The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-23
KENNEDY IS REAL
 CAPITAL BOOSTER Tells of Big Things Montgom-
 cry Is Doing JUST GETTING STARTED
Says Montgomery Is Now Recognized All Over Country as Place Where Citizens Are Alive to Their
 Opportunities
BY BURR BLACKBURN

Until Bruce Kennedy, the newspaper man, plain clothes detective from Scotland Yards and jolly good fellow, began an in- vestigation which followed in its intri- cate trial, the toiler of the sod and the rich man in his mansion, no one knew anything about Montgomery. Until that time people thought that the little city on the Alabama river was nothing but place for oxen and mules to stand with loads of cotton in Court Square, while the sun parched the cobblestones on Cap itol avenue.
 It was on May 15 last that the in- vestigation began, and now the world halls Montgomery as the paradise of the south, an industrial mecca, the seventh wonder of the age.
 And it all happened in four months. The people of Alabama knew him, and loved him, but they didn't think it was in him. This man, who Is the general secretary of the newly organized Business Mems league of Montgomery, was in Birming- ham yesterday attending the conference on the all-Alabama movement, as the vice president for Alabama of the South ern Commercial Secretaries association. To see his face radiate, and his eyes snap, as he talks of Montgomery, is one of the privileges which makes a news paper mans life worth living.
 "If I get too enthusiastic, just stop me- he says, but 1t Is considered a poor policy to try to stop a locomotive travel ing at a terrific speed. "Oh, it's every word true. I'm not handing you hot air have gone to the bottom of the situa- tion, and I invite investigation" But nobody who knows Bruct Kennedy would question his veracty
 "Why, our mules" he says "are now kicking. and blowing and praying in nine different states. Montgomery Is the third mule city in the United States. We ship out of Alabama s3,Ooo,OoO worth Of mules every year. Think of 1t!
 And we haze put on the bills of fare of the finest Chicago restaurants syrup, marked Made In Montgomery We ara now making a s10.00O campaign in Cali fornia and Oregon, and have smeared our syrup all over the Pacific sope.''
 
 retary Kennedy, You are actually doing big things" Quickly he replied:
 "Actually' Is a good word. Let's look at 1t a minute.
 There are $50 members of the Bus mess Mems league. They, and not their general secretary. only have been doing things'-big things, since May 15, the day I went into the office. I have never slept on a job and never shall.
 "Please bear in mind that there are 21 members of our official staff-Pres- ident s. J. Cassels, three active vice presidents, 15 members of our board of directors, my associate secretary, MT. H. S. Kealh ofer and me. There are 15 department managers.
 "'Big things move slowly. Let's see how fast we have moved ip four months.
 We took BOP Montgomery men and women to Savannah to meet the steam CT City of Montgomery" on June 6. The invitation of the Ocean Steamship company was received June 1. It was submitted to our board that morning, accepted and the contracts authorized. Within 24 hours we had organized the party, sent copy for two pieces of ad- vertising G6,000 pieces in alb to the printer, made all contracts for the trip and we were ready to go the follow ing night As a matter of record, we left with this party for Savannah Sat 'urday evening. June 4, four days after the board of directors had this invita- tion.
 "In four months we organized a barge line company (the stock held exclusively in Montgomery and this company has purchased a steamboat and two barges, equipping the prop erty as well as any steamer line ply ing Alabama rivers. The initial trip of The Liberty was the occasion for much rejoicing by our business peo- pie.
 we have written and had printed 7e GOO pieces of advertising on Mont Eomery. More than half of 1t has been distributed judiciously. At least 25 per cent of it has gone out to individual addresses. accompanied by well consid- cred letters urging inquirers to in- vestigate every statement that we have made and we have now 10000 pieces of advertising in the hands of the pi.s ssrs.
 "And we are bringing new people tc Montgomery. Look into this statement if you like.
 "Keen-eyed business men, supporting soo commercial organizations in this country, are watching our efforts .tc develop a spirit of unity there Fifty seven southern commercial secretaries did me the honor to choose me as theil representative in Alabama. They did lit for a purpose. They have re- port on Montgomery nearly every week They know we are doing big things
 Shall we have an experiment sta