St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1943-03-26
Sea1nen Given
Palatial Home
Estate Will Be Used as a
Convalescent Center for
Wounded Tars.

A stately, 42-room mansion which
has provided hospitable and luxlri-
GUS shelter for many a celebrity
since 1t was built in 1870, has been
turned over to United Seamen's
Service for the duration by the heirs
Of the famous Mills estate.
Located at Millbrae, 10 miles
southwest Of San Francisco, the
mansion soon will be put in opera
ton as the West coasts first USS
rest home for merchant seamen who
have suffered wounds, illness or
shock in war zone voyages. Similar
homes, utilizing estates such as that
Of the Kermit Roosevelts at Oyster
Bay, Long Island, and Of Mrs. c.
Suydam Cutting in New Jersey, al
ready have been established on the
Atlantic coast.
Heir Approves Lease.
In personally approving the gift
lease Of the property, Ogden Mills
Reid, one Of the four heirs, said he
was delighted to participate in such
a contribution to the welfare Of the
nations merchant seamen.
I'VE Americans have few obliga-
tons more pressing than that Of car
ing for the men who, month in and
month out, are running gantlets Of
torpedoes and bombs to deliver war
goods to our fighting forces and
those Of our Allies" Reid declared.
Other heirs represented in the
benefaction are Lady Beatrice Gran
ard, wife of the Earl Of Granard,
County Longford, Ireland; Mrs.
Gladys Mills Phipps, wife Of H. Car
negie Phipps, and Lady Jean Tenn
pleton Ward, wife of Sir John HUI
bert Ward of Chiffon, Hungerford,
England.
Patterned after French chateau,
the huge home was constructed for
Darius Ogden Mills after he became
immensely rich as a merchant and
banker during the gold rush days.
He had arrived in Stockton from
Buffalo, N. Y, in 1849, bringing with
him a small capital which he was
reputed to have increased to $40, 900
by the end of his first years ven
lures in trading. He founded the
Bank Of D. o. Mills & Company in
Sacramento in 1850.
House Kept Up.
The house that D. o. Mills built
at Millbrae continued to serve the
Mills and the Reds as a winter
home until a couple of years ago.
Even until now, it has been kept in
constant readiness to receive men,
bers of the two families. A staff Of
several persons has been continu-
ously employed to maintain the
house and its extensive grounds.
Once the height of fashion, crafts
manship and cost, the furnishings of
the mansion are still very impress
sive. Because of the heirs senti-
mental regard for some of the fur
niture and decorative pieces, part Of
the household goods will be placed
in storage before the place is opened
as a USS rest home. Furniture
which formerly graced passenger
ships since converted to troop trans
ports will be substituted.
Around the mansion are beauti-
full lawns and woods and the euca-
lyptus trees which are supposed to
have been the first brought to the
United States. OF more present day
interest is a rubber tree which is
credited with being one Of the larg-
est in America. The property also
has three lakes where convalescent
seamen may enjoy boating and
swimming.
Use Ships Furnishings.
Simultaneous with the announce
ment of the Mills gift, was another
revealing fancy furnishings removed
from Americas passenger liners
when the ships were converted into
troop transports soon will provide
comfort and elegance for war
wounded merchant seamen reach
ing West coast ports.
A requisition for everything from
grand pianos to sheets was submit
ted yesterday by United Seamen's
Service to the War Shipping admin
istration, in whose custody the fur
nishings were placed.
The requisition included a long
list of tables, dressers, chairs,
Grapes, sofas, mattresses, chests Of
drawers, coffee tables, combination
radios, coffee urns, lamps, rugs, pic
lures, silverware, beds, etc., having
a total valuation Of more than $780,
600.
Most of the furnishings will come
from the lot that formerly was
aboard the luxury liner President
Coolidge. The Coolidge selection Of
upholstered chairs, night tables, STU
dio couches, occasional tables, set
tees and the like is valued at $35, 900.
Other ships represented in the
USS requisition were the Day Star,
President Tyler, La Peria, Presi-
dent Polk, President Grant, Island
Mail, President Monroe, President
Taylor, Mormacsun, Mormacstar
and the Mormacsea.