FIRE INSURANCE ASSOCIATION. 169 



of less than a year, would be ground of congratulation to any 

 incorporation. It was worked up to its present efficient condi 

 tion by J. D. Blanchar, a gentleman of long experience in in 

 surance, who had retired to the quietude of a farm on account 

 of ill health. He was a member of Napa Grange, and entered 

 into the movement with his whole soul, appreciating, as most 

 farmers could not, the great advantages of cooperation. The 

 company was instituted with a capital stock of one hundred 

 thousand dollars, all of which has since been paid up, to insure 

 farm property on the mutual plan, at its actual cost, thereby 

 saving to the farmers the amount they were obliged to contrib 

 ute in other companies to cover losses on city property. A 

 &quot;cash plan&quot; was also introduced, so as to enable the company 

 to take risks on town property, granger stores, warehouses, etc. 

 At the last meeting of the Directors, a proposition was made to 

 further increase the capital stock to three hundred thousand dol 

 lars. The risks amount to about one million and a half, with no 

 losses^and the company is classed A 1, by the Commissioner. 



CONSTITUTION OF THE CALIFORNIA MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE 

 ASSOCIATION. 



&quot;We, the undersigned, citizens of California, and Directors of The California 

 Mutual Fire Insurance Association, in pursuance of the insurance laws of Cali 

 fornia, do hereby associate together for the purpose of forming an incorporated 

 association, to insure dwelling houses, barns, or other buildings, and personal 

 property in the same, belonging to farmers, against loss or damage by fire. 



OFFICEKS. J. D. Blanchar, President; I. G. Gardner, Vice President; G. P 

 Kellogg, Treasurer; W. H. Baxter, Secretary. 



DIRECTORS. A. Wolf, J. D. Blauchar, 1. G. Gardner, G. P. Kellogg, W. H. 

 Baxter. 



TRUSTEES. J. M. Hamilton, J. C. Merryfield, G. W. Colby, H. B. Jolly, A. 

 Wolf. I. C. Steele, A. B. Nally, 0. L. Abbott. 



And we declare this instrument to be the Agreement and By-Laws of the Asso 

 ciation by which it shall be governed, subject only to the Constitution and laws 

 of the State. 



NAME. This Association shall be known as the California Farmers Mutual Fire 

 Insurance Association; and its principal place of business shall be in the City and 

 County of San Francisco, State of California. 



ANNUAL MEETING. The Annual Meeting shall be held on the first Tuesday of 

 October of each year, at San Francisco, and may be adjourned from time to time 

 until the business is completed. No other notice than these By-Laws need be 

 given for the Annual Meetings. Special meetings may be called by the Secre 

 tary or President, or on the order of two Directors, and notice given by notifica 

 tion by mail. 



OFFICERS. The officers of said Association shall consist of five (5) Directors, 

 to be elected by ballot, at the annual meeting, by a majority vote of the stock 

 holders present; and the Directors shall elect a President, Vice-President, 

 Treasurer and Secretary. Ten shares or over will entitle a stockholder to 

 one vote. Provided, in case there should be no election, the then incumbents of 



