Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-01-09
BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL.


Life Insurance IN the PIrSihias'
The following article from "The In
surance Press" of January Srdl is
worthy of reproduction:
Geographically Virginia and West
Virginia were originally one. Politi-
cal differences during the civil war
caused a separation which has hardly
been detrimental to the original State,
but which has caused West Virginia to
develop itself more slowly, yet, speak
ing generally, successfully, on indie
pendent lines Eliminating the colored
population in each State from consider
alton in matters of life insurance, we
have a population in Virginia, accord
ing to the celsius of 1890, of somewhat
more than 100000; in West Virginia
about 725, 900. The physical conditions
of West Virginia are such that the
comparatively meager returns do not
mean that there is an indifference to
the benefits aecruing from life iu-
suraice, but that the population is SO
scattered that the agents feel that the
time involved in placing he policies
would not bring remuneration sufficient
mountaineers, when in Wheeling and
Parkersburg and vicinities they can do
much better Wheeling and Parkers-
burg are comparatively very small
cities, but, as the list will show, half
the business of the State is conferred in
them.
In Virginia the conditions are such
that to enumerate the counties would
be useless. In New England, and to
a large extent in the middle States, the
township is the unit In Virginia, and
throughout the South generally, the
country is the thing The western
part of the country makes the best
combination of the two and maps out
its counties on lines that are arbitrary
practically so many square miles to
a county-but they think lot of the
townships, too
Virginia's exhibit is of some import
ance in the amount of life insurance
claims paid during the year ending
June 80, 1899. Nearly four dollars
($39S) for each white inhabitant Of the
State is not bad showing It comes
pretty we'll up to the average of States
that are richer and more thickly set
tied. But it is distributed in such
way as to make certain sections show
poorly and others the reverse.
West Virginia follows with $6S6,34O,
distributed as follows:
Mheenng -.......................... $3.50 30
GttLIherspurg 81, $50
Total Observation-Disclosures. 1855, 349
Wheeling shows UP Hbnormally on
the face Of the returns, but in this
instance the city means the surround
ing territory that is dependent upon it
for supplies and for the distribution
of its products.
Probably no States welcome more
frankly and appreciatively the incom-
ing of actual cash than the Virginians.
Therefore, when such large sums as
mentioned eoove are distributed in a
years time, the good done by such dis
tribution is incalcuable, for it
is safe to say that 75 per
cent of the funds so distributed by
the life companies has found it's way
to develop and permanently improve
the condition of the inhabitants of the
State.
In West Virginia no claims that
equaled or exceeded $4,000 were re-
corded as paid outside the city of
Wheeling. In that city the claims
paid on the policies IF H. Steiner.
Archibald PAUL and Max Lang
amounted to $4,000 each. Large
amounts were paid for endowments.
one for $15.3S6 and one for s14.39l.
Exceptional Circumstances arise
sometimes to interfere with the gener-
al average throughout. the country. ana
the unusually large payments in three