New-York tribune., 1909-09-25

yohn Maes, the great New York cash millinery
merchant, was born nifty years ago. Until ne
was twelve years old lie lived and dreamed
dreams and did q little studying i'm that
charmed and charming scene. the history Of
which Is Aritten large On the record Of N"-ld
svents
II he >as poor during Ibis first dozen cars
fortune had some sitter blows in store Tor h's
neKt few. for at the very tims when The care ol
parents should have spread q protecting shelter
sor the boy he lost lis father ANA mother -
seath, and was left alone TO battle WitA the
world and wrest from il whatever il had q store
Cor him
-onditi.rs were not favorable IN ireland and
gbe prospects held out for success IA Nte. Aandl-
capped by small learning. tender years and un-
protected condition. wrr" not promising The
opportunity fOr making ra'ne other than mat
81 q patriot who died il Tie hopeless ser>ic, Of
BIS native land was extr, uely limited. and young
Miles and two of i.s friends soon rrtiiz"d
ehe stern necessity Of iie getting doVH To a iife
sf tabor in some field
he lad heard OF the United states ana its
promises TO the man or boy Who vas earnest
and honest and managed 10 raise the passage
money from his beautiful Emerald Isle L" New
York, six sovereigns, and landed in N" York
On June y. 1S7l- He tad nothing bUt . clean
pair OF hands and an uncolqueraDle spirit " hen
be landed At Castle Garden and pushed forward
b get bis first JOB.
This was not long IN coming. FOR before 80 had
d chance 70 brush even the surface Of the lrsh
burr from his tongue he found himself at work
as a plain hustler in dOWnst0re store Tie
green boy was ambitious. and when he had a
chance 70 get s. 30 week cash boy IN a de-
partment store he grasped the opportunity, and
thus scored his FIRST step ~ the Ladder ~ sue
oess.
y5e wa not 81 n Toy and when hs M
ysoyer noticed that the lad was not a clock
watcher was ambitious. and possessed that re-
nnarkab.e quality called initiative" he Was
given more important work and then his pay
was raised lie showed executive ability In the
new job, and was pushed into more response
biDty Then bis pay raised again. and 50 On
Tor several years.
When be was nothing but Toy IN years ne
was made buyer for one OF the biggest houses in
tbe city in the millinery line and his transac-
lions amounted TO over S200O"OO a year Then
be was engaged by James G. Johnson as com
merci4l traveller. and for three years he visited
all parts of the country. laying q foundation for
his acquaintance Of to-day. which is Of tie
EjdcSt and most comprehensive in the land.
In 1851 be reached that period Of CONNIE rcal
development where he believed he fully
equipped to 90 into business for himself De
spite his comfortable salary Of the past few
years. he lad only SO actual capital when he
opened bis millinery business al No 9G Spring
street His Office furniture consisted Of a table
that cost all Of ST. and the saIesroorn WAS so
small mat the table and its skilfully spread
stock II John Miles's millinery bargains did not
seem lost
He adopted a foundation motto Terms
Net-No Discount and from the first sale the
bushes was success lie learned in business
has TO sell on long time credit in order 10 get
sufficient returns 70 make business profitable.
he was also convinced before striking out for
himself tlIat the converse Of the proposition Was
true and that the dealer who bought for cash
could urdersen the credit dealers and even IL
he had 10 wait sometimes for some accounts the
general buying public could better afford to
pay the smaller cash bills than 10 settle the
Larger accounts after thirty or sixty days
The PRINCIPLE worked out handsomely In actual
practice and the giant business conducted by
Mr. Miles to-day Is the result Of close aPplica-
don OF the principle 90 the details OF trade.
Mr. Miles was married in 1880 and has three
children, one son and two daughters all Of whom
sre well gro wn-
At fifty years Mr. Miles looks younger than
most men Of forty. He Is OF medium height and
built on tie lines OF ah athlete. His shoulders
are straight and his carriage Is easy and con-
h6ent Tie has direct eyes in which lurk the
shadows OF the Irish hills, but the burr that
marked his earlier speech IS discernible only In
spots 3ad -pSH occasions