Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1881-02-24
&aforfin Gixrion.
chas. e. CasseIi, A. NJ,
Editor.
e. l. Root, & PROP'Is'S
ChaS. e. CaS9elIa
THURSDAY. FEB. "A, 1881.
A Solemn Speculation.


disparags any legitimate business. or
occupation. On the contrary. quite
the reverse. It is to our interest and
greatly to our satisfaction to aid and
foster any enterprise that can lsgitl-
,nately be called business and that
will in any dsgrs. add to the life, en-
,ergy and resources Of cur section OF
the county.
We therefore desire to be under.
stood, not to cavil at, or in any meas
urs except to the style or intent OF
that all absorbing mania that has,
within the past year made itself man
ifest in this end of the county, that
wild and ungoveruabls spirit OF spec
ulstlon in dead mems bonss, popu-
larry known as Lite Insurance
Asa topic of conversation, it has en-
tirely olsted several tine-honorsd
subjects from their legitimate time and
place of discussion and further, has
ousted several time honorsd business
% from the persons and places, that
will know them no more forever. The
weather, extreme cold, floods, frozen
uit-buds, mud long sausagss, heavy
weights, inauguration, abstract politics
concrete gossip about nelghbors and
thing, and quite all other such topics,
IS have become venerable, SO to speak,
from age and lorg acquaintance have
been Internationally thrown IN the
background Of public observation, by
tho one theme that has come to be the
anticipation Of Joy forever
That the business Of insuring the
lives of octogsnarlans, on the probable
chance Of their non arrival at the
nonogsnariau period may be consld-
cred a safe business, We may be priv
.lsg.d to question (how.vor ,hghtly)
at time, whom newspapers all over
the Land Of the Free and Home OF
the Brave have occasion to chronicle
almost weekly, the death OF one Of
Wayhington's body servants and an
occasional black nurse.
That tho business, is jolly and
mirthful one, We may be allowed to
doubt when we consider the necsssi-
~ Of approaching the card upon
whom it is proposed 10 risk the "dis,
with a statement, in effect if not IN
words, that upon him We have sssn
the mark Of destiny, which endorse
menr Of f.te, it is our desire, should,
when signed and sealed, make good
our sight draft on an insurance Con-
pany. 1t must at least make II con-
Aict Of desires, as between the insured
and the assignee Of the policy; for as
we have always viewed the matter,
the anticipation Of death has never
been considered the brightest Of
known antlcipations, while upon tho
early advent OF that event, as VIZ see
it, in a great measure depends the
success aud satisfactory results OF this
business. That tho business is legIti-
mate, we believe. We conisIs TO \
certain amount Of concsit but we are
not equal to the draft that would DO
made upon it were we to assert any
thing else in the face Of the law-mak.
ing machinery of great common
wealths, which formulate the charter
rights and protect the companies IN
such rights.
That the business is profitable
one, to all who embark in it. We may
be allowed to dissent from, as We have
in our minds eye, several living mon
umeuts Of enduring regret; while there
are many OF whom We could assert
quite the reverse.
That the successful issue Of indi-
vidual enterprise, wo mean OF single
ventures, depends upon chance, that
tho risk may not bs summed up in
any one proposition and that human
lives constitute the deck that is to
be ''shutled," ecu" and turned up,
\rather down and upon which mon
eyed risk is taken, is not Just as SEN
timental an occupation, yet wlthsl a
safer one, than stealing A. I. Stew
arts body on speculation and getting
fooled on Judge Hilton and the wild
ow.
AS We have already said, we are
pleased to see any and all branches of
business prosper in our midst and we
.ra loathe to close this article without