Bracken informing Clark of Buol's attempt to appropriate water from the Las Vegas Creek for his own use.
hln001050. Union Pacific Railroad Collection, 1828-1995. MS-00397. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada. http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/d1j10047b
English
Las Vegas, Nevada, October 11, 1906. Mr. J. Ross Clark, Los Angelas, California. Dear Sir,- I was very much surprised this morning to have handed me the enclosed notice of application for permission to appropriate the public waters of the State of Nevada, which notice as I under-stand it will be published in our weekly papers here this coming week. This places both the Railroad Company and myself, as I understand it, in a very grave position in reference to the waters of the Las Vegas Creek. I went somewhat into the detail of this matter and through Buol's attorney, M. S. Beal, procured from him a copy of his letter to the State Engineer, which I herewith enclose you. In this letter it seems to me there has been much misrepre-sentation,- in fact Judge Beal cites to the State Engineer that we have under cultivation not exceeding 100 acres. Now this possibly may be so if applied only to the orchards, vineyards and hay lands, but we have under fence about 800 acres, and not one drop of the waters of Las Vegas Creek but is used entirely within that fence. In fact we could use twice as much in the irrigation of the pastures, which it is an undisputed fact, must be attended to the same as the irrigation of the hay lands. Another misstatement in this letter is in reference to the flowing of this water, wherein he asserts that it flows a distance of four or five miles, when in fact it does not flow but a few hundred feet before reaching the reservoir, when it is being - 2 - made use of. Now should Buol, through the Courts, be able to obtain as per his application a dam and appropriate any portion of this water for his land at Buol town, it very certainly would mean the entire destruction of the ranch, and at the same time, would if this town increases in population, mean a shortage of water for the inhabitants here. Personally I am of the opinion that there is a clique of citizens backing this entire project, and they are undoubtedly going to carry it through. Just who these citizens and the ones interested are I do not care to make mention at present, but will ferret the thing out and find all the details I can in connection with the same. Kindly return to me by return mail the enclosed copy of letter to Henry Thurtell, the State Engineer. Also the notice of application from him. Yours truly, Walter R. Bracken.