FCBKDABT 6, 1919. 



The Florists' Review 



29 



Mrs. EUen M. OiU. 



The pioneer ain|b^ women floriats, as 

 well as the most^BDOus woman florist, 

 Mrs. Ellen M. G^JP^f Medford, Mass., 

 is dead at the age of 88 years. Mrs. 

 Gill grew flowers for the Boston market 

 for fifty years and her interest in the 

 florists' business continued after the 

 infirmities of increasing years compelled 

 her retirement. 



Of Puritan ancestry, Mrs. Gill num- 

 bered John Alden and Richard Warren 

 among her forbears. At the age of 19 

 she was married to George Gill and the 

 first home of the couple was at Melrose, 

 Mass. In 1854 they removed to Medford 

 and it was at the Medford home that 

 Mrs. Gill'^ opportunity came, when her 

 husband purchased the property which 

 became the family home, together with 

 a range of greenhouses. It was not only 

 the greenhouse stock which interested 

 Mrs. Gill, but the outdoor flowers as 

 well, and within a few months the flow- 

 ers grown by her were noted throughout 

 the region roundabout. In 1865 Mrs. 

 Gill was admitted to membership in the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society. In 

 1870 she built the first of four green- 

 houses upon her grounds and embarked 

 upon her career as a commercial grower. 

 8he specialized in roses, carnations and 

 callas. She was one of the first florists 

 to grow violets for the market. Marechal 

 Niel was the first hybrid rose grown in- 

 doors at her range, but other varieties 

 were added later. 



It was her great love of flowers which 

 inspired Mrs. Gill's activities in their 

 culture and enabled her to achieve such 

 distinguished success. Her interest in 

 the trade's activities continued up to 

 the last years of her life and she was a 

 familiar figure at the various shows and 

 exhibitions of Boston and vicinity. 



Mrs. Gill was noted also for her ben- 

 efactions lo the sick, to whom her gifts 

 of fiowers were generous and frequent. 

 Twice eack week, during the active years 

 of her career, she sent large donations 

 to the Flower Mission of Boston. Vet- 

 eran florists recall Mrs. Gill as a grower, 

 designer and exhibitor of exceptional 

 ability, and as one whose fine character 

 inspired the highest esteem and the 

 warmest friendship. 



Mrs. Gill some years ago was elected 

 to honorary membership in the Garden- 

 erg' and Florists' Club of Boston. Fu- 

 neral services were held at her late home 

 in Medford, February 1, when there was 

 a large attendance, including a number 

 connected with the trade. There were 

 many beautiful floral tributes. 



Michael Exonls. 



Michael Kronis, proprietor of Pitts- 

 burgh's Pennsylvania railroad station's 

 flower shops and the shop in Penn ave- 

 nue, East Liberty, of the Alpha Floral 

 Co., died January 28 in Mercy hospital, 

 after a lingering illness. Mr. Kronis, 

 ■vrho was 53 years of age, was 

 born in Sparta, Greece, and came to 

 America in 1880. He first located in 

 Chicago, removing to Pittsburgh four- 

 teen years ago and immediately opening 

 .1 flower shop in the Union station. This 

 enterprise proved so successful that a 

 year later he started a similar one in 



Mrs. EUen M. Gill. 



the corridor of the East Liberty station. 

 Less than a year ago Mr..Kronis in- 

 augurated the Alpha Floral^o., with a 

 large and beautifully equipped store 

 nearby on Penn avenue. His health be- 

 gan to fail three years ago, but he con- 

 tinued active in business until last sum- 

 mer, which he spent on the Atlantic 

 coast. 



Mr. Kronis was a member of the Flo- 

 rists' and Gardeners' Club. He is sur- 

 vived by two brothers, Nicholas and 

 John Kronis, who will succeed him in 

 business. Mr. Kronis was highly 

 esteemed in the trade. E. E. 8. 



Milton Alexander. 



The many friends among the florists 

 of Milton Alexander, who traveled for 

 Lion & Co., New York city, will regret 

 to learn of his death, which occurred last 

 week in New York. His illness began 

 while he was calling on the trade in 

 Detroit, but he was able to reach home 

 before the end came. Mr. Alexander's 

 itinerary gave him a wide acquaintance 

 ai ng the florists and his kindly greet- 

 in; nd welcome presence will be missed 

 by who knew him. 



John T. Milliken. 



John T. Milliken, 66 years old, mil- 

 lionaire chemical manufacturer, mining 

 and oil operator, died at his home at St. 

 Louis January 31, following an illness 

 of two weeks. He contracted a severe 

 cold, which developed into pneumonia. 



Mr. Milliken was probably one of the 

 wealthiest of St. Louisans. His wealth 

 was estimated at between $10,000,000 

 and $15,000,000. In addition to his large 

 chemical investments, he was interested 

 in mine and oil properties in Oklahoma 

 and Texas. In 1915 he sold his interests 

 in the Golden Cycle Mine in the Crip- 

 ple Creek district in Colorado for $4.- 



500,000 to an English syndicate. He 

 also was interested heavily in oil pro- 

 motions in Oklahoma and Texas. He 

 disposed of a part of his oil holdings in 

 April, 1916, to the Sinclair Oil & Re- 

 fining Co., at an enormous profit. 



After disposing of most of his large 

 holdings Mr. Milliken became interested 

 in the St. Louis Wholesale Cut Flower 

 Co. On his country estate at Crescent, 

 Mo., one of the picture places of the 

 middle west, he built greenhouses con- 

 taining 200,000 feet of glass. They were 

 devoted entirely to roses. 



The business of the wholesale florist 

 company will go on without change. Al- 

 though Mr. Milliken financed the con- 

 cern at its inception and held a major- 

 ity of the stock, he left the management 

 to a board of directors composed of well- 

 known St. Louis florists, who chose Da- 

 vid Geddis as president. 



W. J. Meldmia. 



W. J. Meldrum, dealer in seeds and 

 plants, at Sacramento, Cal., whose death 

 occurred December 27, formerly waa 

 connected with the East Lawn Con- 

 servatories, located on Kay street, in 

 that city, of which Moore Bros, are 

 proprietors now, operating this estab- 

 lishment in their own name. Mr. Mel- 

 drum bought the Sellers Floral Co. after 

 the sale of the conservatories. 



Columbus, O. — Herman W, Kropp, of 

 the Cottage Rose Gardens, is again at 

 the front with a fine lot of calceolarias 

 and cinerarias, amid a general assort- 

 ment of plants for the retail trade. He 

 observed that a salesman for a pottery 

 c'oncern mentioned that he could more 

 easily sell geraniums than pots, as the 

 former are so scarce that everyone is 

 inquiring where they may be found. 



