Papers of the Benjamin Franklin Yancey Family

J.W. Apperson to Harriet Anna Yancey, undated

Home/Farm life | Place--Albemarle County, VA, other | Place--Charlottesville, VA

J.W. Apperson invites Harriet Yancey to the annual meeting of Albemarle Home Mutual Fire Insurance Company, along with a form letter offering advice on how to avoid property damage.

Albemarle Home Mutual Fire Insurance Co.
Crozet, Virginia
T.E. Powers, Pres., Charlottesville, VA
H.E. Magruder, Vice-Pres., Keswick, VA
J.W. Apperson, Sec. & Treas., Crozet, VA
Crozet Print Shop, Crozet, VA.

To: Mrs. B.F. Yancey
Esmont, Va
From: Albemarle Home Mutual Insurance Co.
Crozet, Virginia "On to Richmond" handwritten along with scribbled numbers appear on back of envelope. The following note appears on the front of the envelope: You are requested to attend the annual meeting of this Company at the Court House, Charlottesville, on Saturday, September 19th, at 12 o'clock noon. Every policy-holder has a vote in the Company: LET'S HAVE A BIG MEETING THIS, THE 39TH YEAR

To avoid loss to your property, and consequent loss to the Company:

EXAMINE your roofs, and if the shingles are old and mossy put on new ones at once. It is frequently difficult to get at a fire in a roof.

EXAMINE your chimneys and flues to see that they are high enough, and that the wind will carry sparks off the roof rather than against it.

EXAMINE your chimneys and flues where stove pipes enter. See that all timbers and wood-work is at least four inches from stove pipes. Stove pipes, that were once safely arranged, may have become defective and dangerous from use and age.

BURN OUT your chimneys and clean out your flues at frequent intervals, when your roofs are wet, and don't allow your chimneys to become foul and take fire---possibly burning your house to remind you that you forgot to burn them out.

NEVER place ashes in a box in the house or an outbuilding; but immediately when they are taken up put them in a safe place.

BE CAREFUL of where you keep your matches.

BE CAREFUL about leaving a building with a lighted lamp. It is unsafe unless you are looking at it.

NEVER set the example of smoking about the barn or stable, nor allow hired help or others to do it.

BE CAREFUL of carrying matches about the barn or stable.

BE CAREFUL of where you place lighted lanterns about the stable.

TEACH your boys to be careful of all such matters, and in years it may save them thousands of dollars by the forming of a good habit.

PAY YOUR INSURANCE PROMPTLY, because the neighbor who has a loss will have need of his money.

REMEMBER THE DATE OF THE ANNUAL MEETING, the third Saturday in September of each year, at 12 o'clock, in the Court House, Charlottesville

J.W. Apperson, Secretary

Published by: Virginia Center for Digital History

Source copy consulted: Papers of the Benjamin Franklin Yancey Family (MSS 11599), Alderman Library, University of Virginia

Text and images (c) copyright 2001, by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia

Move to:

Understanding the Online Presentation of the Yancey Letters
Yancey Collection Home
Race and Place Home