Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-03-25

MUruM ASSURANCE SOCIETY.
Mr.. PlrAsANTs.

promised. 10 present to them, from time to
time, such statements OF facts, and COM
ments upon he institution, as might occur
to me to be material. The pressure Of blu.
siness in nv office, has prevented an imme-
date compliance with that promise. 1t is
most likely, that, mv failure 10 comply, has
produce. no disappointment. As the COM
positions ofmy pen have no claim to excel
ience in STYLE; and that prudence and phil
anthoy. which, at first, obtained for this
institution, patronage SO extensive, APP
pears either to have slept for some years
past; or. to have taken q, different dirccti-
on. To what object the philanthropy of Vir-
yinia haslately been directed, know not;
ut, its prudence appears to have been
MOLLY engaged, by a strong conviction Of
ne necessity of acquiring property, to the
ilinost totai exclusion Of that part of cha
"acter ofprudence, which suggests tho pro-
priety of preserving from accident the pro-
psrty which had been acquired. At We"
ry early period of my life, learned from
the jniormation Of others, that folly might
gather riches hut wisdom oly would IL
dept the proper means OF preserving them.
"A few years experience with little olser-
walton. served to convince nle, that, bad
been rightly Informed. But does wisdom
suggest to him, who shall be about to ex-
many years, in erecting a comfortable dwell
iins house; that, it Will be better to build
wiih aapDy timbcrs, because they may be
cheaper than those which will be more du-
raelc Surely there would be nothing in
such ccndact, which belongs TO the char
acter Of wisdom. u
Wisdom in practice, is what we generally
term prudence The prudent man every
day pays, in some form or other, a premi-
um to insure his object; If he purchases,
horse, i:c viii consent to pay, for one of FIVE
years old, three times as much, as he would
give for ore aged ten, in order TO insure
greater length Of service from the horse
Ii ne wants = coat, he will give third or
fourth more for cloth that will wear two
years, than for that which would not serve
I'm more thCn enc year. And in all the
rival transactions as life, we find the pru-
cnt man, paving an enormous premium of
insurance. III building his house, he rea-
diiv Consents to pay ten or twenty per CEN
trm advance, 70 ensure its longer duration
but when at considerable expense he has
finished IT.; will he, If indeed possessed of
common prudence, leave it exposed to eve {
ry RISK? Ii an Infatuated mob should threa-
ten to destroy It, will he hesitate to paw a (
premium to insure Its value, lest they
should carry their threats into execution Z?
I c1Anot doubt he certainly would What
then VIII be mis- conduct, after finishing his !
mouse when he rejects, that, the enemy !
winch threatens 20 destroy it, is among the !
number Of his domestic servants, that, the !
very tlre wnich serves TO cook his food, and /
produce comfortable warmth to his BODY in |
winter, thYcatens every dav, nav every mo-
msEt, to destroy his mansion, with It's con-
tents That, this FIRE, is found in every /
hearth othis house /; that it is handled alto |
sether bY needless servants, who have no
Interest in preserving the property that |
single spark may in the course of a few mi |
nutes, cause his house to be enveloped in |
fiames, and leaye nothing more than pile |
OF worthless ashes; the poor remains of |
dwelling, which had been acquired by the |
savings of years, of hard labor, and close |
economy.
Will not the prudent man reflect upon |
this risk. If he does reflect, how can he |
avoid Fastening to obtain an insurance. ] /
am at loss to conceive, what mode Of rea :
soning can induce him to sit down conten- |
ted, in the midst Of danger, when tie eff |
feet st the burning Of his house (Which is |
sometimes total ruin, and at all times q Sc
ripus inconve nj nce) may be avertsd by the |
payment OF a triiimg premium for insur-
ance. II prudent indeed, he will not do so. |
have been induced to present these re-
marks omy fellow citizens, through the me-
dunn of yoar paper, by the alarm Of this
mOrHing.
Perhaps the alarm bells never excited
more general consternaJicp, among the CT
items Of this place, than they did to day.
Whilst the wind blew with violence little
short Ola hurricane, the quick stroke oftbe
FIRE bell reached the ear. An extensive
and dreadful coniagration was anticipated.
The feelings Of humanity were aroused.
Every citizen abandoning his own house to
its fate. sought with rapidity the expected
scene of dosolaticp. Bat, the benign hand
Of providence arrested the threatened evil
Jhe Ere vas eXsingushed without material
irjury. Had il rot been arrested, in It's
earliest stage, in ali probability, many, who =
this NOR ming had con- Portable homes, un- /
deF the roots OF which, numerous Offspring.
were sheltered, would at this moment, have
been houseiess. and perhaps pennyess
Does not this awful warning admonish such |
persons immcdiatcly to seek the protection |
G. tbs Mutual Assurance Society.
do not address the citizens of Richmond !
ti00e. call upon MI house owners with |
80 tie operation Of the Mutua! Assurance |
s"cietyi ro consider seriously their DANCE. |
rex SITUATION, while uninsured. Letthcrn, /
seyeraliy- iora moment, imagine the dread, !
f. lscane Oi TIC 19th ofOcfober last, which /
tiss0'f'cd SD large portioa ofthc flourish |
100 town ~ Fredericksburg, removed to their
t,hme'iatc neiTibofhood Let them behold. /
frf..fa sfa.s.s