Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-08-04
FORMER TRAIN HAND
NOW A MILLIONAIRE
BrakSman Strikes a Fortune
Through a Loan of
Si7O.
TOURS EASTERN STATES
Though travelling in a Private Car He
is Thoroughly Democratic and
Calls Train Men by Their
Given Names

." " ~aSTlDSIOH St5Es Inc CIONu IidSotu
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.
M day was warm, and the people
penned up OF the platform gazed en-
viously at a man who was hitting
about inside the gates, giving orders
here and there and experimenting the
placing OF numerous boxes and ham
pers IN the car, which bore the name
FL Fleda.
The mar was about as years old and
stockily built. From undeh the SLOUGH
hat projected loads of brown hair
streakod with gray. His commands to
the attendants were given with a tone
OF authority, bit ii was puZzling to
hear h porters, and train hands adj
dress MIN Familiarity as "Bunt and
sometimes Bunting" There was Moth
Ing about him TO indicate that he was
a man Of wealth. He wore a blue serge
suit, q plain tie ornamented with a
modest scarf pin, a slender gold chain
on his waistooat and a plain gold ring
on the little finger of his left hand.
Az he stepped about giving orders here
and there he puffed continuously on a
long black cigar Of prodigious bulk.
His hands shove evidence of hard
soil, and, in fact, he looked to be a sort
OF prosperous mechanic. .
When az last the gates We're opened
The people tlocked to the cars, and were
soon deep in books n papers, and the
man and the palace ON wheels were
soon forgotten. One woman, however,
could not overcome her curiosity so
soon. When the conductor came along
she asked who the man was and
VUhafhaT no WAS the owner. of the car
The conductor smiled. why, that's
John Bunting, the millionaire train
hand he said somewhat surprised at
her confessed ignorance. He used TO
Drake on the Southern Pacific up to q
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
at Albany. then his private car is
switched to another train for Loon
Lake, where he has a camp. He is to
have q party Of friends up there for the
season"
Rapid Rise to Wealth.
The conductor might have told more,
had there been time, of John A. Blunt
fng's rapid rise to wealth, and how,
within the space OF a week, he left the
top Of q freight train to take his posi-
tlon SIS one of the worlds m~illionaires.
A trile more than four years 6
Bunting, who had worked as a brake
man on many railroads.. was stationed
at Tucson, Ariz., in charge of a switch
ing crew. He and his wife had saved
UP a little sur from his wages, and he
was enabled to lend $40 to a man,
taking as security a gold watch and a
deed TO forty acres Of land in Kern
county, Cal.
the switching station and resumed his
occupation Of brakeman. At the expir-
alton OF q year the loan remained un-
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, n Bunting re-
turned from one OF his trips to find
that his property was worth a fortune
There was no trouble in disposing of 1t.
Representatives of the Standard Oil
company We're buying up all the land
that was for sale, and the Bunting
acres went with others. The sum paid
is ~variously estimated at between ST.
600, 600 and $4,000 900.
Notwithstanding the fact tina so
many of his years had been spent in
travelling on railroads, the newly
created millionaire determined to traY-
ell 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 q priv
ate car II making his future Journeys
in comfort n luxury He entered the
office Of a car manufacturing company
n asked to see the vice president. His
whole appearance bespoke the work
man. His hands had not yet lost the
signs OF hard labor Inc his attire was
not that which one would expect to
zee a millionaire wear.
Mistaken for Workman.
The clerk evidently took that view,
Cor, 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
proper time.
Bunting flushed with anger. I'm
not looking for a job" he said, Il want
to buy a private car
Not long after that a ground plan
was drawn up for Ii Fleda, as the car
s~as subsequently named. The plans
Were changed several times, as Bunt-
ing. with train experience to guide him,
had ideas of his own that he wanted
carried out.
The car is seventy feet long and
combines all the conveniences of a
modern dwelling. There are
dations for a dozen guests without
orowding, and the rooms are finished
IN tiger wood, maple and English oak.
AT the front end is a refrigerator OF
large capacity, plentifully furnished
with wine racks. Then comes the
kitchen and pantry and servants quar-
ters, fitted up for four attendants.
Next is a bathroom. beautifully decor
ated and furnished with a large porce-
lain tub. Doors lead from the BATH
room into section fitted up for the use
OF guests.
Then comes the dining room with an
extension table. More wine racks are
provided here, and there always is q
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
a double berth without oyercrowding.
This room is Bunting's special pride,
n much time, care and money were
spent in getting ii to his liking.
Next to his bed room is a room al
most as large and furnished with
bcrths and ward robes. 1t is used
principally as a dressing room, unless
the number OF guests is unusually
large. AT the extreme rear OF the car
Is the observation room and broad
platform from which TO view the
scenery.
The car Is lighted throughout by
electricity, even the signal lamps, or
'markers,' as they are Technically
known. being electrically Illuminated.