The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-30
THE TRUST COMPANY
As A CUSTODIAN
Almost INFINITE Variety to the Respon-
stbiities RepOsed I'm the Modern
Trust Company-watchfuI
OF Others Interests.


manjty's path from the cradle to the
grave is strewn with hazards and 1t is
the unexpected that usually happens
Men and women insure their homes
the personal property. themselves
against sickness and accident and
inbove all their lives. Then what be-
+ comes of the policies? Very OTTER
they are tucked away in some bureau
dra wer. or equally insecure place. only
to be at the mercy OF the laundering
housemaid. 1re, or the owners own
gross carelessness Infinitely more Inn
! portant are those documents when re-
late to the disposition of estates after
death. How often has 1t been ;m-
possible for the prospective heirs, even
the attorneys of the testator, to dis
cover a will II is not necessary TO
go beyond the experience of almost
every individual to cite such instances
1t may he well established that the
deceased left written instructions fol
j the disposition of his estate and II
may also be practically demonstrated
what the instrument contained. pu
unless the viii itself Is Forthcoming
and Is duly attested. its provisions, OF
course. are invalid and the wishes OF
! the dead man cannot be carried into
effect
! Coincident with the growing tend.
| ency OF men OF means to entrust theiI
! property to the trusteeship of tbs
/ modern trust company. is the fire.,
/ quency with which men and women
are seeking advice OF the trust COM
! pany officials regarding the making
( Of their Wills and the care, with
which the wills once made in accord
ance with law are deposited in q
secure way for being produced in the
probate court at the proper ine
Quite naturally the trust company
safe deposit departments are an i'm
portant factor in instances of this
sort. No safer disposition can be made
/ OF a will or in fact~of any document
lof value And. OF course, the de posits
documents Almost eFeTy conceivable
article OF value. either intrinsicaIly or
lsentimentally, Is finding It's way to the
Re deposit boxes which the modern
trust company provides, combining a
maximum of safety at a minimum Of
expense How often some cherished
heirloom. some keepsake, some pos
sessions, around which the memory Of
| beloved child has cast a SACRED
significance, Is constant source Of
worry lest II be lost or stolen. Some
old fashion daguerrotype. some ex'
lquisitely painted miniature of a loved
one. may be a keepsake. the safety OF
which IL a very dear concern. Jewelry
old silverware, bits OF rare old lace
! letters OF long ago period Of ones
4 life. faded scraps of paper, now tied
! rtth lavender acknowledgements OF i
romance that will never fade so Ions
iaS memory lasts-aIi THESE not In
frequently are made TO seek the safety
| OF the deposit vaults. Turning To the
more practical side of life consider
the protection that is afforded deeds
contracts MORTGAGES. leases. p,nrtVf
papers. partnership agreements. bank
books certificates OF stock and bonds
ietc. The variety is almost incalcuis Bile
And the scope Of the trust compan,
1 care does not end here How often dc
we find in wills the SPECIFIC beQues'
tef few HUNDRED or a few thousa nd
dollars for the perpetual care of a
cemetery lot Very frequently tho
executors will set aside bond or two
or a few shares OF stock. for this pur-
pose. and give the carrying out OF the
/ trust 10 a trust company. Instance ar.
not infrequent where in trusts of thi;
! sort some Of the longer term bonds
, Gpiflt SAtfIAtHE aBIltSl Ahkp pCi PSNbtAN
are given TO trust companies fol
! this most commendahle purpose. Tt
the Chinese the tombs of their anCes-
/ tors are among the most sacred ele-
ments OF life. and the Occidental /,
rapidly emulating the Oriental in hi.
ancestral reverepce.
To each OF the trusts reposed in 4
the modern trust company assigns q
separate compartment The affairs OF
| Brown have no connection with the
! interests of Smith. Each trust is q
separate and distinct responsibility or
| the corporation. Each has its owr
/ special place and record among The
matters which are to be conserved In
violate and intact. While the wisdom
and the knowledge OF the many ART
employed for the general advantage
of all the many and varied trusts
the component parts Oh THESE varying
interests are kept separate and dis.
tinct No matter, therefore, how
sacred the trust. no one. except ths
possessor during life and the executor
after death, can obtain knowledge OF
the possession which the company has
! in custody.
! 1t IL not necessary TO recall here the
| Intimate nature os some OF the trusts
reposed In this connection. or TO more
than mention the confidence With
which all commissions OF a personal
nature are accepted and maintained
/ The work OF trust company is prac.
ltically infinite, so far as estates and
personal possessions are concerned
! From the woman, who in mortal dread
/ of being buried alive directed that ar
officer Of a trust COMPANY drive a
sharp instrument through her heart
: 10 the man. who dying abroad directed
that the custody OF his ashes and theiI
| final disposition be in charge of his
executor, which was a trust compan n.
these Argus-eyed and many-tentacled
corporations each day discharge OBJ.
/ legations with an accuracy and fidelity
! in keeping with the record of more
| than a century during which not a
dollar of trust funds has been lost
through the dishonesty of trust OF.
ficial.