Letter from J. T. McWilliams (Good Springs, Nevada) to J. Ross Clark (Los Angeles), February 1, 1903

Good Springs, Lincoln County, Nevada February 1st, 1903 Mr. J. Ross Clark President, Empire Construction Company, Los Angeles California Dear Sir In reference to measurement of water of Las Vegas Ranch brook you will find enclosed Colonel Moore's reply to my letter where in I had notified him of what I read in W. J. Stewart's letter where letter made the direct statement that Colonel Moore's measurements and report gave 283 miners inches as the flow of water in the brook. The enclosure does not state his results, probably because I did not ask for same, but indicates that any difference there may be will be found in estimate of value of miners inch. I note the fact that Colonel Moore's formula for obtaining the flow in cubic feet is identical with the formula used by myself, and which is found in "Trautwine's Engineer's Field Book" Table 13, page 267b, issue of year 1895. My letter of December 8th addressed to Mr. McDermott and forwarded same date to yourself gave discharge over upper weir to be 296 cubic feet per minute. My estimate of value of a miners inch as being 11 gallons per minute is a fractional part less than the Standard Caliornia inch as adopted by last Legislature, and therefore if measurements are identical over pins above weirs my report should be a small percent greater than Colonel Moore's when expressed in miners inches. I did not write letter of January 25th on mere rumor, it was written to refute and correct a statement written by one of the owners of Las Vegas ranch, and who is the manager thereof, and draw your direct attention thereto. I knew at once that there was something wrong and that something was water, the article, or fluid, your company were actually dickering for, there being lots of land in Vegas Valley as good as the Vegas ranch except for lack of water. Respectfully yours J. T. McWilliams