The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-26
Bill Apps Letter.
Atlanta Constitution.
Atlanta Constitution.

If had my life TO live over again
would insure il. / would begin at twenty
one / would take life policy for the
benefit of my wife, or my mother or my
sister, or somebody very near and dear
to me- If was poor | would insure for
81 600, for that would take only SO twice
a year. Any young man could pay that
much, and if he died young the thousand
dollars would help his mother or his wife
or his sister so much. Funerals are eX-
pensive nowadays, and a poor man can
afford to die unless his life is insured. If
a young man who is getting $50 to 500
salary does not spend anything for wins
key, or cigars he could safely take policy
for $4,000 and pay $27 twice year. 1t he
was twenty five years old 1t would cost
him only $50 semi-annually-no as much
as his cigars. If his salary was $3.50 a
month, he could afford SO of it each
month for insurance, and that would car
ry a policy of $4,000. What a blessing
that sum would be to the wife or the
mother or the sister. l know young man
who carries $4,000 for his father and
mother They are old and poor. He
supports them out of his earnings, but
fears he might die before they do, and
then they would be helpless. If he out
lives them the policy becomes his own
Life insurakc e is the best savings bank
in the world for a young man. He gets
it SO cheap. Now, here l am, old and
poor, and am carrying only $4,000 on my
life, and it cost me SITS year, and it Is
a hard struggle to meet the premiums.
Too late too late, but l must hold on
II bo 6crht III I
| hold on, for old Father Time is back
ing me. If / had begun at twenty-one or
twenty-five, the premiums would have
been about $40 and the dividends would
have paid that long before this. Heard
man say the other day that he paid on
$4,000 for twenty years, and now has
paid up policy and draws dividends on
it just like it was stock In bank. /
wish / had done that when l was young
man. Wouldn't it be glorious if 1 had
such a document for my wife and the
girls.
But, if a young man seriously objects
to make money, by dying for it, let him
take out an endowment policy for twenty
or twenty-five years. 1t viii cost him
about twice as much, but he can, if he
lives, walk up to the captains office and
call for his money and do what he pleases
with it. IF he happens to die beforehand,
his wife or his mother or his sister can
draw it for him. Every young man
should take out two policies if he can,
one for life and one on the endowment
plan--one for others and one for himself.
1t is a comfortable thing for a man of
forty-five to have a paid-up policy that
is drawing dividends. It is still more
comfortable for a widow or sister or a
child to inherit both policies if he should
die before he expects to.
Insuring ones life for the benefit of
others is the most unselfish act that
soung man can perform. No selfish or
ehoughtless young man will do it, 1t is
ike looking death square in the face,
out few young men will do it. 1t is the
next thing to getting religion. 1t is a
confession of mortality. But death is
fact. and if the young man would stop
and think. che would take a business view
of it and leave the religion out of the
question. Let him ponder upon the fact
that not half of the men at twenty-five
live to be fifty-that half his life has
already gone, that the chances are against
him, that he will leave somebody behind
who has been dependent upon him and
may suffer without him. Then, if he is
a reasonable man, he must admit that he
ought to insure his life while it cost so
little, and not wait until it costs so much
Why not? For forty-four years 1 have
insured my house and furniture, and no
fire yet. The insurance company got all
that money for good and yet / have
taken comfort for all that time. l have
slept better at home and felt better when
abroad in knowing that if fire did come
and destroy my dwelling the loss would
be made good.
That fire may never come, but here is
a case where death is sure to come-a
death which in most cases of manhood de-
prives the family of one of its pillars.
perhaps its chief support, and yet how
few of the young married men are car
rying a policy for the wife and children
They are just going it blind. IT looks
like defying fate for a young man whose
only income is his wages to live a day
without policy. He can't afford to.
Even the rich insure their lives as an
investment. In fact, if | could make the
laws 1 would require every young man
to take policy for at least 81 900 when
he applies for marriage license. If he
couldn't raise SIS or $40 to protect the
girl he loved for one year, he is not fifteen
to have her nor fifteen to get fitten If
he begun with a policy he would be very
apt to keep on. The ordinary should be
prohibited from issuing a license unless
the policy was produced and approved
by him. A young married man has no
right to die and leave a widow and one