endent ▁of ▁the ▁P oc asset ▁Mill ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁twenty - six . ▁He ▁drew ▁up ▁the ▁plans ▁for ▁building ▁a ▁giant ▁new ▁mill ▁for ▁the ▁P oc asset ▁company , ▁ ▁by ▁ ▁and ▁rising ▁to ▁five ▁stories . ▁The ▁mill ▁was ▁unusual ▁for ▁its ▁time ▁in ▁being ▁built ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁to ▁plans ▁that ▁considered ▁both ▁the ▁structure ▁and ▁the ▁arrangement ▁of ▁the ▁mach in ery , ▁bel ts ▁and ▁g ear ing . ▁From ▁ 1 8 4 2 ▁to ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁Dav ol ▁was ▁agent , ▁or ▁chief ▁executive , ▁of ▁the ▁T roy ▁Mill . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁ten ▁different ▁companies . ▁ ▁George ▁Alexander ▁Gray ▁( 1 8 5 1 – 1 9 1 2 ) ▁is ▁another ▁example . ▁Gray ▁started ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁do f fer ▁before ▁the ▁Civil ▁War ▁when ▁aged ▁eight , ▁ear ning ▁ten ▁c ents ▁a ▁day ▁in ▁a ▁mill ▁at ▁Pin hook , ▁North ▁Carolina . ▁He ▁had ▁little ▁education , ▁but ▁rose ▁to ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁over se er ▁in ▁the ▁mill , ▁and ▁then ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁job ▁of ▁super vis ing ▁installation ▁of ▁mach in ery ▁in ▁new ▁plants . ▁He ▁moved ▁to ▁Gast onia , ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁where ▁he ▁built ▁the ▁first ▁mill ▁with ▁his ▁own ▁capital . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁he ▁died , ▁there ▁were ▁eleven ▁mill s ▁in ▁Gast onia , ▁of ▁which ▁Gray ▁had