Insurance. 339 



they insured your property. Any farmer who is out of debt (the 

 danger of his burning his own property thus being less), and has 

 a good reputation, and buildings in good, safe shape, can get them 

 insured for about their full value. My house, which cost $2,500, 

 was insured the first five years for $2,000. At the end of that 

 time, I asked them to take it at $2,200, as I would like to run as 

 little risk as possible. They took it. When my barn was first 

 insured, it had cost me about $1,800. I asked for a policy of 

 $1,700, telling them just what barn cost, and got it. I have just, 

 renewed the insurance for five years for $2,000, some more having 

 been added to the barn since. The agent told me he was entirely 

 willing to take it at that. He knew from the circumstances that 

 it was safe to do so. Not only would we dread to have it burn, 

 if getting every dollar of cost back, but we use the greatest 

 precautions to avoid accidents. We have railroad lanterns only, 

 using lard oil, and these even are never taken into the main barn 

 where hay and straw are. The lanterns are hung in the covered 

 barnyard, right near the water tub, where they shine through 

 window into stable. I employ no man that smokes, and of course 

 do not do it myself. 



My hay, grain, fodder, potatoes, etc., are insured together for 

 $1,000. This would be more than sufficient to cover hay and 

 wheat, which are first put in barn. We always sell wheat before 

 digging potatoes. After that is gone there would be, perhaps, 

 $700 to $800 to go on potatoes. As we store them all in the barn 

 after digging, usually, for a time, a fire just then would be apt to 

 catch us some on them. But they soon begin to go, and we take 

 a slight risk for a short time. Should there seem too much risk 

 we can put part of potatoes in house cellar, which is arranged to 

 hold them handily. They are insured there in a blanket policy 

 that covers " furniture, provisions, potatoes, etc.," to the amount 

 of $1,450. Live stock are insured against fire and lightning on 

 the farm to the amount of $500. We keep only our horses and a 

 cow, and the company will not pay more than $100 for any horse 

 burned . Our tools , carriages , harness , etc . , are insured for $ i , 200 . 

 They could not be replaced for this, by any means, but it is 

 about all I could get allowed for them, probably. On buildings 

 our Ohio law now obliges companies to pay what they insure them 

 for, in case of loss. If they take a premium on $i ,000, they must 

 pay $i ,000 in case of total loss, or rebuild the house or barn. In 

 Ohio, then, we can safely insure our buildings as high as we can 

 get good companies to take them. In other States, where they 

 have no such law, it may not be wise. They might not be willing 

 to value them as highly after a fire as you did before one. Before 

 our law was passed, many a farmer paid on an amount that he 

 never would have got in case of a loss. In many cases this 

 worked an injustice, which brought out the law. It is a good one 

 and right. Companies must be careful what risks they take, and 



