The colored American., 1903-12-05
The Path of Success.
Continued from page ID
must hasten to the subject.

was NY PURPOSE 10 N1ScuSS 1nUuSIrldl
Insurance; its Advantages as a Bust
ness Field but the President requests
that l simply make a statement as to
nv business and the success which
has attended it; while the committee
assigns me to discuss the insurance
business Mr.. President, ladies and
gentlemen, 1 begin the consideration
of this subject with a maxim as famil-
lar as the name 'TuSkegee 'Necess-
ity is the mother of invention Ev-
erv class of insurance owes its exis-
tence to necessity. A great need man
ifested itself, and the ingenuity of
man was stimulated to invent some
thing that would satisfy this need.
Savings banks are a benefit to the
community through the great op-
pOrtuuities they offer to save small
sums of money. Industrial inSur-
auce or mutual aid associations act
in a precisely similar way, with the
additional provision that the deposit
Ors are given title to a much larger
sum than their deposits amount to in
case OF premature death. AS the
growth of the savings banks signifies
the increasing prosperity of the COM
munity in which it is located so the
increase in the magnitude of the op-
eratiOns and resources of insurance
companies indicate the development of
an idea which will in time revolution
ize the thought and habits of the
world.
"WiI the Negro take his place in
this field as he has in the professions
VIII he contribute to the business life
what he has to the professions and in
dustries of to-day? VIII he turn his
attention to a field vast though it be,
yet almost unsurveyed, but waiting for
reapers to gather the golden grain
VIII he lift himself to a position of
prominence and Opulence, and blot out
the cOunter-edUcatiOn which seems to
say though God made him, Christ re-
deemed him, and the Holy Spirit sane
titled him, there is a difference be-
tween a white man and a black man.
Would he enjoy the dignity of man
hood after the American idea, if
wealth or fame awaits him and the
men delight to do him honor, he must
take his place in the business world
and contribute to this great institution
some added laurels, some element OF
success, if you please. May we sug
gest there is One direction in which
we Will find an abundance of room in
which to work steadily upward and on
ward, with the certainty that finally
We Will reach the top?
referring to the company founded
and managed by your humble servant
It's growth has surpassed the most san
guine expectations of it's strongest
friends and admirers. A few years
ago without confidence of personal
friends as to the success of this indus
trial insurance business and in com
petition with trained men in the field
and other companies with years of ex-
perIence the business we represent
was launched; then [ was clerk. So
HcILor, pOrter-the whole thing. Then
l could carry all of the literature and
wall street. He must be consulted
The business in two pockets, and con-
unued at this gait for some two
months. Now it requires hundreds
OF collectors, solicitors, office clerks
and other help to conduct the large
business done by this company. Our
last annual statement will show the
receipts to be $106, ,SS9. 10. We have
written over $3,OOO,OOO and bv the
end of the present year we will have
written nearly $5,000.0O0. With all
that past has brought to us we see
the need of competent help for it is
wonderful to contemplate such a mar
NelOuS growth when our business was
so poorly served. In the early days.
while the plans of insurance were few