The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-11-15

days. No such, charitable considera.
tion moves the companies to make the
distinction. Life insurance is bust
ness-not charity-and business
rules govern it.
Another agent told me that females
were too great risk on account of the
perils Of childbirth and that women
would not submit to the critical ex-
animation that was required, and still
another agent said his company would
insure them, but had to charge a
higher rate.
None of these reasons seemed sufi-
cient to me, and at last I did find a
company that had ignored all these
objections and was in the field as the
champion of women and insured her
life upon equal terms with our sex.
Well, why not? The embarrass-
ment about the examination amounts
to nothing, for the old family doctor
is near at hand and knows his patrons
and his patients. The men may de-
ceive him, but the women will not try
to. I would rather rely upon wo-
mans answer than mans.
AS to the perils that environ ma
ternity, they will not compare with
the perils that environ the majority of
young and middle-aged men-perils of
occupation, perils of imprudence, in
discretion and indulgence of passion
and appetite. Women do not drink
nor chew, nor smoke nor handle guns
or pistols, nor climb trees nor build
houses, nor run on the trains, nor
commit suicide. If [ was an insur-
ance company, would prefer women
to men. The risk is not so great, and
the rate ought really to be cheaper. I
would employ women for agents to So
licit insurance, and in. cities ! would
have female doctors to examine the
applicants. Here is a wide field for
an enterprising company. Thousands
of young women would embrace the
opportunity Of. insuring their lives if
it was offered to them. The time was
when the necessity did not exist, for
woman was almost universally sup
ported by man-not so now. Every
where we see women struggling to
earn their own living. They are in the
stores and printing Offices and box and
candy factories and book binderies.
They are the typesetters, typewriters,
photographers, secretaries and book
keepers-everywhere they are advanc-
ing and encroaching upon such occu-
pations of the men as are fitting to
their sex. The number Of these busy
women in Atlanta is already up in the
thousands, not including those whose
home is in the cotton mills. Almost
all the women have somebody to work
for-somebody dependent upon their
daily labor-and, therefore, they
should have their lives insured for at
least one thousand dollars.
Last night while Illuminating upon a
letter from young widow who wishes
to insure her life for the benefit of her
child, I inquired of my family how
many widows there were in town. /
wished to compare them with the wild
overs. We made list of those who
were within the circle of our acquaint-
ance, taking them street by street, and
counted forty-nine. Of these only
four were made widows by the war.
Then we numbered the widowers, and
there were only ten. What does that
signify? | thought that maybe the
climate had something to do with it,
for they told me in Texas that that
country was good for men and mules,
but mighty hard on women and steers.
Maybe it is the reverse up here.
Again I thought that, perhaps, it sig
nifed that widowers married again,
while widows remained loyal to the
memories of their first and only love.
This did explain it in part, for we
found nine widowers who had married
again and only one of them married a
widow. The greedy fellows seem to
want young girl every time. So it
will be seen that the women outlive
the men. IF they are sick good deal,
they don't die but live on and on and
on. The difference is manifest and
decided. Then why should an insur-
anee company hesitate. Why not
break through these old rules and
prejudices and keep up with the pro-
gress Of the times in other things.
They insure horses and horned cattle
in Atlanta. Why not women +? Now
this young widow has an income Of
$40 month that came from her hus-
band 8 life policy and she wishes to
invest $5 month in policy that will
90 to the child when,she dies to revert
to her if she survives the child. What
better investment can company
make; what better investment can she
make ? and yet women are left out or
are charged as extra hazardous by
most all Of the life companies It is
a mistake. 1t is more than that 1t
is wrong, an injustice done to the
female sex. Now let the insurance
companies rise and explain, if they
can.
Last week I visited the good old
Dutch town of Newberry in South
Carolina. 1t was delightful trip of
sunny days and moonlight nights and
over one of the best roads in the
South. People used to say that the
Georgia, Carolina and Northern was
just one road too many, but they don't
say so now. It's trafiv is increasing
all the time and it's service is first
class. From Athens to Newbcrry is a
bright and productive country, and
the people seem happy over their
abundant crops. Newberry expects
to handle her usual allowance of %,
900 bales of cotton. There is mill
there that consumes 1000 bales and
an oil mill that works up the seed.
The town is solid and prosperous.
The new public school building that
cost $1,000 is completed and occu-
pied. The Lutheran college adorns a
distant hill and the beautiful homes
of the people are cmbowercd among
shade trees and flowers all around in
the suburbs. The mayor took me
around to the dispensary-not that he
or the people were proud of it, but be
cause it was now part of Ncwberry
and must be exhibited to strangers