The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-08-04
FORMER TRAIN HAND
NOW A MILLIONAIRE
Brakeman Strikes a Fortune
Through a Loan Of
$I7O.
U EASTERN STATES
Though Travelling in a Private Car He
10 Thoroughly Democratic and
Calls Train Men by Their
Given Names.

Given Names.
Washington Star: The crowd massed
In the Enclosure between the waiting
room and the train shed of the Grand
Central station. waiting for the gates
to open, found some amusement the
other day watching the stocking with
provisions a private car attached to the
Empire State express.
The day was warm. and the people
penned up on the platform gazed en-
v1ously at a man who was fitting
about inside the gates. giving orders
here and there and experimenting the
placing OF numerous boxes and ham,
bers In the car, which bore the name
M Fleda.
The man was about 4S years old and
etockily built. From undeh the SLOUGH
hat projected loads of brown hair
streaked with gray. His commands to
the attendants were given with a tone
Of authority, bit it was puZZling to
hear the porterA, and train hands adj
dress him Familiarity as Blunt" and
sometimes Bunting" There was Moth
Q man of wealth. He wore a blue serge
suit, g plain tie ornamented with q
modest Scarf pin, a slender gold chain
on his waistcoat and a plain gold ring
on the little finger of his left hand.
As he stepped about giving orders here
and there he puffed continuously on q
long black cigar of p%rodigious bulk.
toll, and, in fact, he looked to be a sort
OF prosperous mechanic.
When ut last the gates We're opened
the peop.e locked to the cars, and were
soon deep in books and papers, and the
mar n the palace on wheels We're
INN fNroNtfnr (o,4 ~, ,~-,o-.1
could not overcome her curiosity SO
soon. When the conductor came along
she asked who the man was and
whether he was the owner of the car.
The conductor smiled. why. that's
John Bunting, tine millionaire train
band he said somewhat surprised at
her confessed ignorance. II used to
brake on the Southern Pacific up to a
few years ago; then he made a strike
In oil land, and is worth millions now.
He Is on his way to the Adirondacks
for the summer. We take him as far
as Albany, then his private car is
switched to another train for Loon
Lake. where he has a camp. He is to
have a party Of friends up there for the
season."
Rapid Rise to Wealth.
The conductor might have old more,
had there been time, of John A. Bunt-
ings rapid rise to wealth, and how.
within the space Of a week, he left the
top of a freight train to take his posi-
ton as OF the worlds m~illionaires.
A trifle more than four years ago
Bunting, who had worked as q brake
man on many railroads., was stationed
at Tucson, AriZ., in charge of a switch
Ing crew. He and his Wife had saved
up u little sum from his wages, and he
taking as security a gold watch and a
deed to forty acres Of land in Kern
county. Cal.
Soon afterward he was relieved from
the switching station and resumed his
occupation of brakeman. At the expir-
paid. and Bunting pocketed the watch
and had the land transferred to him
self. Just at that time oil was discov-
cred in Kern county, and Bunting re-
turned from one of his trips to find
that his property was worth a fortune.
There was no trouble in disposing of it.
Representatives of the Standard Oil
company were buying up all the land
that was for sale, and the Bunting
acres went with others. The sum paid
10 vartously estimated at between ST.
100000 and $4,000, 900.
Notwithstanding the fact that SO
many OF his years had been spent in
travelling on railroads, the newly
created millionaire determined to trav-
el some more, and with his wife he
visited all the prominent cities Of the
country. 1t was while in Chicago that
he conceived the idea of buying a priv
ate car and making his future Journeys
In comfort and luxury /. He entered the
once OF a car manufacturing company
and asked to see the vice president. His
whole appearance bespoke the work.
man. His hands had not yet lost the
signs OF hard labor and his attire was
not that which one would expect to
G0A q }ra VyAo~
Mistaken for Workman.
The clerk evidently took that view,
Tor, after looking askance at the Wis
itor. he took in his name to the vice
president, returning a few minutes
later with the information that there
was no vacancy just then, but that his
application would be considered at the
time.
Bunting flushed with anger. I'm
not looking for a job" he said, II want
to buy a private car"
Not long after hat a ground plan
was drawn up for Ell Fleda, as the car
was subsequently named. The plans
were changed several times, as Bunt-
ing. with train experience to guide him,
had IDEAS of his own tina he wanted
carried out.
The car is seventy feet long and
combines all the conveniences Of a
modern dwelling. There are accommo-
0a0ons for a dozen guests without
providing, and the rooms are finished !
In tiger wood, maple and English oak.
At he front n is a refrigerator OF
large capacity. plentifully furnished
With wine racks. Then comes the |
kitchen n pantry and servants qua
tiers, fitted up for four attendants. |
Next 10 a bathroom, beautifully decor
ated and furnished with a large porce-
tub. Doors lead from the bath
room into section fitted up for the use !
guests.
Then comes the dining room with an
extension table. More wine racks are
provided here. and there always is a
cold bottle within easy reach. Adjoin-
ing the dining room is the owners bed |
room. with a brass bed Of full width.
cabinets and wardrobes. "A sofa on one
side Of the room can be converted into
Q double berth without o~vercrowdinR.
This room is Bunting's special pride,
and much time, care and money We're
spent in getting 1t to his liking.
Next to his bed room is a room all
most as large and furnished with
berths and ward robes. It is used
principally as a dressing room, unless
tho number Of guests il unusually
large. At the extreme rear of he car