Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-08-04
EQUITABLE LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY.

iPohJ was last WEEK Nv
convention at the Waldorf Astoria in
New York, which was attended by all
of its officials and by its managers and
agents from all sections of this country,
more than four hundred In number.
Among the many addresses was one by
Mr.. William H. Bridgman, of the execu-
tive staff, who has been a guest at Bread
Loaf Inn many years, from which we
extract the following:
"My theme Is, 1T was different thirty
eight years ago. 1t is a large SUBJ
ect.
at 'eas different thirty.eight years ago,
but must go back to 1859. That was a
red letter year in life assurance. | en-
tered the business in 1859 in the then
small city Of Chicago. The Equitable
was organized in 1859, and those who
organized it struck oil before that slang
expression was first used. 1t was pre-
cisely one month after the organization
of the Equitable when oil was struck in
the first productive oil well in Pennsyl-
vania. Since those summer days of
1859 the petroleum Of the United States
and the policies of the Equitable Life
<NoSui dhSC sOSitly VI Tie I Ullcu Duties
have been spread all over the world.
but | must talk on the subject as
signed me. 1t ,cas different thrty-eight
years ago. When joined the Equitable,
in 1861, the population of the United
States was only little more than thirty
millions-not half of what it now is.
The Equitable was then doing business
in no other country and was doing
nothing in this on the Pacific coast, nor
in the Southern states. The citizens
of the Northern states who visited the
south thirty-eight years ago went, not to
assure lives but to destroy them, and
many of these visitors lost their own
lives in the experiment. | stayed at
home!
"Nlr. Tarbell, our second vice presi-
dent, has just issued circular in which
he boasts that our new business in June
this year was 100 per cent greater than
in June, 1898. He is too modest. [ will
make that 100 per cent seem so small
that you will not be able to see it with
any magnifying glass, however great its
power. Our business in June this year
was $500 per cent greater than in June
thlrty-eight years ago. 1t was about
500, 900 in June, 1861 about $50, 100000
in June, 1899.
at 1raS different thirty-eght years
ago. That great bulge on the body
corporate of which we are so proud,
and which we call surplus 100000, 000),
was a dlmple thirty-eight years ago.
When | Joined the society its entire
Io-- nfr To-
loss equal in amount to some of the
policies now being issued. The Equita-
BILE has since accumulated about $780,
100000. 1t is more than ] have ac-
cumulated myself.
1T lcas different thirty-eight years
ago. OF the tiftytwo directors then in
the board but two remain, and of the
eight officers, active and honorary, only
one survives. DIR. Lamtert, senior medi-
cal director. When | Joined the society
its agents had the help, in the office and
in the field, of an official of fascinating
presence and of marvellous power in all
the strength of his early manhood.
Manifold were his gifts. He was the
Napoleon of life assurance But | must
not anticipate anything that will be said
relative to Henry b. Hyde, the founder
of the Equitable, by Mr.. Bowes. who is
to follow me and to whom has been APP
propriately assigned consideration of the
work of our late president, further than
to say he loved progress. of the right
kind, but prudence no less than ambition
guided him in the formation and in the
execution of his plans. Not for day,
but for all time was his motto, and he
was faithful to it. ( know from his own
lips that it was comfort to him in
recent years to feel that, in the event of
his premature death, his work would be
taken up without a jar by successor in
whom he had unbounded confidence.
His mantle has fallen, without one MUIR
muir of dissent from any source, upon
one who for more than half a century
has so moved among men that no stain
has ever fallen upon the bright shield of
his honor, no SANDER has eyer dared to
assail his name. The Equitable has not
only had its Napoleon; it has never been
without its Alexander. 1t was organized
with an Alexander who presided over
its board, with indescribable grace, for
fifteen years. His portrait in the board
room will show generations TO come
something of what manner of man he
was, physically, but no brush or pencil
or tongue can convey to the minds OF
men the grace, dignity and charm that
were lnseparable from the first president
of the Equitable, the Hon. Vim. [,
Alexander.
81 would like to speak, and with af-
lection. of others who have gone, but
must not. Let me rather speak word
of those who are carrying forward the
work. Look over the whole field OF
life assurance and you will find in nc
other company executive officers so in
sympathy with agents in their work, OF
so helpful as are the officers of the
Equitable. They are ever mindful OF
the truth In the proverb, He who
greases his cart wheels helps his oxen
"What is to. be the future progress OF