The state herald., 1907-06-07
HAND OF DEATH
1T FALLS UPON PIONEER AND EN-
PlRE BUILDER.
WALTER SCOTT CHEESMAN
President Of Denver Union Water
Company Passes Away After But
Ten Days of Illness.

Denver-Walter Scott Cheosman.
captain of finance, empire builder and
pioneer, is dead
At 1886 O'Clock on the morning OF
May 3lst he succumbed to a complica-
tion of maladies caused by a severe
case of la grippe, which he contracted
last December Neuralgia. asthma and
other complications caused death.
Mr.. Cheesman was president of the
Denver Union Water Company, vice
president of the First National bank. a
director of the International Trust
Company and of the Moffat road, pres.
ident of the State Bank of Aspen, was
connected with many other corpora
tions, and for fifteen years had been
president of the Humane Society.
Although comparatively poor man
when he came to Colorado forty-seven
years ago, he died possessed of an es-
tate variously estimated to be worth
from sl5.000,00 to s25,0O0,O00. Men
close to him make the estimate of his
wealth as being about s2O,0OO.OOO.
Mr. Cheeseman's realty holdings in
Denver have an assessed valuation of
nearly 100000. and an actual value
of nearly twice that much. His inter
est in the Denver Union Water Com
pany is valued at millions of dollars,
he and David II. Molfat owning far
more than control. His mining prop
critics in various parts of the state are
estimated to be worth millions of dol
lars.
OF all the men who by their thrift,
industry and faith in the future and
sterling courage in trying times,
builded the state of Colorado from a
wilderness where the red men held
sway to one of the greatest common
vealths of the Union the name of Wal
ter S. Cheesman must stand forth pre-
eminently. With the glare of the lime
light upon him he never was known to
finch, and his life and his connection
with the semi.public enterprises was
as an open book.
Men of public affairs expect TO be
criticised. They look for the scathing
darts of public Ccnsure. Dut. although
Mr. Cheeseman's corporations were at
tackled mercilessly at times, his own
character escaped and even his enc
mics recognized IN him man OF lofty
purpose, u man above the little things
OF life, Il man to whom success would
count as nothing IL In its achievement
one bit of his character had to he sac
riiiced.
With all of the woighty affairs OF
finance. state building and corporation
government on his broad shoulders,
Walter Cheesman found time to listen
to the cries OF the oppressed. The
plaintive plea OF the little uncsred.for
child. or the mute appeal of the animal
never reached him In vain. For twenty
years Mr.. Cheesman had been identi
fed with the humane movement in Col
orado. When the old Humane Society
was In existence he was actively inter
ested In the work and was one Of the
men who stood By II, in the strenuous
days when financial depression threat.
cncd the disruption of the society. FIJI.
teen years ago he became president OF
the Humane Society. and when that de.
yeloped into the State Bureau of Child
and Animal Protection, he continued
nj the helm, giving freely Of his own
bank account that the bureau might be.
come firmly established.
Mr.. Cheeseman's interest In the HUI
name Society work was so great that
he bore the expense Of second field
agent In the Humane Society all dur.
Ing 1906. He had become convinced
that one agent could not cover the
Denver field and thereupon authorized
the appointment OF an assistant at a
personal expense OF about 81 200. He
kept this charity from the public the
same as he did his many other phllan.
thropic donations.
In the death OF Walter Checsman the
dumb animal and the mistreated child
have lost the best friend they ever had
IN Colorado. The good he did along
these lines was by stealth. and he
"blushed to find II fame" Many who
knew him well never guessed that a
good part of his life work was the re-.
lief OF the unfortunate. Last winter,
when the General Assembly consid.
cred the abolition Of the bureau he
used his influence 10 save II, and to the
personal friendship which many Of the
legislators entertained for him IN due
the utter failure Of the campaign.
Like David II. Monat, Mr. Chocs.
man came TO Colorado when life here
was not all sunshine: when the men
who had blnzod the trail from the East
thirstod for gold and hungerod for
bread. He did not wait until the posi-.
bilitlcs OF the new country were mani
fest.
Mr.. Checsman was born at Hamp.
stead Harbor. Long Island, New York,
June "a. 1888.
Historians Of the state say that Den.
vor's salvation from being n mere VII.
lage is due 20 Walter Chnesmnn and u
group Of snnEulnc young men who pre-,
pared the way for the city To become
the metropolis Of the Rocky Mountain
region. His history is u good part Of
the history Of Denver, and his active
Identification with gigantic enterprises.
such ms the construction Of the Den
YER Pacific. the Denver a Boulder Val.
ley. the South Park. the Denver a Now
orleans. the Denver. Texas A. Fort
Worth railways. lE n matter of record
IN financial annals. lie lAborod with
MIR Moffnt To bring tho tfnion pnrlnr