The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-31
THEY INSURED THEIR LIVES.
A Sad but Suggestive Story from tn
Mountains of Tennessee.
From the ArkanSaV Traveller.

Mountains of Tennessee.
From the ArkdnsGO TraveIer
The facts of rather a peculiar case of life
insurance have just been made known in
Tennessee. There lived in one of the re-
mote agricultural districts of that state two
brothers, Sam and Bill Henly. They were
twins. and the age of IS years found them
unmarried. They had no relatives. They
were devoted to each other, and in COM
mon owned and cultivated a small farm.
One day, a number of years ago, Sam, ad-
dressing his brother said:
"Bill, I've got scheme by which one of
us can make some money"
"If one, whv not both of usP Bill asked.
"I'll explain. We will go to town and
have our lives insured for $4,000 each |
will keep up your policy and you keep up
NINE If die first, you get $40, 900. If you
die first, then 1 get $4,000"
THAT is good idea" Bill replied. "We
are likely to live long, and one of us, at
least, will be well cared for in old age"
The policies were taken out. AT first the
payments were easy enough, but at length
when bad crop year came the brothers
were so pressed that they were compelled to
sell one of their horses.
sit comes pretty hard" Sam remarked,
''but it will pay one of us in the long run.
All we owe i'll this life we owe to each other,
remember"
Eyes, and we will try to meet our assess
ments but they do seem to be coming pretty
Thick
The next season a "wet spell" almost
ruined the early crops. A heavy assessment
came and the brothers had to part with a
favorite yoke of steers.
"Striking us harder and harder" said
Bill, "but we must stand it,"
Eyes" Sam replied, ''even if we are COM
pelled to do without coffee this season.
Two years later such a financial disaster
overlook the brothers that they were
forced to mortgage their farm, and, the
year following, the mortgage was fore
closed.
This is extremely hard" said Sam,
but we must put up with it. We have "a
couple of axes left, and we will chop cord
wood for living. Old man Gray says that
we may have his cabin over yonder III the
woods at reasonable rental. We've got no
bedding, but we can sleep on the floor.
By working hard we can get a little some
thing to eat occasionally aud keep our poll
cies paid up"
Eyes, we must now make every possible
sacrifice to keep up our insurance"
They rented the cabin, slept on the floor
and had nothing to eat but corn bread and
bacon. In the winter they were almost
| frozen, and Ill the summer they were
nearly roasted, but their devotion to each
other kept their heroic determination from
bending.
=. One morning several days ago Sam, upon
awakening, said:
bill, can't work to-day, for lam as sick
! as a horse"
you hit me, then, SAM for l, using a
comparison almost as time-honored, am as
sick as a dog"
They did not get up during the day, and
the next morning "a neighbor who CHANGED
to call. summoned q physician. Tie doctor
pronounced their illness swamp fever. Thoy
grew deirious, but one day it'll that ra-
fionality when sometimes smiles upon a
victim Just before his demise-they recov-
cred consciousness. The doctor told them
that they could not live through the day.
a SAM" SAID Bill, ''are you going tooP
Eyes, Bill, all with you"
"Its pretty tough, isut it, Samp
ga wet coonskin is no comparison"
A few moments later, yellow shadows,
the last respects of swamp fever, the p. p.
c. cards Of that insidious disease, lay upon
their faces.
Just as the neighbors were turning away
fellow who had just come from the post
Office brought notices of another asses
ment.