MILLER

He Helped Make Millwork History in Southern Califomia

When Charles Laird ("Charlie") Miller died on July 23rd last, there passed from the millr,vork picture in Southern California, one of its oldest, fir.rest, and most lovable characters. For "Charlie" Miller, as much as any other man. helped make the milhvork history of Southern California.

IIe was born August 26, 1864, at Winona, Nfinnesota. Had he lived another month he rvould have been seventythree years of age. His people were lumber people before him, o.ne uncle having been an officer in one of the Weyerhaeuser groups- He came to Los Angeles in 1887, in the days when most of our rnilhvork was "clobe" and the rapid transit rvas horse-drarvn. In 1894 he got a selling job with the San Pedro Lumber Company, and was stationed at various times at different distributing points in California and Arizona, and came to know every lumberman in this entire territory. About 190O he became manager of The Peoples Lumber Company, a retail concern, at Ventura.

In 1903, he and another San Pedro Lumber Company salesman named Ed Nicholson. decided to try the sas.h and door business. They got several other lumber salesmen to go in with them and organized a company, the Western Door & Sash Company, with a little plant at lSth and Main Streets in Los Angeles. The other men who joined these tu'o already mentior.red lvere George Nicholson, Ted Boye. Charles Witzell, and Charles and Dick Simpson, all n'ell known lumbermen of this district in those clays. They began u'ith a ferv doors, some empty sash, ancl boxes of glass, and they did their own glazing, and all the rest of their orvn rvork. But they got started. H. P. Dickson, of Los Angeles. who was then identified u'ith his father F. A. Dickson, and his brother W. L. Dickson, in the art glass business under the name of the Dickson Art Glass Co., remembers selline the new firm their first glass.

Thg Western Door & Sash Company began spreacling out. It moved to a location on Mission Road near rvhere the present county hospital stands, rvhere thev bought a little mill to add to their equipment and beqan actuallv nraking some milhvork. Then they moved to a locat:orr uncl.er the First Street Viaduct near the Santa Fe clepot. In 1908 they merged rvith the Carpenter & Byles Mill & I_umber Company with plant at Third and Main, and here they built a new office, and spread out some more. J. 1\{. Carpenter and E,lmer E. Byles were their nerv associates. They called the merged outfit the Pacific Sash & Door Comoany, with Charlie Miller. President, and Fxl Nicholson VicePresident and General Manager. They helcl those same titles throughout their business association from that time on. In 1915 they had fi.nancial reverses and John Harnpton rvas receiver for a time. They organized ancl encled the re_ ceivership, and the new firm r,vas named the pacific Door & Sash Company. It prospered greatly for the next ten years and became a great power in the mills,ork industrr. of the Southwest, building a huge plant at T1-lturn, on the e<lge of Los Angeles. They bought 100 acres of ground antl placed thereon a plant that covered 25 acres all told, with seven acres under roof. When completed they considered it the most modern plant of its kind in the entire nation, and Charlie Nfiller and Ed Nicholson attained national reputations for their millwork ability and sagacity.

In 7926 they formed their final merger. With their orvn big concern as the focal point they aclded to their organization eight other millwork concerns located in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Burbank, and Pasadena, all under the name of the Pacific Door & Sash Company.

It was capitalized for more than three million dollars. They bought a big building in Hollyu'ood and macle it their general offices. Charlie \Iiller continued as presiclent. The big concern started just as the builcling clepression came on, and early in the depression it went into the hands of its creditors. About five years ago Mr. Miller ceased his actite participation iu the affairs of the concern. The firm reorganized a year ago and is again a going concern.

Once a man of considerable r,vealth and al*.ar.s g.enerous rvith the goods the Lord gave him, Charlie \Iiller in his old age went back to working for wages. But he took u,ith him through those days and likewise to the grave the respect, the love, and the complete good-will of all of the multitude who knew him. That legacy of devotion which his kindly and g'enerous heart won for him throughout his long and active life, was his to the end; is his today. AncI that's a rvhole lot,

Huge Grain Crop Predicted

Chicago, Ill.-Chicago grain experts predict that tlre United States rvlil reap a grain crop of 4,813,000,000 bushels of the major grains-wheat, corn, oats, ancl rye-this 1,ear, as compared with 2,964,VJ0,U$ bushels last 1,ear. At current market prices this r,vould bring $3,114,7ffi,W. The divided forecast is lor 2,771.000,000 bushels of corn, 841.000,000 bushels of rvheat, 1,149,000.000 brrshels of oats. an<l 52,000.000 bushels of rye.

Los Angeles, Calif.