Whittemore to Clark, February 8, 1905, page 1

San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad CompanyOFFICE OF GENERAL ATTORNEYT. E. GIBBON,General Counsel. C. O. WHITTEMORE,General Attorney.Salt Lake City, Utah, Feb. 8th, 1905.... Tcwnsite at Las Vegas... Mr. J. Ross Clark,Second Vice President,City. Dear Mr. Clark:-Replying to your inquiry on above subject beg to advise that before a townsite at Las Vegas can be laid out and map thereof filed it will be necessary to secure legislation authorizing the laying out and platting of land into lots, streets and alleys and to file map of the same with dedication of streets and alleys to the public and providing for the approval of the townsite map by the proper officers. There is no law of this kind in Nevada. A townsite plat covering the N. 1/2 of the S.W. 1/4 of Section 27, Tp. 20 S. , R. 61 E., and designated as "original tcwnsite cf Las Vegas" was filed with the County Recorder of Lincoln County January 13th, 1905, by J, T. McWilliams. This filing was made without authority cf law, without any dedication of streets and alleys and without approval by any public officer. For these reasons I regard this filing as void and of no effect whatever.The Railroad Company has no authority to lay out and establish town-sites and it will therefore be necessary to organize a corporation for this purpose and have the title to all lands not necessary for railroad use conveyed to such corporation. This should be done without further delay because if we should become involved in litigation over the lands and water rights now held by the Company at Las Vegas the right of the Railroad Company to hold title to such lands and water rights, in addition