Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 79, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 April 1910 — PLANS NEW INSURANCE. [ARTICLE]

PLANS NEW INSURANCE.

Terwtllieer Promise* a Livelihood Whatever the Cost of Living. When a man—and a fat man at that —walked up to Officer Harry Smith, who stood dutifully by the telephone booth at the Brodklyn bridge all yesterday afternoon, and remarked that he was no longer annoyed by the cost of living, Officer Smith refrained from calling the psychopathic wagon long enough to hear the fat man say: “It’s a new kind of life insurance company.” Calling to mind the fact that investigating insurance companies is a first rung on the ladder of fame, Officer Smith began to probe, k As a result of his questions a Sun reporter traveled to Yaphank, L. 1., and interviewed Terwilliger, the Inventor, Terwilliger, best known as the man who invented the chicken-picking machine, wgs found in his laboratory in the woodshed of his home, the New York Sun says. A dozen stovepipes rent the air, the sound of buzz saws was continuous, but the Inventor —a fat man himself —prevailed against them all. “The high cost of living,” said he, “is the public, indeed, I may say, the private question, of the day. I have solved it. I am about to launch and float a full-rigged insurance company which will carry the cost of living for you and me and the next fellow. “This company will not pay premiums at death. It will be a genuine life-insurance company and will literally Insure your living. By paying $lO a year you can insure having a roof over your head; by paying S2O a year you can secure a policy insuring your lodging and sustenance. By paying SSO a year you get steam heat and choice of marmalade, apple pie or charlotte russe at supper; by paying SIOO a year you obtain parquette floors throughout and grapefruit for breakfast not to exceed twice a week.” The reporter choked with admiration at which Terwilliger patted him on the back, withal kindly. “That is about all,” exclaimed the inventor. “It Is simple, as the achievement of genius always is. I do not mind, however, explaining that there seems to be money in it. However, if there isn’t agi appropriation might be secured. “How much better is it than existing alleged life-insurance companies. They don’t Insure your living at all. In fact, their carelessness has often made me wonder. You take out a pol§ icy for $20,000 or so and as long as you pay your premium you may starve to death and lose them all that money, for all they seem to care. “I will admit that this scheme of mine did not occur to me at first For a time I thought the only way to solve the high cost of living would be by repealing the law of supply and demand. But politics is so vexing and Information about this law of supply and demand ib so vague that I abandoned the iflea. It would be interesting to follow the social problem further and devise a method of insuring a man his Job; but since I understand one can already insure his Income this hardly seems essential!”