The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-26
THE uP-BUMDING OF THE WEST.

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After the. advent of peace in 1865,
of the million or more of. men. turned
from warfare to peaceful pursuits a.
large proportion found their: former
occupations and positions in the east
filed by others, so turned naturally
to the great west to build new homes
and found new fields fenterprise. "A
very; large part, looking to the great
unsettled prairies, saw in them their
field for future work and took UP land
for farming purposes. From that
periol dates the wonderful growth Of
our western country. which, in fact,
stimulated the whole United States.
and was the prime factor in placing
us in the position in the world which
we now'so proudly occupy. These men
needed money. Pluck and determine
ton and sound bodies they had; land
was to be had cheaply, but money
was needed. One of the first great
corporations, probably the first to Of
fer the assistance needed, was the old
Aetna Life Insurance company of
Hartford. On its board Of directors
and among it's stockholders were men
whose ancestors had come over with
the pilgrim fathers, they had been
thru the revolution, and the civil war
also had it's quote among its list (Gov-
ernOr M. G. Buckley, the present
president of the company as well as
his brother, General w. H. Bulkeley,
being among others who served their
country during this last STRUGGLED, and,
naturally, they had an abiding faith
In their country. SO the Aetna adj
vanced money in large quantities, first
to the settlers in Illinois, then Iowa
and later Minnesota. Immigration into
the country became heavy, and farms
rapidly increased in value, making
ri h a a :
The, advantage derived by the COM
pany from these transactions was
equally great. It's early success with
farm loans has continued, and these
investments are still the most popular
with this company. The company's
conservative methods Of making loans
has left it free from the heavy load
of real estate carried by some Of its
competitors. Last year it had in these
loans over twenty-seven million dol
lars, secured by property valued, at
over one hundred millions, and not
withstanding the volume of this kind
Of investments that it has made for
these many years., it owns, as the re-
suit Of the very few necessary fore
closures. less than two hundred and
forty thousand dollars of real estate.
BY reason of its broad policy as an
investor, the Aetna is a potential force
/ lO-udy III ll4S uCNCiopiIiSlIc " Liz WCSt.
ern states, especially Iowa and Min
! nesota. It has also invested largely
| in the bonds of growing cities of this
/ section, which have made almost as
/ handsome returns. The wise course
4 pursued lin it's investments and the
4 care and economy exercised in its
management has resulted in giving to
!. it's policy-holders returns under their
participating policies equaled by few
of her competitors land exceeded by
none. 1t is a common saying that
| Where the Aetna has policy-holder
she has a friend or ITO receive Aetna
results you must carry an Aetna pol
| ICY" 1t is and always has been the
aim of the Aetna to get near to the
j people in the administration of its af-
fairs. Probably nothing speaks loud
i err in recommendation of this company
y than that. having collected from its
policy-holders during its existence
premiums to the amount of $780,.
827,315.79 There has been returned
to it's policy-holders in dividends
surrender values, nnatured endow.
ments and death losses $132,383,
/ 1886, and it still holds for presen
policy-holders S63, 93,545.73, tota
paid to policy-holders and held fol
existing policy-holders of $l95,S77,
.l519.69, or $26, 050,203.90 more than the
whole premium income received from
/ policy-holders. Not only has the com
lspany paid to and now holds for it,
i insured over twenty-six millions above
4 what it received from them, but it ha:
4 also paid the entire expense of man
/ agement during its long and success
i full career without entrenching what
4 ever upon the income received from
/ policy-hOlders.