Source: Nemaha County Courier Tribune
Seneca, Kansas
November 5, 1934
Workers for the development of the $250,000 Nemaha county lake-park improvement encountered their first obstacle late last week when the United Power & Light Corporation declined. For the time being there will be built a $2000 transmission line from the Kelly corner to the CCC camp site. The decision of the power company left a painful impression upon lake-park workers who were not at all accustomed to defeat in park plans. The matter occasioned some embarrassment from the fact that park workers had induced the state highway commission to secure the right of way for the new road to accommodate the building of the high line, then felt themselves out on a limb when the power company declined to go through with its end of the deal. Pete Waller, councilman, who has taken a lead in negotiations with the power company, stated that officials of the company had encouraged the securing of the right of way and he was at a loss to understand why they should complain when things had progressed so far.
In the meantime, Col. Christie, executive officer at Ft. Riley, felt it no longer advisable to hold up illumination of the CCC camps and Friday issued an order that two gasoline-driven units be trucked to the camp and set up. The last conversation with the United Power & Light was in reference to the matter between Mr. Waller and Vice president Bell Friday noon. Mr. Bell did not close the door on the building line but his answer was considered unsatisfactory here. He said the installation of the self-contained electric units would not preclude hooking on a high line later if matters shaped themselves so this would be feasible.
Seneca men interested themselves in the transmission line for reason that electric lights are not only necessary while the work is in progress but in later years when concessions, club houses and perhaps cabins at the lake will need efficient lighting service. There were plans to work heavy machinery on the dam the full 24 hours. The forestry service expected to use floodlights for this purpose. Between the forestry service and the CCC camps it was believed there would be adequate revenue to make the investment profitable for the power company, or at least break even. Company officials expressed doubt of this in various stages of the negotiations. The forestry service even volunteered to set the poles for the company in order to keep expense down. The forestry department will now be obliged to install a carbide lighting service. In declining to give the service, United Power and Light expressed the view that the park is Seneca territory and that it should not encroach. Mayor Emery and C.W. Baldwin, attorneys, doubted the municipality has a legal right to incur such expense outside its own limits. Some pointed out United Power and Light was not so particular about encroaching upon Seneca territory in other days when it was hustling for business.
We would like to give special thanks to the Courier Tribune, Seneca, Kansas for granting permission to web publish this article.