Litchfield enquirer., 1859-08-25
LITCHFIELD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 1859.

| oahK 1T Dad, they Wouldn't nave amount ed to one hundred and fifty yet
 John Grover reluctantly acknowledged that his neighbor was right
 Then, besides,' he continued, 'my land i worth very much more. How much do yot value your five-acre lot at 1 It would fetch hundred dollars an acre |. l l was offered two hundred for mine yester day.
 You were 7 exclaimed Grover, in great surprise. 'Of course you accepted it 2 Of course not. Do you think l would sell land yielding me revenue of three hundred dollars year, with more in prospect for a thousand dollars? 1? John Grover began to think he had been acting foolishly. His own fve-acre lot was equally as good, naturally, as Fair6eld's, yet the latter's would now bring double the price in market. He decided to get some trees i'm mediately. He did so, but could not be pre- vailed upon to treat the land as generously as Fairfield had done he considered that it was money thrown away. The consequence was, that his trees advanced more slowly than his neighbours, and it took nearly double the time with the latter Nevertheless he had taken che step in the right direction. But, welded as he was to his peculiar notions of economy, it was impossible for him to give tbem up at once.
 have but one more instance of his false economy to relate, for the consequences which this entailed were so serious that they opened his eyes etfectuay to the error of the course which he had been pursuing. One day as he was at work in the field, he saw stranger approaching him.
 Good day. said the latter.
 John Grover returned his salltation, and waited to have him unfold his business. This he proceeded to do.
 am the agent of Q fre-insurance compa- n.y. he said. May inquire whether your buildings are insured P
 'No,' said Grover.
 Then l would advise you to embrace the present opportunity to secure them from the contingency of fire. The company by whom l am employed are prepared to do it on fair terms'
 The house has stood thirty years without being burnt, and it isu't at all likely it will burn down now'
 The agent smiled: You might as well lived thirteen years without dying, there is no likelihood of his dying at all'
 How much do you charge for insurance i?
 I should judge that on your buildings it would be about ten dollars year.
 Suppose,' said John Grover, triumphantly, had been paying that amount for the last thirty years don't you see l should have lost three hundred dollars 7?
 But if the house had burned down, you would have lost five times that amount
 But it hasn't burnt down, and l haven't paid cent
 Your neighbor has had his house ensured.'
 Of course knew he would. Fairfield is always spending his money for new fangled things
 Yet he seems to be prosperous
 Well, yes,' said John Grover, reluctant ly; he gets along pretty well.'
 Then you don't think you'll insure r
 No. It would be throwing my money away
 Within week, John Grover's house caught fire from some defect in the chimney. which, contrary to his wife's advice, he didn't think worth attending to, and in short time that and the out-buildings, which were at little distance, were heap of ashes. Fifteen hun dred dollars gone in one night
 John Grover bitterly rcpented that he had not insured his buildings. This last severe lesson completed his reformation. With the aid of thousand dollars, which his neighbor Fairfield was in a situation to lend him, he put up new buildings. and from that time adopted more liberal policy. At the end of ten years, in spite of his loss by fire, he was worth nearly twice as much as if he had ad- hered to his old notions of economy.