New-York tribune., 1908-08-09
JOHN MILES, MERCHANT.
His Original Methods Of Business
Enthusiastic for Taft.

Judge Taft should be elected next President oy
an overwhelming vote" said JOHNNY Miles, the
most original wholesale merchant of Broadway
Roosevelt has blazed the path. and II needs
man of the calibre of Mr. Taft 10 build the roao
on which we can all travel the highway OF con-
tinual prosperity" Although he avoids poitics IA
business, Mr.. Miles is q great personal adinrer Oh
Judge Taft, and in advertising literature now
being out this advice is given to the people a
large: Cast a vote for popular BIZ Taft and see
times grow brighter and listen TO the Jingle Oh
the live coins go through the circulating tracks Ds
the shovelfui.''
From cash boy whose pay was 81 80 a week, 10
of the forcibe. enterprising and dlstihc-
lively original merchants in New York, is the rec
ord of John Miles wholesale dealer In millinery, at
Nos SO e12 and s14 Broadway and Nos 2 4, S. s. 10,
T. IA and IS East Houston street. The firm name IL
John Miles Qnc), but John Miles is the dominant
spirit. the impetus behind the great business WHICH,
through his genius reaches into every town OF con-
sequence In the United States and trips over the
boundary into Canada. and into the colonial pos
sessions of Uncle SAM leaving an imprint that
stands for all that is good and beautiful in hats
ribbons, silks flowers. feathers and laces
The growth In this business has been extraordi-
nary-in keeping with the man who. in 1891. with
ca pitai of $50 began his mercantile at No S
Spring street
From his boyhood days. when he was left an
orphan at the age of eleven years John Miles had
been taking mental notes Coming from Ireland at
he determined captain his own fortunes adopting
the Golden Rule his compass Seventeen years
of constant success has made the house strong be-
cause of the determination CHEEKY nature Industry
and honest purpose of the Irish lad who years ago.
had resolved make his mark in the world
John Miles believes in work and plenty OF II, yet
each one of his five hundred employees is as happy
as any member of his home family. He favors gen
vacations and looks after their welfare with
the solicitude a father when illness visits them
OTytir7 do her iS
whose salary has been going to him regularly every
week for nine consecutive months.
John Miles is the pioneer of the cash system OF
the millinery trade. He believes in selling hign
class goods at iov class prices. and around TINS
principle his business standing revolves. assuming
larger circles each year and demonstrating the
correctness of his reasoning and the depth OF MS
logic. He employs travelling statesmen, and re-
lies entirely for business advertising IN Whicn
he displays originality Among his axioms are:
Do p Al II the the sss. s9Sd you yoa can cam
At all the times you can
As long as ever you
If you are built of the right kind OF timber you
will succeed if not in spite of all your dreams
and wishes you will go to the grave with the
word broke carved on your tombstone
IF you are fortunate enough to be born in pow
erty consider yourself lucky, as poverty mas oeen
the priceless spur in all the great achievements all
down the ages.
There is not a detail Of his business with which
John Miles is unfamiliar. This familiarity of little
things has much do with his success He knows
all about feathers, for instance-how they are pur-
chased in South Africa, brought to the London
market, and from there distributed throughout the
world in their rough state and dyed in the coun-
tries in which they used for ornaments
America" says John Miles "excels the world
in the manufacture of high grade silks ribbons and
velvets and yet American women imagine their
choicest silks and ribbons are imported.
In addition to the pleasure he derives from his
business he obtains much happiness with his wife
and children in his home at White Plains where
he has tract OF one hundred acres
Here is his library OF the works of the best au-
thors of whom he is ardent student He is in
terested in humanitarian movements. and speaking
his creed he says:
There's a hundred different roads to Heaven
and no eccIesiastc has right to tell me that his
road is the right one and all of the others are
wrong 1 believe every was born to think for
himself, and the hand that grasps the otnef with
uplifting touches regardless of creed or nationality
belongs to the True Church of the hour