Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1909-06-24
DEATH Of
Geo. v. MILES

George ". Miles, member of tn
board of county commissioners and
prominent citizen of Danville, died a
his home, Ferry street, at 2 o'olocl
Friday morning following pro
longed illness.
The death of Mr.. Miles removes an
other one Of our townsmen whose
business career is identified with the
development of our town and whose
long life is connecting link between
Danville's past, now rapidly passing
out of memory, and the epoch of the
/ present time with its contrasts and
more exacting conditions of life. Few
men have ever lived in Danville whose
/ lives were interviewer more intimate
!y with affairs or whose affiliations
ran along so many different lines.
George ". Miles was seyenty-four
years of age He was born at Miles
burg Center county, When ne was a
small child his parents removed to
Northumberland In 1852, when the
subject of our sketch was IS years Of
age, the family settled in Dsnville.
Mr.. Miles afterwsrd indenturei him.
self to Robert McCoy,s contractor and
builder, with whom he learned the
carpenter trade. Later, he was en-.
ployed by Grove Bros, filling a cleric
al position. While with Grove Bros
ne became familiar with the process
Of iron manufacture and eventually
became one OF Grove Bros. most skill
tul aud efficient superintendents, hay
ing charge Of their blast furnaces.
The deceased was also superinteud-
ent of the Danville furnaces owned by
Hancock and C-eveliug and continued
to fill that position under the Nation
al Iron company
In 1879 the deceased in partnership
with \. Creveling purchased what was
formerly the old Rough and Ready
property Creveling and Miles then
organized the Glendower Iron works,
With George W. Miles, secretary aud
general manager.
In 1879 Oreveling and Miles bought
the ChuIasky furnace three miles be.
low DaDyiIle undsf the firnIof GrexelL
ing, Miles & Co. (limited). They put
the Chulasky furnace in blast Novem-
Der s, 1879, and kept it in operation
some years.
The deceased at the time Of his de.
mise was serving his third term as
county commissioner He was a pub
lie spirited citizen, an intelligent,
well.informed man, whose Judgment
and integrity were alike uuimpsach-
able. That he held the confidence Of
his fellow towusmen Is evident from
the number OF important positions that
he was called upon to fill. He was
elected school director for many suc-
cessive terms. In lS72 he was mem.
Der of the town council and, along
with II. D. L. Sechler, J. W. Sweis.
fort, Jacob Schuster, William Buckley,
George ". Reay and Oscar Ephlin.
cast his vote for the Holly system OF
water works, when was adopted, al
though strongly opposed. M Miles
was also one Of he,esrly members of
the Friendship Fire company and was
the first chief engineer OF the Danvil!e
fire department.
He was a charter member Of Beaver
Lodge No 1872, x. Of P. At the time
of his death and for many wears prior
he was member Of he'grand tribuu.
81 OF the order.
The deceased was "a man OF many
accomplishments, He was most
charming conversationslist, who had
fund Of information at command re.
lating to a great variety of subjects.
Earlier in life heswas a member Of the
choir of ST. Psuls Methodist Episcop.
al church. He was a natural vocalist
and ranked with the best singers Of
his day.
The deceased is survived by his wife,
one son, +. II. Miles, aud one daugh-
ter. Miss Annie L. Miles; also by a
brother, Frank Lee Miles, and two
sisters, Mrs. Elizabeth Hunter and
Mrs. o. p. Harder.
The cause of death was vascular dis.
ease Of the brain. The illness covered
a period of over year. The tusl at
tack came on about three weeks ago.
Previous to that time the deceased was
able to be about and perform the duties
OF his Office. For a week or more prior
to death he was unconscious and hope
was abandoned