Judge, 1898-02-26 · page 14 of 16
Judge — February 26, 1898 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward **advertisement/corporate announcement** for the Equitable Life Assurance Society, printed in Judge magazine in 1897. The text presents financial statistics showcasing the company's scale and success: nearly $951 million in outstanding assurance, $48+ million in annual income, and $236+ million in assets. It lists Henry B. Hyde (President) and J. W. Alexander (Vice President) as leadership. For modern readers: This is essentially a **financial boast**—a corporation publicizing its impressive numbers in a prestigious satirical magazine to build investor and customer confidence during the Gilded Age. Insurance companies were major players in American finance by the 1890s. The inclusion in Judge suggests either paid advertising or editorial coverage treating corporate success as newsworthy. There is no satire or joke here; it's corporate self-promotion.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE EQUITABLE LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES. Outstanding Assurance Dec. 31, 1897.......$951,165,837.06 New Assurance written in 1897 156,95 5,693.00 Proposals for Assurance Examined and Declined 24,491,973.00 Income in 1897 48,572,269.53 Assets Dec. 31, 1897 236,876, 308.04 Reserve on all existing policies (4 per cent. standard) and all other liabilities 186, 333,133.20 Surplus, 4 per cent. standard 50,543,174.84 Paid Policy-Holders in 1897 21,106,314.14 HENRY B. HYDE, PReEsIDENT. J. W. ALEXANDER, V.-P. comicbooks.com