Letter from Walter R. Bracken to C. O. Whittemore (Los Angeles), January 17, 1908

January 17th, 1908. Mr. C. 0. Whittemore, President, Las Vegas Land and Water Company, Pacific Electric Building, Los Angeles, California. Dear Sir: Referring to my lease on the Las Vegas ranch, I beg to advise you that about a week ago, after a few days of incessant flowing of oil down the waters of the creek, I called on Mr. Heaton and he and I made personal inspection of the same. We at that time returned to the railroad yards and hunted up Mr.Lundholm, who advised us that they were pumping oil from the pump into the Waters of the creek. He also at that time had it stopped . During a personal conversation this morning with Mr. C. G. Lundholm he informed me that it was the orders of Mr. W. C. Frazier to pump the sump into the waters of the creek, and he also informed me that he had spoken to Mr. Frazier concerning the matter since, and that Mr. Frazier advised him that stuff from the sump would contlnue to be pumped into the waters of the creek. You are doubtless aware that during our troubles last year we lost one entire crop of hay, which was caused entirely by the oil in the water, and the water being used for irrigation purposes during the season; and it is an undisputed fact that the amount of oil that is flowing down the waters of this creek will eventually destroy not only all of the hay crop, but all of the vegetation, and fruit trees at the ranch. My lease requires me to keep in good, healthy, growing condition all shrubbery and trees at the ranch. This I cannot do unless there is absolutely an abatement of this nuisance, neither can I afford to pay the amount of rental Mr. C. C. Whittemore?2 asked, unless I can be assured good, clean water for irrigation purposes and that I may be able to harvest crops without having the same destroyed after half grown. It certainly does seem to me that this desert is large enough to empty that sump on to, without pumping it into the waters of the creek, and I wish you would kindly advise me as soon as practicable the exact condition of these matters, for if this as ordered by Mr. W. C. Frazier is to be a fixed practice, I most certainly will have to change my lease with the Las Vegas Land and Water Company. Yours very truly,