4'4 MILNE. MILNE. General Court of Massachusetts, 1885 and '86, and has been honored by various other calls to positions of honor and trust. Mr. Millis was married in Cambridge- port, December 15, 1880, to Annie R., daughter of Charles B. and Helen F. (Coolidge) Russ. Of this union are three children : Violet, Lansing, and Henry Lan- sing Millis. MILNE, JOHN C, was born in Milfield, Scotland, May 18, 1824. His parents died while he was quite young, and to the ten- der care of his grandparents he was in- debted for educational opportunities and early educational training. In r832 he emigrated with them to Nova Scotia, where, at the age of eight years, he en- tered the printing-office of an uncle, and soon became a rapid and accurate com- positor. In 1835 he came with his grandparents to Fall River, and for nearly three years worked in the calico factory of Andrew Robeson & Sons. During that time he attended, three hours each clay, a factory day school, maintained by the Messrs. Robeson for the benefit of the boys in their employ, and also an evening school. In 1838 he obtained work in a printing office in Fall River, where, excepting six months spent at the Pierce Academy, Mid- dleborough, and a short time in a printing- office in New York City, he remained till 1845. After leaving the academy he con- tinued his studies with a view to entering college. He devoted a portion of each day to study, reciting to the Rev. George M. Randall, afterwards bishop of Colorado, and the remaining hours of the day and evening to labor in the printing-office, and was thus fitted for college. Thomas Almy, the proprietor of the office, his life-long friend and subsequent partner in busi- ness, kindly arranged his hours of labor in such a way that he could select his time both for study and work. Being destitute of means, he was forced to abandon his cherished purpose, and in 1845 was encour- aged to commence the publication of the " Fall River Weekly News," in company with Mr. Almy. The first number was is- sued April 3, 1845. In 1859 a daily edi- tion of the " News " was begun, and both papers are still published. Mr. Almy died in 1882, after a co-partnership with Mr. Milne of thirty-seven years. The difficul- ties experienced in those days, when these two young men undertook the work, were laborious, and their lives self-denying ; but by incessant application and rigorous economy they achieved success. The paper was started as an exponent of Democratic principles, and so remained until the surrender of the party to the slave-holders of the South. It has been an earnest advocate of human freedom, the rights of free labor, the cause of tem- perance, and the best interests of the com- munity. For the last thirty years and more it has represented the Republican party, but ever in an independent manner. In 1849 Mr. Milne was married to Abby A., daughter of George W. and Betsey
^SY E JOHN C. MILNE. (Howland) Gifford, of Fall River. Of this union were nine children, five of whom are living : Mrs. Mary J. Fenner, Joseph D. Milne, Mrs. Abby G. Carr, Mrs. Jennie D. Remington and Hannah E. Milne. Mr. Milne was a member of the city council of Fall River for five years. He is a director in the Slade and Osborn mills, and has been a director in the Po- casset National Bank since its organization in 1854. He is also president of the Citizens' Savings Bank, and a member of its board of investment. He has repre- sented the city for five consecutive years in the state Legislature — from 1884 to 1888 inclusive — serving on several com- mittees, the most prominent of which were the committees on public charitable insti- tutions, and banks and banking. Of both
