New-York tribune., 1910-01-05
AN OVERLAND TRIP.

versally known to be as good as his
bond.
AN OVERLAND TRIP.
In 1857 overwork had so broken down
his health that his physicians advised a
trip overland. He accordingly fitted out
| a train and drove from Sacramento to
| the Missouri. This was the year of the
! Mountain Meadow massacre, and while
| he was at Salt Lake the temper of the
| Mormons was already ugly. This did
| not, however, keep him from refusing to
| be swindled by their extortionate de-
| mands Chased upon his supposed neces-
! sities) for new animals to replace his
exhausted ones. nor did it deter him
| from remaining long enough to rest and
! to feed the old stock until they We're
| again fit for work. Nor did 1t keep him
| from bringing out in his train a gov
| ernment official who was already in
| difficulty with the Mormons and marked
! by the Danites for vengeance. He had
| no trouble whatever with the Indians,
whom he always treated with kindness,
| and he entered vigorous protests against
| the frequent brutalities committed by
was unfortunate enough to witness the
wanton and coldblooded murder Of an
Indian committed by some reckless i'm
migrants. apparently for no better rea-
| son than to show off their marksman-
ship. This act resulted in an outbreak
by peaceful tribe, who massacred an
entire party. When the news of this
reached California it was known that
Mr.. Mills was to have been in that
locality at about that time, and for a
while II was thought that he was among
the lost. He had foreseen the trouble,
however, and by forced marches was al
ready nearly a hundred miles to the
eastward when the outbreak occurred.
He derived great benefit from this over
land journey, and the next year supnle-
mented it with a three months trip In
Europe.
AN INCIDENT AT SACRAMENTO.
An incident of one of the inundations
at Sacramento illustrates the relation
he had come to sustain to the COM
munity, as well as his methods of
thought and action. There was great
alarm over the rise of the river and
the state of the leVees, and a public
meeting was held at the courthouse to
discuss a plan for taking possession of
the money in the sinking fund to hire
labor to avert the threatened danger.
The Mayor, the Treasurer and city Off
cials yielded to the panic and ex-
pressed themselves as willing to give up
the money if the meeting demanded it,
Mr.. Mills who had been a Sinking Fund
Commissioner, had been invited to at
tend with the Mayor and Treasurer He
did not go, but sent a clerk to watch
the proceedings and to give him warn
ing in case it seemed likely that the
threatened action would be taken. The
resolutions faYoring the seizure of the
fund had been generally approved and
were just about to be passed, when. on
the summons of the clerk, Mr.. Mills came
hurrying in. Although no speechmaker
he instantly took the floor and uttered
vehement protest against the purpose
of the meeting. They had no more right.
he told them, to take the money out of
that fund than they had to take the
money out of his bank He, at least
would never consent to it, would do all he
could to prevent it, and, if the crime
were consummated, would leave the city
at once and forever. He would not, he
declared do business in a community
that sanctioned robbery. They had
hardly got their feet wet yet; they were
prosperous and abundantly able to meet
such an emergency honestly. 1--WE don't
need over $4,000 all told" he exclaimed;
|,
selves like honest men. I'll begin with
a subscription of $4,000" Charles
Crocker, then rising young merchant.
sprang instantly to his feet, shouting,
"That's the talk! Let's do it. I'll give
q thousand" The meeting turned fairly
around, more money than they needed
was raised before they adjourned and
there was no further talk about seizing
the sinking fund
BY 1862 Mr.. Mills began to think of
retiring from business, or at least of
securing more leisure and revisiting Eu-
rope with his growing family. With this
in mind, he reorganized his bank, taking
in his brother Edgar and his cashier,
Henry Miller. as partners. In 1885 the
one and the son of the other were the
partners STILL But several years ago,
Mr.. Millss brother having died, and he
himself having no time to give it any
attention, it was sold to the Bank of
California, which conducts it as
branch, but insists on carrying it on
under the old name, 1.-The Gold Bank of
d. o. Mills & Co"
THE BANK OF CALIFORNIA.
In San Francisco, where the banking
business was still mainly in the hands of
private bankers, the need of large bank
was already felt-one with capital and
organization such as should secure the
amplest credit in foreign countries. par
ticularly in China, Japan and other
sources Of trade on the Pacific Ocean.
Mr.. Mills was naturally looked to as the
man to raise the capital and assume the
management. He was at first reluctant.
but at last the challenge of greater re-
sponsibilities affected him as it is likely
to affect men Of high purpose and capac-
ity, and he agreed to unite in the enter
prise. His intention was to serve for
only three or four years, when he hoped
nnally to retire from all business save
the care of his own property By 1ulv.
1864, the capital was secured. Mr.. Mills