Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-01-11

In which he made such charitable success
that at the age Of 20 he was put in the posi-
ton Of purchaser Of supplies. The pier at
Grand Haven for the Detroit and Milwaukee
road was built under his supervision, and he
soon became power In the management Of
the Detroit and Milwaukee In 1854 he
Joined with Messrs. Newbury, Dean & Eaton
In the organization of the Michigan Car
company, out Of which have sprung the De-
troit Car Wheel company, the Baugh Steam
Forge company, and finally the Detroit Iron
Furnace company, Mr.. Mcmillan now being
president of all these, their business amount
ing to six or seven million dollars year, and
5000 men being In their employ. He Is also
interested in the car works at ST. Louis, Mo-,
and at other places in the United States and
In Canada During the panic Of 1873 and
subsequent years he acquired great reputa-
ton for his able management Of these differ
ent companies, his success In carrying them
through being one Of the greatest financial
triumphs of that time. Some years ago
he and his associates In Detroit and
New York built the Detroit, Mackinac
and Marquette railroad, about coo miles
long, Of which he has been president since
its inception. He Is also large owner and
active member In the Detroit and Cleveland
Steam Navigation company and the Detroit
Transportation company. He is a director
In the First National bank and the Detroit
Savings bank, and also has q large interest
In the Detroit street railway. With these
and large holdings of business property In
Detroit, he is, Of course, one of the wealthiest
men in the state His income Is very large,
his personal expenses liberal, and his gifts to
charitable and other public enterprises very
great In giving, as In getting, he is re-
markably systematic. No one else In the
state has given SO much to the public, and
very few in the world have given with so
much Judgment.
In 1850 he married Miss Wetmore, of De-
troit, and they have five children living. The
oldest, William c. Mcmillan, was graduated
from Yale in 1884, and is now associated with
his father in business. The second son was
graduated from Yale last summer, and Is
now in the Yale University Law school The
family are all Presbyterians
Mr.. Mcmillan entered politics as a member
Of the Republican state central committee in
1876, and by his extraordinary power as an
organizer won victory over a combination
of Democrats and Greenbackers 1t was In
this campaign that Democratic majority Of
2,O54 in the Newbury congressional district
In 1874 was changed to Republican plurality
Of 1897 In 1875, thus making the Michigan
delegation in congress solidly Republican
After the death Of Senator Chandler, Mr. Nc
MILAN became chairman Of the state central
committee, but soon after retired from poll
tics until 1886, when. as the condition of the
party In Michigan was considered critical, he
was again called to reorganize which he did
SO thoroughly that the party was once more
united, aggressive and successful A great
deal Of the success In the late campaign Is
attributed to his ability and leadership His
career, both In business and politics, Is an
unbroken record Of successes, won by organ
izing ability. 1t used to be said by President
Lincoln that in all matters Of business Zach
ariah Chandler was the most reliable man In
the northwest, and Republicans Of Michigan
claim that as a man Of affairs, Of administra-
tive ability, Mr.. Mcmillan is the superior even
Of Senator Zach Chandler.