The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-01-28
FRATERNAL INSURANCE.
owosso Citizens are Well Protected.

IL Is not alone on account of its busy
marts of trade and whirling wheels of i'm
dustry, nor yet because of its beautiful
places of worship and broad avenues
leading thereto, that Owosso makes claim to
distinction among her sister towns of the
State.
The assertion is here ventured that no
other town of its size in this whole country
can out-do OwossU in the number and variety
of its fraternal organizations. Their name
is legion and their growth rivals the prod
ucts of tropics. We might well dub our
town ''city of brotherly love-" in imitation
of one of the great cities of the east, if the
number of fraternal orders here represented
is indicative of the prevalence of that kind
of spirit among the members.
1t is certainly true tha. these societies cut
large figure in the business interests of
the community. 1t is quite as true that
they do much to cut away the distinctions
of society that are self. f.imposed and odious,
and and greatly in binding men together by
the not uncommon feeling of sympathy.
Founded as all of these fraternal orders, of
good standing, are, upon the beautiful pre-
cepts of the christian religion, of which
charity is the greatest, because the nearest
divine, they work side by side with the
churches, and the work, many times, done
by the societies is silent rebuke to the
short comings of the church.
Many could testify to individual expert
ences in their fraternal social life, If they
chose, of aided effort and brotherly SYM
pathy, which have at once elevated mind
and body and sent them on their way with
renewed strength and determination to bat
tie with adversely and to conquor.
All fraternal orders worthy of successful
attainment are founded upon the religion of
God. Their principles are such that any
church society might we'll be founded upon
them without fear of being found "built
upon the sands" Such being the fact, If
these principles are observed by the men,
bers of the societies, then any community is
better for their existence.
= 1t is not, however, the intention of this
paper to discuss purely fraternal societies
Although what has been said so far refers
to them in common with others embracing
the business feature of insurance and other
benefits.
Because of the we'll known large number
of fraternal insurance orders i'm OwOsso and
! the general interest, at this day, manifested
by people on the subject OF insurance, THE
, TINES deeming the subject of interest to its
large circle of readers, at considerable
expense, has undertaken to furnish to its
readers something of the business working
4 of the insurance orders of the city oi
Owosso.
The Importance of the subject may ap'
pear from the fact that over 1900 men and
y women of our population are carrying poll
cies ranging from $1,000 to $1,000 to per
t son, at an annual expense to the policy
holders of approximately $4,000 The
; reader must bear in mind that these figures
refer only to fraternal insurance societies
and exclude old line insurance, of which 9
large amount is carried by citizens of Owos
so at large expense. Nor do the above
n figures include the accident and sick benefit
policy holders of the several different com
panies represented. 1t is perhaps safe tC
carrying this kind of insurance at not less
than 1900, at a cost of approximately $l2,.
600 yearly.
But as above suggested this paper has
only to do with the fraternal secret In.
surance proper
OF the societies from which the following
interesting data has been obtained all are
now in substantially sound condition, and
many of them managed with the prompt
ness and accuracy of banking institutions,
by courteous and oblging officers:
A. o. u. W.
First In point of age and experience
. comes the Ancient Order of United Work.
men, a thousand times a comforter and sus-
tanning power In the home of the widow
and the orphan.
Owosso Lodge No. 4S, organized In June,
1878, with few members now records ITO
In good standing.
Amount OF annual assessment, 1877, ap-
proximately, $4, 600; number of assessments
for year, 10; paid for death claims since es-
tablishment, about S4s. 900. David M. Moss,
Master Workman; Robert Cheal, Elm. Sec'y.
DEGREE OF HONOR, AUXILIARY TO ABOVE.
Established 1891; membership, 95. or
these 80 carry insurance at cost of $1.00
per assessment-about one each mouth.
This assessment amounts to nearly $500
each year. Mrs. Eliza Douglass, Chief of
Honor; Mrs. Frances Rood, Treas.
II. T. OF T.
Side by side with the Ancient Order of
United Workmen, and scarcely year younger
the Royal Templars of Temperance In March
1879, organized Owosso Council No. 8, with
25 charter members, among whom were
| ennna M Ouoaao,o haot cifizana IIndar a. N