JONES, SAMUEL MILTON

Samuel Milton Jones (1846–1904) was born in the village of Ty Mawr, in Caernarvonshire, Wales, on August 3, 1846. Jones was brought to the United States at the age of three and raised in New York, where he received only about thirty months of schooling. At the age of 18, in 1864, Jones found work in the Titusville, Pennsylvania, oil fields. Jones did well in the oil business, and worked the industry in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana. In 1870 he became a producer himself.

When Jones' first wife died, he moved to Ohio in 1886 seeking some change in his life. He operated from a headquarters in Lima, Ohio, and operated his oil fields, which were the result of a big strike that year. Also in 1886 Jones met and married a woman from a prominent Toledo family, Helen W. Beach. They were to have three sons.

Jones studied oil field production. In 1893 he invented the "sucker rod," a device that permitted deep–well drilling. He made a fortune on the sucker rod by establishing a manufacturing plant in Toledo he called the Acme Sucker–Rod Company. Jones was an efficient business manager. But he was also a kind and benevolent employer who introduced many worker reforms such as the 8–hour day, paid vacations, and a minimum wage. He also eliminated child labor and piece–work. He instituted a five percent Christmas Bonus. Many of his competitors and political enemies called Jones "socialistic."

Jones hung a sign in his factory extolling the "Golden Rule" and encouraged all employees to honor it. He used the same Golden Rule in his own dealings and believed it worked. From this, his workers and the general public came to call him "Golden Rule Jones".

Golden Rule Jones entered politics in 1897. Running as a Republican, he was elected mayor of Toledo. But his political allies did not support the reforms he championed, and he fell out of favor. Jones's reforms included fighting against corruption, improvement of industrial conditions in the city, and the establishment of city parks. The Republicans refused to nominate Jones in 1899. But he ran as an independent and won by a landslide. Following this victory, Jones brought the 8-hour day and minimum wage to city workers.

Jones continued with his reforms as he won four successive elections. He pushed for municipal ownership of services and utilities, and the direct popular nomination of candidates for public office by petition (without the intervention of political party machinations). He added public services and established public parks and kindergartens. Jones died in office on July 12, 1904, but his reforms were carried on by his mayoral successor.

JONES, SAMUEL MILTON

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