The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-01-25
A Mutual COMPANY.

RANSOM, Jan. 20.-ln your last ISSUE
was a statement Of the Farm Ridge
and Deer Park Farmers Insurance
Company. and the large amount o'
money that was saved to the members
of said company ior this kind Of fire
| insurance. The report shows that the
officers are working for the Interests
Of the company and The people ought
to appreciate it.
The Allen and Otter Creek lnsur
ancc Company have about the same
amount Of property insured. We be
gan in 1874 with $7S, 039 worth Of prop
erty insured. On the 3lst day Of De-
cember, 1888, the amount insured was
1891 ,920.S5. The amount paid by Oul
company in fifteen years is $2,S73.o2,
against the former company's S554.9S
This is "A considerable difference; yet
our people have been satisfied, and it
has been still cheap insurance.
Three years ago our president called
the directors together for meeting.
When we asked what we were called
together for we were informed that 1t
was our duty to see whether there was
any property insured too high ian in
suit to common sense). But after a
while it came out, in a proposition by
| the president that the directors and
officers had done good thing for the
community, and that we should there
fore divide the money in the treasury,
in the shape OF pay for our time,
which the writer stated that it was
true as to the officers, and that each
personally had saved enough to pay us
for spending day in year, and that
| was willing to attend that one day
in year without pay, which stopped
all further argument. But the cleo
ton came, and the smart men among
the officers managed to get the direct
Ors that were opposed to taking Doodle
left out as directors "A year ago. 1t
was "a stormy day when the election
came Off The people did not attend !:
but fifteen or sixteen persons were
there so the president and secretary
had themselves appointed Il committee
to revise the bylaws SO they could
divide the money according to law.
This year they did dividcamong the
officers according to law their bylaws
over 5000 i'm the shape of salary. Re-
sides, ! am told the president will
claim lawyers fees and pay for making
the bylaws, of which the following is
a sample and 1t ought to receive a
premium -
ARTICLE 30-Union and confidence
being absolutely essential to the sue
cess and existence Of Firmers' InSur-
ancc Companies, therefore should any
chronic grumbler, or any spy or agent
Of any foreign insurance company be-
come member of this insurance com
pany, and then begin to find fault and
grumble with its management, or by
insinuation or inuendo cast suspicious
reflections upon the management Of
the company liable to produce discOrd
and i'll feeling among the members
thereof, tending to undermine and
destroy the usefulness and existence OF
our company, such a man is deemed
unworthy to be Il member of our COM
pany: and the directors on being
assured of such fact or facts, shall
forthwith cause his policy to be can
celed and Immediately notify the party
Of their action.
Is not this worth money for men
who think more of their pockets than
to do right between man and man?
The foregoing statement Will show
that the old saying is true OF Farmers
Insurance Companies, that Eternal
vigilance is the price of-Success."
JACOB SCHENLEBEI.