New-York tribune., 1910-01-05


nope TO give him a larger equivalent for
MS money than has hitherto been possiDlel
offer him this savantass h,,2 fass ne viii tninS
better of himself and viii be more SELF
rshant, manly man and a better citizen
II ne knows that he is honestly paying
for what he gets.
Ex-Mayor Hewitt, In one pregnant SEN
tence, described the principle followed BY
MIR. Mills in his various phflanthropic
enterprises when he said: Mr.. Mills
sets an example Of using wealth which
has accumulated, not for the purpose OF
concentrating it. but for making others
better and more contented"
Mills Hotel No. 2. at Rivington and
Cnrystie streets. on the East Side. was
opened few months later. Both have
been patronized to the full extent OF their
capacity by men who were able TO secure
clean and comfortable bed in private
room at charge of 20 cents night.
and TO obtain wholesome, nourishins,
weil cooked, We'll served meal for from
to Is cents. Many of the patrons OF
the hotels live there at daily expense
of not more than 40 cents, having. be-
sides. all the advantages or reading,
writing and bath rooms, library and all
the other features. OF well conducted
hosiery. Some OF them pay for their
rooms for weeks and months In advances
when they have the money, in order to
retain the same apartment. so great -
the demand for accommodations; OF, IN
order to provide against a possible, often
a probable, rainy day. George Francis
Train lived in Mills Hotel No. 1 for seven
years and died there He told Mr. Mills
that the happiest days OF his life were
spent in his little seven and half by six
room, which he had decorated tastefully
and stored with some Of his most highly
priced books Out of an income of about
$500 year he saved nearly SO month
over all his expenses. and had several
hundred dollars laid by at the time OF
his death. When Mills Hotel No. was
undertaken the price of land and cost Of
building had advanced. so that. with
somewhat more desirable aecommoda-
tions. a slightly higher charge became
necessary.
In spite OF the cheapness of both board
and lodging, the hotels, considered
merely as investments, have paid Mr.
Mills a small but regular return over
and above all charges for interest. taxes.
depreciation and maintenance. There is
no doubt that he might have received a
higher rate for his money had he d.
verted 1t into other channels, but it Is
fnconcetvable that the satisfaction he
derived from proving the practicability
of his idea and In extending a helping
hand te impoverished men in such fash
Ion that the most independent OF them
could honorably grasp il did not far out
weigh every other consideration with the
founder At the time of the erection OF
Mills Hotel No. 8. in further explanation
OF his purpose, Mr.. Mills said:
have always believed that every man
has good side to him the pad SIDE ls
often brought out by environment Thers
are many men who are not able TO earn
an ordinary livelihood. owing 70 some lack,
although they have education and renne-
ment. MY idea is to I'LL need OF these
men by means of hotels where they can
have good surroundings. good food, clean
beds and baths for the money they can
afford to pay / have believed that thOu-
sands of homeless men could be made bet
b. - Talyf Of q
lodging houses and putting them In decent
hotels first bought the ground In Riv-
ngoSm amount se1 Of space ffh there but found that
the title to part of the ground was not
clear. so purchased the site in BieeGker
street and there erected Hotel No / RO-
tel No. 2, In Rivington street, was opened
a few months later. They have been nlled
constantly, and have paid profits on the
investment.
Enterprises of a similarly "seIf-help-
ful'' nature that enlisted Mr.. Milis's in
terest and support We're the Providenr
Loan Society and the City and Suburban
Homes Company, both of them self-sup-
porting institutions that have proved OF
substantial benefit to self-respectlns and
helpful men and women.
GENERAL ACTIVITIES AND SOCIAL
LIFE.
Mr. Mills's gift of a statuary group To
the State of California was only an in
dication Of another side of his character
that was no less expressive Of the man.
If perhaps less conspicuous, than those
that have hitherto been considered. He
was a liberal patron OF the arts. and had
cultivated discriminating taste that
found expression not only in his choice
collections at his Milbrae and New York
homes, but in his generous encourage
ment of Institutions that aimed to culti-
Vate a discriminating taste in the public
at large. AS early as 1876 his donations
and contributions TO the Metropolitan
Museum of Art had amounted to a sum
that entitled him TO be named a patron
of the museum, and in 1881 ne was
elected a trustee. BY 1906 his gifts OF
money and works of art had been of such
value-So0,OOO-aS TO constitute him a
'benefactor." That same year he was
elected first vice-president, and his re-
election in 1907 followed as a matter OF
course Among his most noted cOntribu-
tions to the collections of the museum
are the large and valuable ''Farman coll
lection" of gold coins and the painting
by Horace Vernet entitled THE Roman
Triumph" Mr.. Mills also at various
times served on the purchasing and other
committees of the museum.
Mr.. Mills took an intense and practical
interest in the New York Botanical Gar
den from it's inception, contributing S25.-
600 10 the original endowment IN 1895.
and giving smaller sums whenever they
were required for the purchase OF speci-
mems, books, collections of plants. or for
the prosecution of botanical exploration
in many parts of the world. AS menu
ber of the finance committee and of the
executive committee of the board OF
managers, his advice and counsel were
highly valued by his colleagues. and in
1895 he was elected president of the
board, succeeding the late Cornelius Van
derbilt. Mr.. Mills held the Office con-
tinuously until his death. having been
regularly reelected every year. He also
took an active interest in the welfare
and management of the American Geo
graphical Society and the American Mu-
scum of Natural History.
Mr.. Mills was thus, in an altogether
unusual sense, a quiet. well informed.
broad minded man of the world Fond
of the society OF men whose experience
and culture ran in different channels
from his own. he was not only valued IN
turn by them as an associate in business
and public spirited enterprises. but well
coined as a friend and companion In
more purely social relations. He was q
member of the Century Association. the
Union, the Kniekerbocker, the Metro
politan. the Union League. the Turf and
Field and the Whist clubs. OF New York:
the Pacific Union and the Burlingamo
clubs, OF San Francisco, and the ST.
James Club. OF London. and he had held
various official relations 10 many OF
them. Living in substantial elegance,
he never created the imDression OF doing