The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-30
Cheyenne Bottoms to Become
Finest Resort in Middle West.
Plans of Promoters to Be Car
ried Out at Last.
STILWELL BACK OF 1T
Water Will Be Taken From Ar
kansas River by bitches.
English Capitalists Interested
in Promoting the Deal.

Great Bend. April 3o.-For many
months. in fact for years, what has
been known as the Cheyenne Lake pro-
ject has been considered a dead issue.
There has been nothing doing in re-
gard to the project and the expert
mental ditch built from the Arkansas
river to the bottoms has been permit
ted to go into state of decay to such
an extent that at some places the bot
tom of the ditch has been plowed up.
1t will be remembered that the entire
proposition went out of local hands and
was conveyed to a party of men of
whom Mr.. A. z. StiFwell, OF Kansas
City, was the head. There was a great
deal Of litigation over the lands In the
bottoms condemned for the use Of the
project and a compromise settlement
was finally agreed upon about the time
Mr. StilWe1 and his people took hold or
the enterprise. The United States d
Mexico Trust company of Kansas
City. which is the financial hacker of
the kansas City, Mexico & Orient rail-
way, is back of the company now hold
ing the Cheyenne Lake property
While local people have come to
think that the project had been entire
" abandoned on account of there be-
ing nothing done for years the real
owners have thought nothing of the
kind and have only been deferred from
action on account of great interests
elsewhere demanding their entire at
tention.
The arrival of A. E. Stilwell. accom-
panied by Attorneys ]. B. Eaton and j.
Med. Trimble, General Manager Dick
inson of the Orient railway and three
English capitalists associated with
Mr.. Stilweu in his railway and other
enterprises, this week has started talk
again. The party in company with n
number of local people well acquainted
with the ditch company holdings, went
out in automobiles and made a thor
ough inspection Of the ditch properties,
including the lands on the bottoms and
the ditch proper in its entire course
from where it leads from the Arkansas
river to where it empties into the
Cheyenne basin.
Mr.. Stillwell states positively that
the original plans of the ditch COM
pany will be fully carried out and that
Cheyenne Lake will be a reality. As
It is generally understood that there
is q time limit on the land holdings
of this company in the bottoms, in
other words, that the condemnation
proceedings by which this company
gains control of these lands for the
purpose set forth in the charter. pro-
vides that the uses for which these
lands were condemned must be taken
It is presumed that the company pro-
poses to begin at once to do business
Mr.. Stillwell is one of the most Wig
orous promoters in the entire west
and when he takes hold of an enter
prise he usually carries it through to
a successful conclusion. He has been
in England several months past, and
has interested a great deal of Eng
lish capital in the companies he Is
now promoting. The Orient railway
which is the chief enterprise In which
he is now interested. is now being
pushed forward rapidly and promises
to be one of the greatest trans-con-
tinental lines in the country. Rumors
are again rife that Cheyenne lake
will be made one of the greatest re-
sorts in the middle west and vision:
of an ideal boating and fishing re-
sort together with a network of troll
ley lines, are again looming up. Al
any rate, it does look as if the scheme
is about to be resurrected and new life
infused in it's present dormant re
mains.