The news & observer., 1905-12-03
STATE MADE NO GREAT
Err MAN.
One Who Knew Him Well Proposes
That Monument to John H. Mills
be Erected and Placed in the
North Avenue in the Capt.
tai Square at Raleigh.
BY w. N. JONES.

other people, the articles in Sundays
News and Observer on the orphanages
of the State. Too much prominence
can not be given to this important
work. These institutions are, 1 be-
lieve, doing as much to help the fu-
ture citizenship of the State, man for
man, or youth for youth, as any of our
educational institutions. Twenty-Five
years from now a roll call of the
names of those who are in the or
phanages of the State, l doubt not
will reveal this fact.
The men and women who have been
and are now engaged in this work,
deserve and have the highest appre-
citation of the people. It's marvellous
development since it started proves
this fact. 1t is destined to occupy a
still more exalted position in the
minds and hearts of the people of the
State.
The name of John H. Mills, who
gave his life to this orphanage work,
when all our people were more or less
callous and Indifferent to it. will be
more and more exalted. Tt will have
a shining place In the history of North
Carolina.
l count it privilege to have known
the Biblical Recorder office when he
was it's editor. So far as my knowl-
edge and observation has extended,
the State has produced no greater
man than he was. This may not be
the popular estimate / suppose, but
ii is mine.
Jack Mills" as he was popularity
called, was a peculiar man. Peculiar
i'm his modes of thought, in his man
nor and in hiS annpar rancp Indeed
] have often thought in considering his
characteristics, of what the Lord said
about job when the sons of men came
to present themselves before him, it
was: Hast thou considered my
servant Job, that there is none like
him in the earth.' But notwithstand-
ing his oddity he was so simple and
unaffected that his oddities were
pleasing rather than otherwise. While
he was clean and particular as to his
person, he was careless in his dress,
i'm that an ill fitting and outlandish
garment was as good as any other to
him. He belonged to any other than
the "band-box" variety of men.
He was generally the observed of
observers in any crowd. l have heard
DIR. c.. II. Bailey say that on one oc-
casion President Cleveland gave an
audience or reception to some conven-
ton or general gathering while it was
i'm session in Washington. / believe
il was the Southern Baptist Conven-
ton, and among those who called on
the President was Mr.. Mills. DIR.
Bailey said Mr.. Cleveland seemed to
see no one else in the crowd but Mr..
Mills. He kept his eyes on him to
such an extent that he thought Mr..
Cleveland might tender him some big
office. Dr. Bailey said he was hoping
he would do so, that he might hear
what "Old Jack" would say.
Mr.. Mills was a man of great mind.
which was improved by constant and
varied reading. He was as much at
home in reading a census report ana
such dry publications, as with popular
literature. Hence his knowledge was
wide and varied upon nearly every
subject.
When he was at college he and DR..
Pritchard tied for the valedictory, and
drew straws as to who should have 1T.
DIR. Pritchard won. l have heard
DIR. Pritchard say that the only re-
mark made by his opponent was;
tom, 1 am glad you got it. You have
a greater gift of CAB than 1 have"
While Mr.. Mills was not what you
would call finished speaker as was
DIR. Pritchard, he was an exceedingly
forceful one, and could move and
sway an audience as few men could
do. Being of large and commanding
appearance, with expressive features.
and a deep rich and sonorous voice
when he got uD to speak he received
Immediate attention. Then. too.
there was something being said, and
the speaker believed every word that
he uttered. He impressed that fact
too upon those who heard him. He
used no useless words, but a plain
blunt man, he spoke right on. the
message he had, and that message was
always an effective one.
The Biblical Recorder, the organ of
the Baptist denomination, first be-
came a paying property under his
management before that time it was
always a matter of anxietv to the
Baptist State Convention. Under his
editorship it became a live and eff
fective agency for good, not only for
his own denomination. but for the
State at large. While editor it has
been said, and said truly, he never
wrote a dull line. His editorials were
fresh, quaint and bright and his paper
was not dry as dust publication.
In getting about the State to conven-
tions and other meetings of his de-