Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-01-07
D. @. MILLS DIES
At WINTER HOME
PHILANTHROPIST AND FINANCIER
PASSES AWAY SUDDENLY IN
SAN FRANCISCO.
END COMES WITHOUT WARNING
Aged Man Had Recently Been Enjoying
Better Health Than He Had
Known for Years.
MRS. WHITELAW REID.

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Jan. 4.-Da-
RUS Ogden Mills, philanthropist and
6nancier, father of Mrs. Whitelaw Rel,
wife of the ambassador to Great Britain,
director in many corporations, died at his
winter home near here Monday night OF
heart disese. He was 81 years old.
Death came almost without warning,
after a period of better health than Mr..
Mills had enjoyed in several years. Mrs.
Reid was the only child at his bedside
when the end came, his son, Ogden
Mills, and his wife having started for
New York, believing the aged tinancier
to be in excellent condition.
Born in New York State.
Mr.. Mills was born in West Salem,
Westchester county, New York, in 1926.
He was educated at North Salem and
at Mount Pleasant academy, Sing Sing,
New York.
Starting his business career as clerk
in New York city, he became cashier
at Buffalo, in 1S47. Mr.. Mills came to
California in 1849 and took large part
in the development of the golden state
The greater part of his time since 1880
was spent in New York city, where he
built q system of hotels and lodging
houses for the poor, founded a training
school for male nurses and was active In
many other charities He was, presi-
dent of the Bank of New York, the
Morton Trust company and the United
States Trust company. He was a
trustee of the Atlantic Steamship COM
pany, chairman of the Fordham Home
for Incurables, and trustee of the Metro
politan Museum of Art, the Carnegie
institute of Washington, Lick observa-
tory and the American Geology society.
Mr.. Mills lad a prominent hand In
the building of the Southern Pacific and
for many years was member of its
directorate. His holdings in upwards of
thirty corporations in whose affairs he
once took active part, are said to total
many millions of dollars.
Reid to Leave London.
LONDON. Jan. 4-Ambassador White
law Reid is arranging to sail for the
United States either on the steamship
st. Louis tomorrow or on the Lusitania
Saturday to allow him to be present at
the funeral of Mrs. Reid's father, D. o.
Mills. who died in California.
The temporary absence from his post
Of Mr.. Reid will detain Secretary of EN-
bassy William Phillips here, and ar
rangements are being made to postpone
his marriage with Miss Caroline A.
Drayton of New York.
Death Not Unexpected.
NEW YORK. Jan. 4.-News of the
sudden death of D. Ogden Mills at his
California winter home was received
with sorrow here, where he had so long
been prominent. Mr. Mills withdrawal
from business and active interest in his
various philanthropic enterprises because
of i'll health, had somewhat prepared his
friends for the sad news, although a
fatal termination of his illness at this
time was not expected.
Although his active participation in
business affairs had ceased, Mr.. Mills,
up TO the time of his death, remained a
director in many corporations. His rail
way interests included the holding of q
dictatorship in the New York Central
and Lake Shore companies, and he held
a place as well, in the directorates OF
several New York banks and trust com
panieS and numerous industrial enter
prises.
Established Mills Hotels.
One of Mr.. Mills notable philanthrop-
ic enterprises was the establishment OF
the chain of hotels the name of which
is familiar the country over as the Mills
hotels. These hotels of which there
are three in this city, were intended as
places, equipped and maintained in eff
cient modern fashion. where meals and
lod gings could be furnished respectable
men at nominal prices.
Mr. Mills always declared that he did
not class his enterprise as ''philanthro-
pic" maintaining that it was sagacious
public spirit that prompted him in estab-
fishing them. The hotels have been self
supporting. Not long ago Mr.. Mills
decided them and the adjacent Mills
dwellings to three trustees-himself. his
son, Ogden Mills, and his daughter, Mrs
Whilelaw Reid-making stipulations as
to succession in membership in the board
which will take the work on indefinitely