The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-26
W. M. BIunt's Plans for Union Springs and Northern
 Being Worked Out
HAS SUPPORT OF PEOPLE
 IN HIS BIG UNDERTAKING
Finances Are Already in Hand for Inn portant Development Work Which May Mean New
 Line to Birmingham.
BY WALTER HARPER.


 just now one of the livest industrial propositions in the state.
 While no definite information Is being given out there is good reason to believe that the road will be built into the Bir- mingham district within the next few years. l know that plans are maturing for important developments and exten- sion, but there is a wizard of the Harri- man temperament behind the work and he is saying but little.
 He was out of bed this morning at 4 o'clock and before daylight was away to the woods where the surveyors are at work and to meet party of business men who are interested in his schemes. This man Is not rising before the sun and burning midnight electricity with bankers and civil engineers for no purpose.
 The President.
 W. M Blunt, president of the Union Springs and Northern railroad, is one of the most remarkable men in the state. You have heard but little of him for the reason that he does things and does not spend time talking about what he is going to do.
 I held him to almost midnight last night and must confess that I knew but little more at the end of the third degree,' through which he allowed me to put him, than did when I walked into his office. But one thing I did know, I learned that I had discovered an industrial giant. The best evidence of his power and abil-
 
 is being given him by the bankers and business men of Union Springs; the men in his home town who know him. An other evidence of his power Is the ease with which he goes into Wall street and borrows big sums of money. A citizen of the town this morning made the remark that W. M. Blunt is the only man in the world who had ever gone to Wall street without money or property and borrowed quarter of million dollars
 Has Money in Hand. It is understood here now that Mir Blunt has just borrowed something more than million dollars for the extension of his road to some point north President Blunt himself will not admit this definite
 
 it. The fact is nobody is insisting to know his plans and MT. Blunt declares that it would be a policy suicide to dis close them in advance of definite ac- tion. The people seem to be satisfied to allow MT. Blunt to develop his plans to suit himself They seem to have abso- lute confidence in him. Even men who are financially interested tell me that they are not familiar with MT. Blunt's plant for development
 They know that he went to New York awhile ago with financial plan, that he telegraphed a friend that he had suc ceeded and would be home on a certain day. When he got home he was surprised to find an escort of fellow citizens at the train who bore him in triumph to a great banquet that had been arranged in his honor. Some thought he would outline his full plan at the banquet. He told the people everything but what he intended to do. His townspeople accepted his silence and are waiting patiently for developments.
 Blunt Is Busy.
 In the meantime MT Blunt is mighty busy. Every day he is receiving calls from prominent f1nanciers, bankers and business men from Montgomery, Birminy. ham and other places.
 He showed me a telegram last night calling him east again. He will be back in few days and will probably make dennite announcement of development plans that will mean very much to Union Springs, east Alabama and probably the Birmingham district.
 This being almost entirely a one-man affair with the secret locked up in that one mans bosom, it is impossible to get his plans in full. Indeed this paper would not betray confidence, however Inn portant the story might be.
 That President Blunt is capable of car rying out any plans he has is best proven by what he has done already in this community.
 Nine years ago while he was a small merchant here Mir. Blunt conceived the idea of building short line of road to connect Union Springs with the Seaboard Air Line railroad at Fort Davis. This would give a new outlet into Montgom- cry by way of the Seabosrd. He had no money, but plenty of faith and courage With these two assets and his plans he went to New York and got all the money he needed to build and equip the road
 When the Central of Georgia, which had a monopoly of the business in each of the cardinal directions, saw MT. Blunt's move the latter was thrown Into fight the main features of which are familiar to newspaper readers.
 One of the principal incidents was a physical encounter about six months ago when the big corporation attempted to prevent the building of belt line around the city entirely cutting off the big road.
 Railroad Fight.
 Cross tracks were torn up and rebuilt over night under the personal direction of President Blunt and high officials of the Central of Georgia. As last resort one night the Central officials ran an engine on the belt line crossing and killed it. President Blunt ran an engine and a loaded car into it and knocked it into the ditch. When another engine was placed on the crossing President Blunt prepared to repeat the performance. Then the Central officials capitulated with the excuse that such fighting destroyed too much property.
 And then President Blunt was backed by the citizens of the town.
 Town Is BeIted.
 The result of this fight was the belting of the entire town inside the lines of the Central of Georgia and the build ing of spur tracks into every business h<,,,so mt vroH1scAH f,pAao4rk