The Republican journal., 1886-01-07
Letter from Mr.. Geo. P. Field,

To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: l have
of last week and suppose ought to feel crush
ed, but do not. My letter to you was in an
swer to certain specific erroneous statements
in the Age. Their editorial is not reply to
what said but rather an attempt to condense
into one column what the Age editor does not
know about insurance and kindred subjects.
am not surprised that an editor who does not
know what the word 'Cistern" means q refer
him to Webster) and disputes the fact that the
greater the pressure or velocity of stream of
water the greater the quantity delivered in a
fixed time-should not believe my snow ball
story; but the facts remain just the same in
each case. The logic of the '4Almighty' argu-
ment is Brilliant is hardly safe to read it
without colored glasses. | said that insurance
companies, like the Almighty, help those who
help themselves. Therefore says the Age
wrote that these companies have assumed the
functions of the Almighty-are the Almighty
suppose | had used the other form of this
familiar quotation and said that insurance
companies, like Heaven, never help those who
do not help themselves? Therefore, the COM
panies are Heaven, and when the Age editor
shutfles off this mortal coil he will be trans
ported directly into the bosom of an insurance
company. With his present ideas-or lack of
them-on this subject, he would not be happy
and no doubt would prefer the place which
Bob lngcrsoll says does not exist.
Again. the Age does not know where any
i. bn,-o Ion Tbnv
exist to-day in several places and have been re-
tiuced within six months in Winthrop, Gardin-
er and Houlton on account of Improvement in
their fire departments or water supply. On the
third page the Age says: I'VE should like to
see the journal once, lust for a change, meet
some question fairly and not drop into personal
abuse and >lurs about other matters when dis
clIs>ing public question: Now suppose, in
the manner it advises, the Age explains why
if two hand engines and water supply from
ci>ternS (Which repeat is all you've got, unless
YOU want to include the Atlantic Ocean and oc-
casional rains, which are not peculiar to your
city are il sufficient protection to Belfast, why
every other city in Maine, with possibly one
exception, has provided itself with either
steam fire department or water works. or both.
And why insurance rates, which are based on
the hazard assumed. whether in the almighty
Companies or the twcnty-scven Mutuals the
Age refers to, should be the same in Belfast as
in the better protected cities: And also, as the
American House fire is sin ali probability the
worst that can brfall us in generation" and is
much the least of the three confagrationS with
in about twenty-five wears, how long does it
take for a generation in the opinion Of the Age!
| know it j. rather previous" paper, but it
seems to me ten Years is little short.
But feel the most grieved by the change of
my name in the Age article. | have always
heretofore been Geo. i. The only Geo. W. l
know is Reverend uncle Of mine, whose avo-
cation it is to insure against the fire supposed
to come hereafter while attend only to tenn
poral contlagratonS. Perhaps the similarity of
our business has caused the Editor to confound
us; perhaps it was his natural aptitude for
laundering In either ease think he owes my
uncle an apology.
70 the friends in Belfast who have inquired
the past week whether ] survived the shock, l
report myself a. still living. thank them all =,
especially the one who hoped my future would
be spent ''whcro Rust doth not corrupt
A. have no time or desire to engage in a
newspaper controversy. this will end the mat
ter 50 far as am concerned.
GEO. p. FIELD.
Boston. JANUARY g. 1856