Meiley, Mathias - 1881

Fire At Lexington
Mathias Meiley’s Dwelling Totally Destroyed – Two Families Rendered Homeless

About 8 o’clock on Tuesday morning the two-story dwelling house of Mathias Meiley, in the village of Lexington, was totally destroyed by fire.  Mrs. Meiley and her children left home last Saturday for the purpose of visiting relatives at the Furnace Hills.

Mr. Meiley remained at home, and daily since his wife’s departure, made a wood fire in a stove for the purpose of cooking.  On Tuesday morning as usual he prepared breakfast, after which he left home on a gunning expedition.  To the dwelling is attached a log building, in which lives Susan Imhoff with a number of children.  Not more than an hour after Mr. Meiley had left home, fire was seen issuing from the upper corner of the main building.  The alarm was quickly spread, but too late.  Everything was as dry as tinder, and in almost a breath the building, together with the log attachment, was laid in ashes.  Most of the furniture, however, was saved.

The burning building will entail a total loss of about $1500.  It was insured in the Manheim Mutual Company for $1400, including furniture, but the owner failed to pay his last assessment of 72 cents, consequently the policy became null and void.
~ The Lititz Record, 23-Sept-1881, Page 3, Column 4


Mistakes are made, and one of the greatest blunders of which any account has reached us is the one that Mathias Miley made in not observing the rules and regulations of the insurance company in which his property was insured, as we are informed, for $1400.  His motives were pure enough in securing the policy, for in so doing he secured himself against any loss that might happen to his property by fire; but he should not have become careless in paying the assessments, as these came due from time to time.  That saying is” “It is a poor rule that doth not work both ways”, and just here we have the double working of this rule.

In the first place, the company promised to pay the amount insured in case destruction by fire came upon it; but in place he also was placed under obligations, which had to be filled, and these obligations were to keep the policy alive by duly paying each and every assessment that was made by the company.  Failing to comply with these conditions, the policy ceases to be anything more than a blank piece of paper.  Behold the error of a man’s ways.

Seventy-two cents, the amount of the last assessment, would have kept him in proper relations with the company and would have obliged the company to pay him within a set time the amount fixed by the policy; but failing to do so he is left without redress and consequently without help on the part of the company.
~ The Lititz Record, 30-Sept-1881, Page 2, Column 1-2

You can visit the memorial page for Mathias Meiley.