The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-09-17
PROVIDENCE ENTERPRISE.

The establishment or strong life in.
surance company in this city car
scarcely be said to mark an era" in oul
business growth. but it is certainly in
dicative of phase or characteristic OF
PROVIDENCE business methods that IL
worth consideration.
Life insurance was line of business
not among our institutions until the
gentlemen who have organized the Col
umbian Mutual company quietly sup.
piled the missing link. Considering the
Importance of the movement and the
long list of solid men who have identi-
fed themselves with the new company
it has been brought into existence with
a surprisingly small amount of the "fuss
and feathers" that would have attended
the operation in nearly any other city in
the country, notably in the West.
This quiet going about the Inaugural
ton of such enterprises as this is one Of
the peculiarities of the business men of
PROVIDENCE, and the failure to fully ap-
preciate it has led outsiders, and many
Of our own citizens, to unjustly under
rate the public spirit and aggressive en-
terprise of the city. The charge that
PROVIDENCE lacks public spirit is freely
made, and often by people who have
certainly enjoyed opportunities for be-
coming better informed. ..
PROVIDENCE has methods of her own.
They may be peculiar, as they evident.
ly are not well understood, but we
believe that no man of good Judgment
can make even superficial examina-
ton of the range and extent of the
great industries centered here without
acknowledging that the city Is not only
entitled to be ranked among the most
enterprising but enjoys a most re-
markable industrial background for its
great prosperity.
In manufacturing we have many es.
tablishments unrivalled in this country
and several that lead the world. Our
commercial enterprises are not less
marked for business breadth and acute
appreciation of the advantages the city
offers. There are many that compete
with success and profit with New York
and Boston concerns. The volume OF
the jebbing and wholesale trade of the
city is very much larger than is
imagined. Our financial enterprise is
better known. though, considering the
size of the city, no less remarkable.
On the whole, we think if those who
profess to believe that PROVIDENCE Is
over conservative were to contemplate
the large facts they would stumble
against in nearly all lines Of business
activity were they to study our indus
trail and commercial development they
would find ample cause to substitute a
note Of surprised admiration for that OF
complaint or regret.
We need more liberality and enter.
prise in business extension. Nobody
doubts that. Every city is in the same
condition. The community that does
not actually feel that need is hopelessly
gone to seed. But we are doing very
well. A city that was not doing very
well could not as easily organize n big
corporation to enter field as yet wholly
unexploited, locally, as the Columbian
Mutual Life Assurance Company has
been organized, and secure for It the
heavy capital necessary and the solid
men desirable.
PROVIDENCE is all right, and her crit
les, both local and foreign, would per-
sonally profit by becoming better ac-