Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Samuel, L. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com June 19, 2009, 3:57 pm Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company L. SAMUEL. One of the outstanding characteristics of the American people is their favorable attitude towards life insurance, and this is also a very important factor in the country's economic strength, for when the welfare of the individual or the family is provided for in a material way, to that extent is the community benefited. The state of Oregon is fortunate in being the home and the field of operations of the Oregon Life Insurance Company, one of the strong and successful organizations of its kind in the United States. To the late L. Samuel must be given the credit for founding this company and for its early growth and stability, and his memory is today honored in the community in which he lived and labored to such goodly ends. Fred Lockley, after an interview with Mr. Samuel, printed the following interesting articles in the Oregon Daily Journal of April 10, 1913: " 'When I was a boy we thought of the United States not only as a land of promise, but as a sort of magic land, almost a fairy land,' said L. Samuel. 'Word came back to my native village, Graetz, in Germany, that my uncle had become very wealthy in California. We thought all one needed to do to succeed in life was to have the price of a ticket to America. There were five in our family. I was the only boy. When my uncle wrote and said that I could come to the United States I thought my future was assured and my fortune made. I was twelve years old. " ‘I arrived in San Francisco in 1859. I did not stay long with my uncle, but struck out for myself. I got work as an errand boy in a drygoods store. I soon became acquainted with the errand boy in a drygoods store next door. His name was Adolph Wolfe, now of the firm of Lipman Wolfe & Company. I think that it is rather strange that Mr. Wolfe and I, both long time residents of Portland, should have started out business careers as errand boys in adjacent dry goods stores in San Francisco. " ‘Progress seemed too slow for me as an errand boy, so I started as a newsboy on the boats plying between Sacramento and San Francisco. Miners coming out from the gold fields would come by boat from Sacramento to San Francisco to spend the money they had cleaned up in the mines. Leslie's Weekly and Harper's Weekly for twenty-five cents apiece on the boat, while all other magazines sold for fifty cents apiece. The miners would frequently buy three or four magazines, look at the pictures and then give them back to me. I often sold the same magazine three or four times. " 'Some of the hotels and business houses asked me to distribute their cards to the miners and travelers who came to San Francisco. Each firm paid me two or three dollars a month for handing out their cards. This gave me an idea. In place of handing out cards for a dozen or fifteen business houses, I had a little paper printed called the Traveler's Guide. In this, for a few dollars a month, I inserted the cards of the different business houses and hotels, giving the Guide to travelers free. This, in connection with my news business, was very profitable and gave me my first idea of the publishing business. " 'In 1868 I went into business as a general advertising agent in Sacramento. I had hundreds of my photographs printed and pasted them on cards with my address and gave them out to prospective clients. I believe that that was the introduction of the use of a person's photograph on his business card. Nowadays of course we have a cut made, but in those days that was not practical. " 'In 1871 I came to Portland. The first work I did here in Portland was to publish a traveler's guide similar to the one I had gotten out in Sacramento, my support of course coming from the advertising. In 1873, in connection with my work on the Traveler's Guide, I published a directory of Portland and East Portland, a book of three hundred and eighty pages. The mayor that year was Philip Wasserman. O. N. Denny, who introduced the Chinese pheasants to Oregon, was the police judge, Mathew P. Deady was the United States district attorney, Harvey Scott was the collector of the port of Portland, Binger Herman was the receiver of the land office at Roseburg, H. W. Corbett and J. K. Kelly were senators and J. H. Mitchell was senator-elect in Congress. " 'This work naturally led up to the publishing business, so that in 1875 I started the West Shore. This was the first illustrated publication of that kind on the coast. Later I added colored illustrations. I ran the West Shore for seventeen years. It was more a labor of love than a matter of profit. We brought out during that time some authors and artists who have since become famous. Ella Higginson published her first work in the West Shore. Harry L. Wells was editor for some time. Joaquin Miller sent us a good many original poems. Homer Davenport submitted some sketches and drawings, but we did not take them. I remember the editor returned them and said what he needed more than anything else was a course in drawing. His ideas were pretty good, but he didn't know how to draw. " 'After I had given up the West Shore, I became manager of one of the large eastern life insurance companies. At the time of the investigation and shakeup in the large eastern life insurance companies I conceived the idea of starting an insurance company here in Portland. I founded and became the general manager of the Oregon Life. The first three men to become stockholders were H. W. Scott, C. S. Jackson and H. L. Pittock. I went to them because I had always been a publisher, and my sympathies and interest have always been along publishing lines. " 'I have seen wonderful changes during the time I have been in business here in Portland. Take the building in which I have my office, the Corbett building. Do you know about what you would have to pay for this corner now? I can tell you what Mr. Corbett paid for it. Jacob Mayer needed funds with which to make a trip. In those early days in Portland money was not very abundant. He went to various friends to get the money, but was unable to secure it. Finally he went to H. W. Corbett and told him that he had a lot on the corner of Fifth and Morrison that he would like to borrow some money on. Mr. Corbett wasn't very anxious to loan the money, and Mr. Mayer said to him, "I need three hundred dollars. Will you give me three hundred dollars for that lot?" Mr. Corbett agreed and gave him three hundred dollars for the corner where the Corbett building now stands. Mr. Mayer went on his trip. He came back to Portland and later became one of the founders of Fleischner, Mayer & Company. " 'I certainly feel that I made no mistake when I cast my lot with Portland. During the last forty years or more I have seen it grow from a country town to one of the most progressive cities in the country.'" Some years ago, under the department heading "Nothing the Matter with Portland," the Journal also published another interview with Mr. Samuel, from which the following excerpts are made: "When, early one summer morning, twenty- two of our business blocks went up in smoke, and the then struggling village saw many deserters, I stood among the fir trees which garlanded the embryo city's blackened desolation, still possessed of the inspiring belief that even yet "There is nothing the matter with Portland." It would require a little more patience and a little harder work to accomplish things, but, to be a worthy citizen, I must remain and do my part toward rebuilding the town and upbuilding the commonwealth. I am glad I did my share in those two tasks. * * * " 'The making of this the Rose city originated, I believe, when I planted a rose hedge by the curb at my home. I was advised that vandals would destroy them. But they bloomed and flourished and my example was largely copied. This was the beginning of the present profusion of rose blooms, and the seedling from which our delightful Rose Festivals have grown. " 'I am a firm believer in the idea that every successful Oregon enterprise is instrumental in helping all other Oregon enterprises, the same as successful Oregonians reflect credit on the state. And right here I want to say, without disparagement of any Portland newspaper, because each is a credit to our city, that one of the most marvelous creations we have in Portland is The Journal, built right here from the ground up. It certainly is a newspaper which, in enterprise and push in every department, is an institution reflecting credit upon our municipality. " 'I consider that my very best, and that which will be the most enduring, work of my life is the founding of the Oregon Life Insurance Company. In this, as in its subsequent success, I am glad to share credit with my son Clarence, as without his help as well as advice I am confident the undertaking would not have achieved the almost boundless record for which it is noted both far and near. By our team work, Portland has the distinction of possessing one of the most successful, as well as unique, life insurance companies in the United States.' " Mr. Samuel remained manager of the Oregon Life Insurance Company until his death, which occurred August 26, 1916. During many years of the company's history it confined its operations to the state of Oregon, but now it writes insurance throughout the northwest. According to the last annual report of the company’s president, C. F. Adams, the total amount of insurance in force is approximately forty-eight million dollars, the insurance sold and revived during 1927 alone amounting to over seven and a half million dollars, while there are almost twenty-one thousand individual policies. The assets amounted to over seven million seven hundred thousand dollars, while the legal reserve, for the protection of policy holders, amounted to over six and a quarter million dollars, in addition to a surplus of over five hundred and fifty-five thousand dollars and a reserve of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Death losses during the year amounted to less than two hundred and seventy- five thousand dollars, or fifty-two and five tenths per cent of expectation, showing a gratifying decrease when compared to the previous year's record. Payments to policyholders and their beneficiaries totaled over seven hundred and fifty three thousand dollars, bringing the total payments since organization to three million seven hundred and sixty-one thousand and seventy- three dollars. Mr. Samuel had confidently looked forward to the company having ten million dollars in force, but died two months before that figure was reached, In 1926 the Oregon Life Insurance Company erected its present splendid building, which is of two stories and basement, fifty by one hundred feet, and admirably adapted to the uses of the business. In the basement there is a complete photostat department, in which are made photostatic copies of every application and policy. Every modern mechanical trivance possible is used to facilitate the work of the office and to safeguard the company's interests. Premium notices are made out by modern addressographs, for which the company makes its own stencils. It has its own printing plant for the production of leaflets and other advertising material, as well as office stationery. Mimeographs are freely used when practicable and a modern "Ditto" machine makes duplicate filing cards for every policy. The company's records are kept in a fireproof room, forty feet square, which holds the complete record of every policy. There is a complete mailing department, in which stamping and mailing machines are employed. In the office a modern Hollerith tabulating machine segregates cards at the rate of four hundred and fifty a minute, after which the cards are put through the tabulating machine, which draws all kinds of segregations that may be desired. This is one of the only two machines of its kind in Portland. Fifty clerks are employed in the office. The upper floor is devoted to actuarial and accounting departments, in which are employed electrically driven calculating machines. Dumb waiters afford quick service for transfer of papers from floor to floor. There is also an assembly hall, for the meetings of salesmen and other conferences, which will comfortably seat one hundred and fifty persons. The building is well lighted and thoroughly ventilated and is modern in every respect. The company employs over one hundred fifty agents in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, and this is the only home life insurance company in this state. Best's Life Rating Chart is in the life insurance business what Dun Bradstreet are to the mercantile business. On this chart the Oregon Life Insurance Company is listed among the eighty-nine companies which receives the highest possible rating out of the three hundred and two companies given on the chart. The Oregon Life Insurance Company makes its investments principally in the territory served by it and, as it is operated on the mutual plan, its excess profits are returned the policyholders. Clarence S. Samuel, who, since the death of his father, has served as general manager of the Oregon Life Insurance Company, was born in Portland, June 23, 1876, and received his educational training in the public schools of his home city. In 1896, when twenty years of age, he entered the employ of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of New York, with which company he remained until 1905, when he resigned in order to assist his father in the organization of the Oregon Life Insurance Company. He became assistant manager of the company in 1906 and has from the beginning been a most important factor in the steady and substantial progress which has characterized the company's record. In 1903 Clarence S. Samuel was united in marriage to Miss Claudia C. Salomon, who was born at Junction City, Oregon, and to them have been born two children, Millard A., who graduated from the University of California in 1925, having taken the course in business administration, and is now associated with his father in the Oregon Life Insurance Company, being of the third generation of the family to be actively identified with this society; and Leo, who is now a student in the University of Oregon. Mr. Samuel is a member of Portland Lodge, No. 55, A. F. & A. M.; Portland Consistory, A. A. S. R.; Al Kader Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.; the Portland Chamber of Commerce, the Tualatin Country Club, the Concordia Club and the Progressive Business Men's Club. He gives his political support to the republican party and stands consistently for all that is best in the life of his community. He is a man of marked executive ability and clear headed judgment and is giving to his company a high type of service. Additional Comments: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. II, Pages 916-919 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/samuel815gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 15.5 Kb