b
, the best writer of all the staff 81
, while not sitting as a director, or at
, tending the door, he was signing pol
icies.
In a few months the Company hat
agents all over the country. Applica
J1OnS came III faster IUdn the DOy-ul
! rector could sign policies. Mr.. Knowle
and Mr.. Hole bought carriages an
; kept house on a grand scale in Cum
berland Place. Their fellow-director
; did not suffer by their connection wit
the Company either. The school-mas
ter's dinners were soon the talk o
London Only the boy was heard t
complain at his remuneration. All h
. received per board meeting was a do
lar. and he generally lost half Of tina
beforehand, for dirty cuffs.
According to advertisements, tn
: Independent and Middlesex had nov
e branches in Dublin and Glasgow It
. agents were to be found all over tn
t United Kingdom. And results shove
4 that it was getting the bulk of tn
] country's assurances.
: Still, no other Insurance establish
e ment took the trouble to show tina
4 a company could not pay what tn
J, Independent and Middlesex unde
: took, and survive. Instead, not a wor
f of doubt was heard against it, an
people came with their money, lure
e by its promise of good income fo
n life and a cash sum for their depend
8 ents at death.
!. The first year went over. the pa.
o ments of interest were met, as wer
:. few policies whose holders had dieC