Messrs. Ford & Breese,

Duluth, Minn. Gentlemen:

Referring to the standing of the National Fire Insurance Company, concerning which we have had some conversation over the telephone, we would quote you the
25 following from the Insurance Reference Book of 1900.

United States Branch, Total Assets. .$976,819.98."° United States Branch, Net Surplus. .$394,293.15.

The company was organized in
75 1844, with a subscribed capital of 15,000,000 marks. It is the largest German company and has paid more than $100,000,000100 in losses since organization.

You will see from these figures that the company is one of the best, and very strong financially.

Yours very truly, (126)

Messrs. Harbeson & Wallace, Mgrs., Phoenix Insurance Co.,

Columbus, Ohio. Gentlemen:

Your valued favor of the 16th inst. came duly to hand; but I regret to say that I cannot give you the information
25 you desire. We have had but one small loss on cotton-seed-oil mills: and that loss occurred on a building that was not sprinkled
50 at all.

I do not know to whom I can refer you for the information, but I have read accounts of several fires in cotton-seed-oil
75 mills, which have been extinguished by the automatic sprinklers without loss to the insurance companies.

Regretting that I cannot give you the information
100 called for, I remain

Yours truly, (106)

Mr. E. B. Erton,

Philadelphia, Pa. Dear Sir:

We wrote insurance for you in January on property belonging to Madge Coonley. This property was described to us at that time as
25

being a two-story frame dwelling, situated 814 Monroe Street, and exposed to frame dwellings within twenty-five feet on each side. We
50 therefore, wrote up this insurance at 75c per annum, or $1.50 for three years, being the tariff rate for
75 such a dwelling.

Later on, we learned from you that the property should have been described as 814 West Monroe Street; and
100 our inspector, upon making a survey of the property, found that the building described was a store building, and therefore would come under a mercantile
125 rating instead of under the dwelling tariff. This will make the rate $1.50 per annum and $3.00 for three years.150

We have rewritten the policy, this time correctly, and enclose it herewith. We trust this explanation will make the matter clear to the assured.

Yours
175 very truly, (177)

Messrs. Thalman & Taylor,

Mobile, Alabama. Gentlemen:

In reply to yours of the 6th, would say that the only insurance we do outside of Chicago and New York is that of the
25 property of those large combinations of capital like the American Tin Plate Co. and others, whose head offices are in the city of New York.50 Is it that you cannot get satisfactory rates from your agents in the town, or are there not enough agents there to care for the
75 business?

Our method of handling this business is to get the various state boards to establish a rate and then we place business at the
100 established rate with the various agents throughout the country.

On general principles, and without knowing more of the subject, we would say that if

Mobile,125 Alabama, is the head office of your company, you would better deal with agents at Mobile. It looks to us as though your proposition was
150 an entirely different one from the class that we are handling.

Yours respectfully, (164)