Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-06-25
THE GENESIS OF
A GREAT COMPANY

The beginning OF any great crea
y ton that has become a monuments
Y success always invites inquiry ant
y Investigation. How did It start, wha
" were the circumstances under which
X IL was conceived and formulated int
y living entity. and a thousand and
y one other questions spring into
y mind when a worlds wonder is con.
z templated,
, It Is only natural, therefore, that
great life insurance company, like
Q the Union Central, Of Cincinnati,
4 which has achieved so much and is
\ SO much, should excite a curious
interest as to its day of small things
and of large hopes.
A company whose home building
is one Of the most beautiful edifices
in its home city, a company which
has over 10000 more than salts
fled policyholders, has over $685.
100000 insurance in force and
nearly 100000, 900 admitted as
sets, has surely achieved great
things and the record Of its achieve
ment must attract and interest ev-
cry one who delights in fathoming
the mysteries of success.
The most conspicuous fact domin-
ating the situation when the found
ers of the Union Central undertook
in 1857 to rear great life insurance
structure was the difficulty which
attended the establishment of new
life insurance company This fact
the reports of the state insurance
departments during the period when U
the Union Central was testing its I
right to survive.
In the report of the New York in
surance department for the year
which witnessed the birth of the
Union Central, mention is made of
four companies organized in New
York, concerning which the insur-
ance superintendent said, zone dis
appears almost at birth leaving
three" which, he said, exhibit the
signs of a healthy vitality and are s.
managed by able and energetic ex-
ecutive officers" In spite Of this
hopeful view the three later met the
same fate as the one that died at CT
birth. OF
Referring to the latter the super n
ntendent said: THE directors, after Ia
/ few weeks experience of the ex- IN
,ense and difficulties attending the
of new company on /.
/ solid and permanent basis
lave decided to discontinue business
md dissolve the corporation"
In the beginning of the Union FRI
central then the difficulty of es- I'M
ablishing a new company was so IA
reat that companies even with ap- cal
aren't vitality and with able and of
nergetic management were unable KIN
D surmount it. The Union Central col
lcceeded, however, demonstrating by
nat it possessed unusual vitality SUI
nd a management exceptional in not
S ability and energy. More than tin
lat, however, the founders of the
MON Central and those who have
lcceeded them in the management
the company were men loyal to the
le policyholders and earnestly de- yer
,ted to serving their best interests. spe
At first the company grew very IND
owly but it's growth was such as dal
ought stability and solidity. The uni
anagement, however, had full con- pos
1ence in the enterprise and had III
e courage to take legitimate da1
ances. With only about 1000 ed
and 100000 in
rance in force, an annual premium 1
come of only about $4,000 and tn lu'
sets of less than 100000, the Sar,
lion Central, in 1869, obtained ad- tire
ssion into the state of New York petit
d started to compete with sixty IAN
hit companies then operating in
1t state. Forty-five of those COM
MES are no longer in existence.
ven home companies were organ -
d in New York and six companies mus
other states were admitted to
W York in the year the Union Cur
ntral was admitted.
IL oil
All the home companies organiz- Gem,
in that year and all the outside erup
opanies admitted except the itchi
ion Central and the Penn Mutual l Ic1e
re retired. Surely the difficult MaIv
-.laAL A.. LIZ. no-A..1 ...n. -