The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-05-30
BILL ARP.
Ths Georgia Philosopher Insures His
Life.

BILL ARP.
Ths Georgia Philosopher Insures His
] Life.
atlanta Constitution.
Iha7e just twelve years to live-how
many have you-Tep years from now |
will have seven years to live. Twenty
years from now I will have four years to
live and thirty years from now I will
still have two years to liye-that is curl.
ous. How the expectation of life keeps
tapping on. It looks like man would
never die if be could keep on living-he
would always have little margin ahead.
But I may die tomorrow, or next week,
and that is why I took an insurance
policy on my life yesterday-I did not
feel certain of those twelve years. A
| friend Of mine is in the business, and he
discoursed so seriously about the matter
and seemed so sympathetic and manifest.
ed such a kind interest in my family
that T conquered my prejudices and took
a policy-I never had any prejudices
against life insurance but had such bad
luck that quit. Long time ago begun
in the Knickerbocker and after had paid
out about four hundred dollars it failed.
Then took out q policy in st. Louis
company and that failed. Then / tried
| the "Cotton States" and that faileG. So
I quit the business and lived on alone,
and now am so old that it takes nearly
all my income to pay the premium. In
fact, didn't think they would take me,
but my friend said in inasmuch as is was
me they would. When be drew his doc.
uments out I had to answer all sorts of
| questions about my kinfolka and ancestors
and how long they all lived and what they
died Of. They went away back to my
granlfathera who lived more than hun
dred years ago, and I didn't know much
about them but told him / did have some
who lived mighty long time. He
frightened up and I told him their names
were Adam and Mathusalah and that one
of them named Enoch didn't lie at all.
Then my friend took me toa doctor who
thuraped me on the back and put his ear
to my bosom to hear my heart beat, and
felt of my pulse and measured my height,
and around my breast and my corporosity,
and asked me whether I had ever had the
rheumatism, OF consumption, or collie, or
dropsy, or the blind staggers, or fits, or
gout, or big jaw, or delirium tremens, or
insanity, or the earache, or yaller janders,
or Bright's disease, or any other disease,
or tumors, or wens, or hair-lips, or cross.
eyes, and don't know what all, and when
I answered no to them all he pronounced
me good subject, and SO I am now in.
sured. When I handed Mrs. Arp the
policy and told her it was for her, and
her only, she never stopped sewing the
buttons on Jessie's dress, but asked me,
in quiet way, if l was sure the company
was good one. She might as well have
asked if I was sure to die in time for the
money to do her some good, but she
didn't. She has got that policy put
away somewhere, and I'll bet she lets me
know when that premium falls due.
Well, that is all right. When man
weds woman she is entitled to boot, and
if he hasent got it be onght to keep his
life insured for her benefit. I've noticed
good many widows, and / believe that a
five thousand dollar policy on her
husbands life is one of the most consoling
things in the world. 1t oughtent to be
more than thAt, for it might tempt some
designing man to inVeigle himself into
her affections, and I wouldent like that.
I had sickly client once Who employed
me to write his will. His wife was righ |
smart younger than be was and good
deal healthier and he said he dident |
think he was going to live very long and
he dident mind dying 80 much, but he
couldent bear to think of another fellow
stepping around over his land. So he
wanted me to fix things so that if she did
marry they would have to get another
farra and step around over it.
Insurance is good thing. 1t makes
one feel calm and serene. 1 have been
insllring against FIRE for forty years and
never yet had FIRE. The money that
have paid out would make good big
pile, but it has brought me more comfort
than any money I ever invested And 30
lam to getno possible benefit from mylife
insurance it is comfort to know that
my wife will, if she survives me, and I
reckon she will. She has got six years
advantage in age-that is in youth-for
woman never gets old. And then again
the tables show that the women of forty
FIVE and over outlive the men. I
said that had just twelve years to live,
but if was a woman I would have
thirteen. That is the difference.
My wife has seventeen years to live,
and that beats me five years. These life
tables that show the expectation, the
average, the probability of life, are very
curious and interesting. In million
births the males outnumber the females
twenty-five thousand, but the girls don't
die so fast, and by the time they reach
fifty years the females begin to outnum.
Der the men and outlive them. Nine
thousand more women live to see seventy
years than men-taking million as the
basis. Two thousand more women than
men live to see ninety. At one hundred
years there are seventy. nine men to one
hundred and forty-four women. The
males start out most numerous, and this
Is right, for it gives every girl a fair
nhonoo for lover and a h,1ahend-and II