The last entry is dated 1892: “Wholly by accident I came upon this book. I am past sixty-six years old now. I have nothing to add except that for the last few years, perhaps five or six, I have not been giving as freely as I formerly did. This is partly because of a change in my convictions of duty in regard to my local church relations, and partly because the general demands upon me have crowded my income very closely, and partly because my business has been less remunerative and my accounts unsystematically kept. I do not remember the details very fully, but my general consciousness is that I am falling behind in my giving and getting in debt on this account.”
When Mr. Hine summed up as above he evidently did not include his “occasional and irregular giving” for an examination of his check stubs after his death led to the belief that he was then giving away fully 50 per cent of his income.
WHAT OTHERS THOUGHT OF MR. HINE.
It is difficult to put on paper that which will adequately depict Mr. Hine’s many-sided character, but the following extracts from some of the death notices written by those who knew him best in his business life are given to show what sort of an impression he made on these:—
“He was always so active that, although he had passed his seventy-first birthday, his death was something that had never been thought of by anybody except possibly himself. He traveled so much, did so much, was interested in so many things, that he will be widely missed. His was a many sided nature. He had a good knowledge of both art and mechanics.... He was always self reliant, and to the end independent.”—[Insurance Times.
“Every person who knew Mr. Hine at all intimately feels himself bereft of a friend.”—[Mutual Underwriter.
“He was an able and strong writer; and whatever he wrote was fully ‘tuned’ to his convictions.”—[The Ætna.
“Personally, he was a lovable and amiable man, and as a business man his reputation for fairness and integrity was never questioned.”—[Travelers’ Record.
“A remarkable man was the late Charles C. Hine. What tireless industry he had, what versatility, what cheerfulness. What long journeys he took and kept taking, in his advanced years. Hale, hearty, ready to join in debate, to read a paper, to sing a song, and sing it well.... Fresh as a young man and capable of all kinds of work. Invincible, irrepressible; a typical American.”—[Insurance Magazine.
“To us the sad news was especially painful, as we had known him intimately, and been associated with him in business relations for many years, in which connection we had learned to admire his great talents as a writer on insurance, and deeply to respect his noble character, in which there mingled all the elements that do honor to man.... The professional labors of Mr. Hine may pass on to other hands, but the personality of the man has left an impress which will make his name honored and revered long after the busy world has ceased to think of his professional work.... As an editor he was in his vocation, for his very wide reading, shrewd judgment, great capacity for literary work, raised him to great distinction in this field.... But most of all will he be missed by those many mourners who, forgetting the intellectual attainments of the man, can only feel that his great and pure and kindly heart has ceased to beat.”—[Insurance & Finance Chronicle, Montreal.