James Mills, president and general manager of the Smith & Mills Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, died October 17, aged, seventy-four years. He had been suffering from heart trouble for the past six months. but his death was unexpected. Mr. Mills was born in Oldham, England, and came to America in 1861. He settled in New York and later served in the Civil War. After the war was over, Mr. Mills located in Savannah, Ga., and moved from there to Cincinnati in 1868. He became associated with the John Steptoe Shaper Co., and was shortly afterward made superintendent. In 1888, Mr. Mills and Albert S. Smith organized the firm of Smith & Mills with a very small capital. The business prospered, but no capital was ever borrowed to expand it. The policy was to be free of all financial entanglements and to conduct a safe, conservative business of constantly growing volume. Contrary to the policy of many machine tool concerns, the plan of Smith & Mills was to carry a large stock of machines ready for shipment. Mr. Smith withdrew from the firm some time ago, when the business was reorganized as the Smith & Mills Co. Mr. Mills is survived by a widow, two sons and three daughters. The sons, Ernest and James E., are active in the management.
Information Sources
- Machinery Magazine, V20, Nov 1913, pg. 254