Kennewick Agent Wins Major Railroad Insurance Contract
By securing the health and accident business for two major railroads, a local insurance agent has put Kennewick on the map against larger competitors in Spokane and Yakima.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Kennewick was given a new significance on the map recently when R. H. Zercher, of Stanton’s Insurance office, secured for the Fidelity Casualty company, of New York, the health and accident business on the Pasco-Ellensburg division of the Northern Pacific and the S., P. & S. railroads. Under this arrangement, the health and accident insurance of the railroads is handled by Mr. Zercher through the paymasters of the railway companies. In the territory handled by the local agency, there are about 2,000 men employed and Mr. Zercher is hopeful of later extending his field so as to include all of the Northern Pacific’s lines in the state. This plan of writing insurance is not a new one, but formerly such business has always been handled through the larger city agencies. In securing the business, Mr. Zercher had to compete with the insurance company’s representatives in Spokane, North Yakima, and other cities.
“Kennewick was given a new significance on the map recently.”
This reflects the ongoing regional competition between the Tri-Cities and larger hubs like Spokane. Even in 1915, the ability for a 'small town' to secure contracts traditionally reserved for metropolitan agencies was seen as a vital milestone for local economic autonomy.
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