STRANGE INSURANCE POLICIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15249, 12 March 1913, Page 11

STRANGE INSURANCE POLICIES.

3 m i in > . j That Paderewski, the great Polish pianist, t and Jan Kubelik, the famous violinist from Bohemia, have their wealth-producing '• fingers heavily insured, are items of fairly - general knowledge. L Paderewski is said to pay the not inconsiderable premium of £800 per annum on his hands, which are underwritten for £10,000. To receive this soothing | solatium it would be quite sufficient to sprain or otherwise injure one 'of Tus magic J fingers so as to incapacitate him from play- ( ing, if even for one performance. Before > wiling from England for a winter tour in . the United States, Jan Kubelik insured hi* . fingers for no lesa than —£2000 per finger and ditto per thumb. According to the terms of his policy he must take all, precautions in reason to safeguard these! , precious fingers, and the famous violinist, i recking naught of masculine traditions, forthwith invested in an expensive sealskin * muff, which he -wore en voyage with a lofty disregard for the smiles and sniggers ; of passengers unable to boast digits of more than normal' commercial value. If an ex- > ceptionally gifted musician places an » enormous pecuniary value upon sound, uni injured fingers, a dancer of world-wide , pre-eminence is surely entitled to appraise , in like manner her twinkling toes. La , Belle Otero calculates that an injury, how- ! ever slight, to one toe on one foot it ; Worthy of compensation to the tune of £3500, and it is said that she insures ac- j i oordingly. Should she be so unfortunate as to sustain on injury to another toe on ; the other foot at the same time, the insurance company would have to delve'into j their coffers to the extent of £7000. Not | > so with the beautiful Spanish dancer. If, > she. had an accident sne would send in 1 a claim for £3500 and^;what's more,, she , would get it. ' The great . composer Beethoven became a victim to deafness. A ' French compos®, dreading the possibility ' of incurring the same serious affliction, has 1 insured his hearing,, while an eminent i analytical chemist has in like manner taken ■ out a policy on his extremely sensitive and , highly-strung olfactory nerves. ( • _ Again, Mile. Cavalieri, the \wonderful singer, ; has insured her golden throat against bronchitis, or any such disabling i affection, for the substantial sum of 1 £10,000, and Caruso also is well protected, . under an insurance policy against possible loss in case of throat trouble. Mucha, the celebrated poster artist, domiciled in Paris, ; became so terribly scared of the dread bugbear that menaces all who depend for a 1 living on the excellence of their eyesight , that, listening to the counsel of a kindly and long-headed friend, he wisely betook himself to the offices of a leading Parisian insurance company and took oat a policy i for. £10,000 against the loss of his sight.