The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-07-19
Lrrr IssunAsor

We are permitted TO publish (omltllog
name) the following letter, written by 3
gentleman who was insured on the "hAlt
note PLAN in one OF our leading life In
suranoe companies, in reply to the com
pauy's notification Of the amount due on
the policy. II will be read no doubt with
sympathetic interest by many policy.
holders who have had similar struggles
with the mysterious mathematics Of this
Kind OF insurance. II should be stated,
In fairness 10 the company, that the ex-
planation Of the aciuary was SO satisactory
that, instead of Uf'inslsiing upon getting
out, the writer Of the letter decided to
keep up the policy:
Nrw York, May 3lst, 1877.
MR. -, Vice. President, &c.
DEAR SIR: am 10 receipt OF postal
card advising that my next annual pre-
MUM (policy No. 4S,369) is $i47 0S.
Thereby | am reminded that the life In.
sursuce business, as managed by your
company Is, like the providence of God,
"past finding out" began paying $50
cash and S52 note on this policy In 1867.
II seems an expensive luxury. II would
have been ii had died. | unhappily
survived, and now for ten years have
been struggling rs much TO keep the
policy as myself alive. But the appetite
OF this policy, ! observe, does grow by
what II feeds on, and the danger is that
II will shortly exceed in its demands my
ability to answer, and shall see IL die on
my hands. The steady and constant In
crease in the amount OF the premium on
this policy began to excite my admira.
tioB several years ago. The agent to-
whom ! applied for enIighteninent-l
have passed through the hands OF five or
six, each Of whom has amassed q. .compe.
tence and retired-so overwhelmed me
with mathematics of the most mixed and
abstrnse character that fell back from
the investigation greatly huiniliated at
my own ignorance, and profoundly inn
pressed with the resources of-either the
company or the agent, could not decide
which. think ] realize, and | hope ]
appreciate gratefully, the benefceDt oper-
alton of this steady progression in the
cost of the policy. 1t makes one con-
template death with resignation, and 10
look upon that contamination as check
mate TO the company. Did yon ever
think how Booth or John Mccullough
might improve IIamlefs soliloquy aud
thrill an ordinary audience by just hold
Ing mp one OF your life insurance policies
as suitiDg the action to the word, at the
passages There's a respect that makes
of so long life ~
But fear trespass on your time, Is
1t true that insurance officials, Dotwith-
standing the meagerness of their salaries,
are oyerworkedp win come at once to
the business. 4 need not trace the steady
upward progress Of these premiums suf-
ficient that last year ! paid Sll2.7G, and
this year you call for $l47 .03 upon spoli-
cy the annual premium on which was
1882 ten years ago. AT this rate of in
crease, and with my dscoursgiugly sound
health, | cannot undertake to compete
with the company. am aware OF course
that policy holder who has paid ten am
nual premiums can hardly expect the con
sideration due those who not being in-
sured, seek Information. Being fish In
the basket, do not expect the considers.
ton due one Ia tho sea, aud yet | would
like to know whether Policy Ne. i3 $50
has any surrender value. CsD you give
me any information on The subject? ! am
already Ia possession of considerable
accumulation of tracts, pamphlets, eircu'
lars, almauacs, calendars, and xiracts
IRON religious newspapers witch afford
abundant knowledge SIS 10 the facilities
aud BelhoGs for getting into Iiie insur-
ancr; what ! seek now is information
how Ia get out.
Patdou me, eir, II have used too great
tamiiuri in addressing man whose ac-
quainlance with logarithm. and mortality
tables aud the diilerential calcnlus en-.
titles him 10 the name Of benefactor and
the salary OF actnary. am not ignorant
Whist is due the representative Of s27 ,000,-
000--if that's the fgure--of assets. al.
dress you becaase your name appears on
the seductive postal card which invites
me TO add $li7 .03lo the 81, 10000. ]
presume you are 30 strangerto the COM
plants of policy-holders, and II 10 not inn
probable that YOU dismiss them all with
the remark Of the Apostle Paul upon re-
turning a box Of DIR. Ayers celebrated
compound caihartic pills TO the elders Of
church at Epbesus, "NoDe oflhese things
move me-" But there NAV be some one
in your employ who can show me the
cheapest way out. win you please refer
Inc TO him, that may present my policy
and receipts aud things with the conuu.
drum which at one time staggered the
intelligence Of such statesman ~ Dan.
lei Webster "What Is all this WORTH
But then Webster knew scarcely any
thing shout life Insurance. - New York
1riJuRe,]
Little Rob, who usually adds few