John Elmer Milholland was born in
Lewis, New York, on May 20, 1860, to John and Mary Moore Milholland. His parents were
Irish immigrants, and when he was three their house burned down. His mother and sister were killed, and his father returned with Milholland to Ireland. After two years, Milholland returned to America, where his father opened a confectioners shop. Educated at Paterson High School, Milholland was aided by
William Walter Phelps and attended
New York University. He also invested in the Batcheller Pneumatic Tube Co., eventually becoming its president. The corporation worked on the first
pneumatic tube lines in New York City (see
Pneumatic tube mail in New York City). Expanding into other markets, by 1900, Milholland was worth $500,000. An
antiexpansionist, Milholland soon moved to London, where he founded the International Union Club, which supported the
Boers. In 1904, he created a syndicate that controlled much of the pneumatic mail in Europe. In 1911, he attended the
First Universal Races Congress. He died on June 29, 1925, at his home on 247
Fifth Avenue, after a short illness. == References ==