Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-02-15

future. l ain afraid that any
weeping The Coroner may have
done in this case must have
been crocodile tears" for he
didn't lose any relatives by the
accident and, if he gets the reg
ulur fee Of $3.50 for each body
upon which inquest has been
held, he Will receive for his
work over $500, the largest
coroner's fee ever known. His
claim for this amount will be
resisted by the city on the
ground that but one inquest
was held; but as it is made ac-
cording to law the fortunate of
fetal will doubtless collect it in
full.
Life insurance matters are
still making it pretty lively
hereabouts. The last thing in
that connection is the report
that the officers Of the two re-
Gently deceased companies are
to be criminally indicted. That's
what is needed. The sight Of
an insurance president or two
behind the grating would be a
spectacle calculated to make
the remaining officers rather
more careful than some Of them
have heretofore been.
This decentralization does not
seem to have reached the fire
companies to any great extent.
One Of them, the "Metropoli-
tam" bas indeed passed into the
hands Of a receiver, but under
no suspicion Of fraud, and its
policies have all been assumed
by the old "ContinentaI, one
of the strongest institutions Of
the kind in America. The case
Of this company is an illustla-
ton Of the evils attended on
the present license enjoyed by
new concerns Of assuming a
corporate name so similar to
that in use by some already es-
tablished company as to con-
found the two. The name Con-
tinental being attached to the
life company, whose failure was
enveloped in such an unSayory
odor, has doubtless caused many
people little conycrsant with in
surance matters to do a great
injustice to the solvent institu-
ton. The Continental fire
company has over three millions
Of assets against one quarter
, Of q million disabilities. More
over, Its voluntary provision Of
Safety Funds deposited at Al
,bany and its corresponding re-
serve in Office, already amo"nt-
ing to three quarters Of a mill
lion, and constantly increasing,
renders lis failure a simple i'm
possibility.
] In a recent letter I spoke Of
some Of the curiosities Of hard
times in New York. Since
then there has come under my
notice another practice which
the prevailing scarcity OF the
circulating medium has caused
to be quite general. This Is
the selling OF wedding presents
by newly married couples who
find they cannot live entirely on
love and rose leaves, and need
more in the way Of substantial
comforts than their purse Will
afford. In a fashionable we'd
ding it occurs that many dupH-
cate presents are given, as well
as many that are Of no practi-
: cal value to the recipients. Such
. facts are learned by the half
dozen dealers who make this
, business a specially, and a week
or two after the occasion, one Of
, them will call on the young
| couple and cautiously broacf
the subject Of purchase. Al
, first his offer is usually refused
with great Indignation, but il
the end he will often carry off
under the promise Of The strict
est sccresy, the largest share of
| the wedding offerings for whicl
: he has paid say from a third t.
| one-half their value. RADIX.
The publishers of the Murfrees
buro News after a jear's trial 0
, the experiment Of furnishing th,
paper to subscribers at 81 so Pc
> annum, are convinced that the,
have lost money BY the operation
and have therefore returned |,
the original figures (S2) notwitb
, standing that the subscription
price Of its local rival is only 81 30
i, This is a very sensible procedur
: on the part Of the News. Gu
t own experience, extending owe
q term OF years, corroborates tina