“How did you happen to establish the system of hotels which bear your
name, Mr. Mills?”
“I had been looking around for several years to find something to do
that would be for the good of the community. My mind was largely on
other matters, but it occurred to me that the hotel project was the
best, and I immediately went to work at it. My purpose was to do the
work on so large a scale that it would be appreciated and spread all
over the country, for as the sources of education extend, we find more
and more need of assisting men who have a disposition for decency
and good citizenship. The mechanic is well paid, and the man who has
learned to labor is much more independent than he who is prepared for
a profession, science or other objects in life that call for higher
education. Clerks commencing at small salaries need good surroundings
and economy to give themselves a start. Such are the men for whom the
hotels were established.”