The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-31
THE STAUNTON LIFE ASSOCIA-
TION OF VIRGINIA.

1t becomes the pleasant duty of the
VALLEY VIRGINIAN reporter, in the prep
aration of this dOuble-Sheet, to collate
some facts relative to the life insurance
interest whose official designation forms
the caption to this article, And right here
we may say that we do not intend to in
dulge in so-called especial pleading Oh
behalf of the enterprise. By means of
printed matter issued by the Association
and widely distributed throughout the
State, and by means of the personal efforts
and explanations made by the Association s
agents and canvassers, the general public
have become more or less thoroughly in
formed regarding it's main purposes and
chief methods. Nor is it necessary that
we should indulge in all essay upon the
benefits of life insurance. The subject
has by no means been worn threadbare.
still the masses of the people are more OF
less ready to concede the truth of the
claims made, and our time and space are
too limited to formulate even 1.-THE of
the arguments that have proved so effect
i've in advancing the interests of both in
surers and insured in times past, and
which will be relied upon for years to come.
70 our mind the main question is, not
''shall l insure ?" but ''what system of
life insurance shall give approval to by
the act of taking out a policy ?''
:. No less a publication than Harpers'
Monthly Magazine some two OF three
years ago contained an elaborate and enter
tanning article entitled docs Insurance
Insurer" The purpose of the writer was
to institute comparisons between the meth
DDS, the cost and the security of insurance
in the so-called old line companies, and the
method, cost and security of insurance in
0nmnonioC yphi oh
and conducted upon business-like princi-
pies. The only conclusion he could arrive
at was unhesitatingly in favor of the lat
ter, and a storm OF indignation on the part
of line companies was aroused.
Another fact remains: there are assess
ment and assessment companies. Let us
briefly see what manner of company the
Staunton Life Association is. One thing
in it's favor is the fact that it is in the full,
fresh vigor of youth, and it is disposed to
act upon the aggressive rather than the
defensive. Chartered March I'd, 1883, it
did not begin business until the following
April-since then it's every effort has met
with hearty cooperation on the part of
those it seeks to benefit. Its officers and
directors are men of known probity and
integrity-men who under no circum-
stances would allow their names to be
dllItu Will dill uIlIIlS VI q uUuUUlul udtuI6.
These gentlemen are: Gent John EchOlS,
president Davis A. Kayser, vice-presi-
dent, Hugh M. McIlhany, secretary; John
M. Carroll, treasurer: 7. G. Morton, gen
eral agent DIR. A. M. Fauntleroy, medical
director. These gentlemen, together with
Messrs. M. P. FunkhOuser, w. A. Hud-
son, R. III. Catlett, Hon. Edward Echols,
w. p. Tams and G. S. Baker constitute
the stockholders of the Association.
Another thing in favor of the StauntOn
Life Association is the fact that its incor
porators have steered clear of the faulty
features of many assessment companies,
have embodied OF improved upon their
best points and added entirely new fea-
lures characteristic of this Association
and it alone. Among these new features
are the Guarantee. and 'sIncontestable"
and the Endowment Plan" To these
special features we will refer later on in
this article.
The method of assessment is not unlike
that pursued by other leading companies
or associations of the kind. The youngest
age permissible to candidate is Is years;
the Oldest go years. Policies to the amount
of LOCO. 50, 900 or S., 900 are issued upon
any approved life, and so long as the policy
remains in force. whether one year or
many, the assessment per thousand dollars
does not change. For instance, young
man takes out a policy at the age of Is
years-hls assessment always remains 45
cents per 81 900 at 25 years it would be
so cents at 40 years go cents; at so years
$1.25 cents; at go years $2.45; the assess
ment on intervening years is pro rata with
the foregoing. Now the first apparent