Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16
4 LAND INSURANCE
SECURITY IN TITLES IS THIS
FIRMS BUSINESS.
The Way to Avoid Vexatious Lit
cation in the Titles to
Land

People insure their lives. their houses.
their goods. ships. cargoes. warehouses,
etc, but until a few years ago neglected to
insure the ground they owned. leaving II
exposed to attack and risk OF loss after ex-
pensive and ofttimes interminable litigation
Therefore 1t is well to insure against just
such emergencies. 1t seems easy to sell
land-a simple barter and sale-yet those
who know never make a transfer without
feeling the risk of possible litigation be.
cause OF mistaken construction Of the law
hidden easements, dover rights. life es
tates. forged Instruments tax sales Judr
ments-in fact, the dangers are so numer
Gus that II seems as II real estate invest
ment was full of hidden perils.
Title Insurance in the District of Colun
bia was unknown until the year 1881, wha
the march Of progress called into existenc
the Real Estate Title Insurance Company
Mahlon Ashford was at that time the rec
ognized authority on title examinations
and was selected to conduct the new enter.
prise, and to this man, more than any other
is due the success which the company has
attained. On the first board with him were
Isaac l.. johnson, vice president now dead
and Buchanan Beale secretary both skill
full title examiners.
Mr. Ashford remained at the head OF af
fairs until few months before his death
in the year 1901. Mr.. Bealrs successors
ably seconded Mr.. Ashford. These were
Irving Talbot. who died In office; Geo. E
Fleming. now Of the Union Trust and Stor-
age Company; VIM. ID. Hoover OF the
American National Safe Deposit Storage
and Trust Company and Walter L. Hilton
The success of this first enterprise, and the
Increase In real estate business, suggested
the advisability of another company. This
was formed in the year 1887.
1t required leader with brains and abil-
ity to make inroads on the business OF its
well-estabNshed rival, but such one was
In MI nCfnn Of he
best real estate lawyers in the District, who
was persuaded to conduct the affairs OF the
Columbia Title Insurance Company. The
officers were: Mr.. Edmonston, president;
VIM. A Gordon vice president; II. k VII
lard. treasurer, and J. D. Coughlin. secre-
tary.
In July of the present year the two com
panies agreed to work together, and with
Mr.. Edmonston at the head OF affairs OF
both companies: and the success Of this
venture is to be found in the increased
business In title insurance in the District
The creation OF the plant OF these compa-
MES has required years OF work, and their
present state Of protection has been attained
only by persistent and exacting labor
Every entry upon Its books has been yeri-
fed and examined until error seems i'm
possible.
The prudent real estate purchaser or
seller wants a clear title to what he buys
or sells. for IL he buys with defects and
membranes undiscovered he must lose to
that extent In certificate or policy OF title
insurance would shift the burden and the
company be bound to make good the loss.
and this the joint companies. Real Estate
Title Insurance Company and the Columbia
Title Insurance Company. stand ready to do
II they are found to be in error.
Title Insurance is bound to be recognized
as necessary thing when people appreciate
that 1t will save them unnecessary trouble
about their land titles. and IL compe-
tent and reliable company stands ready to
assume all risk. as the combined companies
mentioned In this article do. 1t Is readily
seen what future Is before them.
The officers of these companies are
well known that there remains little to be
said They men of the highest stand
ing among their associates. and in the bus
mess world, and glance at the names at
tached Is sufficient to convince the reader
Of the soundness Of these institutions. on
GERS of the Columbia Title Insurance Com
pany: w. E. Edmonston. president; John
ID. Coughlan, vice president; George G.
McElwee. secretary; Henry X. Willard,
treasurer Officers of the Real Estate Title
Insurance Company; w. E. Edmonston.
president; James J. Becker, vice president:
George G.. McElwee, secretary; George
Howard, treasurer.