Connecticut western news., 1871-08-25
From the Hartford Evening Post. The Phoenix NIutunl.

The splendid success Of the Phoenix Mutual life Insurance Company and its handsome showing for the past year is attracting much attention from Insurance and other Journals interested in insurance matters, which have given 1t extended mo- tice and in every instance so far as our observation goes commenting its condition, the admirable manner in which 1t Is man. aged, and congratulatlng Its policy holders on their prospect for the future. Hartford has just cause to be proud of an institution which is so generally and generously praised. .-..
 It has increased its new business over any former year. To be able to understand fully what this means, 1t Is necessary to state that the Ph9nix in 1859 issued seven thousand policies, insuring to the amount of $7,9l2, l55, ,O0, and thousands of people who were acquainted with the quiet man. ner of the company predicted that in no future year would 1t make such record of new business. But in 1870 the Ph9nix Mutual has issued 5000 policies insnring $29, ,OO0, 900. and receiving in premiums the extraordinary sum of not far from three millions.
 And all this has been after paying @ div idend of fifty per cent, and keeping on hand during the year near two millions of dollars surplus, as a guaranty or security to its policy holders.
 AN qNsULLIED RECORD.
 From the beginning, it has been true to it's promises It has promised it's patrons just what it was able and willing to per form. Life insurance under the Phoenix policy has been certain, and 1t has also been cheap. Whenever just claim has fallen due, the company has paid it-not grudgingly, but cheerfully. That com pany should resist an unjustand fraudulent claim is most certainly true: but 1t seems very singular that some companies are for ever in muss of this kind.
 This unsullied record for fair dealing has had & tremendous influence. One don't like the idea that his wife and children shall be compelled to fight for that which is justly theirs at time when he can no longer help them. And it is we'll for us if we are able, at times to get behind a life insurance companys written pledges, and read it's purposes to look into its face and eyes and learn whether 1t means we'll under all circumstances, and whether it Is suff1. ciently honest to refuse taking advantage of some trifiing clerical mistake, In order to escape ths payment of a just claim.
 ECONOMY OF MANAGEMENT.
 It has millions of money invested in bond and mortgage and government bonds. The principal office, in the city of Hartford, which 1t has just leased, we understand, for ten years to come, is a very common place affair, and one entering it for the first time might be led to infer from the cheap, plain furniture that the company was anything but rich. Now company having on hand seven millions of dollars of. assets and two millions of surplus over and above all liabilities is certainly not very poor.
 The economy, however, of which we speak is of a broader and more compre- hcnsive kind. It takes into account the character of risk accepted, the salaries paid officers and agents, the rate of commission to agents, etc., etc.
 In all those important features the Phe- nix Mutual stands in the very front rank of American companies.
 For number of years tho Phoenix has issued form of policy that is absolutely unobiectionable. It is practically world wide in character. Once insured, always insured. People are tired of investing their money in life insurance policies that are rendered worthless by Southern tour in the summer season, or trip to Europe. This liberal course on the part of the Ph9- nix has been followed by the best of re- suits. There has been no appreciable in- crease in the death-rate in consequence, and every policy holder has been delighted with an unequivocal contract.
 UNIFORMLY LARGER DIVIDENDS.
 The dividends in the Phoenix have aver aged over fifty per cent. Hence it follows that the company can furnish cheap insur- ance. And is is proper to note here that the company has made such large annual returns to policy holders without in the least trenching on its reserve funds. Af- ter making its dividends on Jau., 1870, 1t was still worth one hundred and fifty cents on the dollar-or in other words, 1t had nearly two millions of Q surplus.
 THE MEN WHO MANAGE IT.
 The best citizens of Hartford, men of liberal views, who take pride m things honorable and of good report, and who do not believe that lfo insurance was designed for the express purpose of paying high salaries to officers and managers They are men, too, who do not propose taking large amount of money, the property of the insured, and putting 1t into an unre- monumental building. The policy holders ot the Phoenix may rest sat- sfied for generations to come, that their favorite company will be guilty of no such fOly