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been doing the past two or th ree days, is washed into the stream and deposits along the bottom and sides o f the r e s e rv o ir. The water in the r e s e r v o ir is backed up fo r quite a distance on the f l a t marsh land surrounding the same, and th is water standing stagnant as i t does, and w ith animals t r a i l i n g in and out o f i t con tin u a lly, has become fo u l to such an extent th at in s t ir r in g i t up from the bottom a very strong stench is n o tica b le. I am informed th at hobos and tramps, and the lower element o f Las Vegas, make the p ra c tic e o f using the r e s e r v o ir as a bathing p la ce and I found evidences o f th is in the shape o f o ld socks and underclothing th at had been discarded and l e f t there, e ith e r in the water or ly in g on the banks. I c o lle c te d up s e v e ra l a r t ic le s o f th is kind and sent them in to Los Angeles in order to show ju st what e x is tin g con dition s are in th is respect. This is the condition, o f the source o f the water supply fo r the Town o f Las Vegas and fo r the passengers on our tra in s, and I am fr e e to say th at i f the pu blic a u th o ritie s knew jp.st what the con ditions were, the o f f i c i a l s o f the r a ilro a d company who have charge o f th is water supply would be subject to indictment and prosecution, and i f such a c tio n were taken they would probably have to plead g u ilt y , as there would be ab solu tely no defence. In ad d ition to th is, i f an epidemic o f typhoid should break out in Las Vegas, which is more than probable th is f a l l and during the hot weather there, and reputable physicians could be obtained to t e s t i f y th at the cause o f such epidemic was the impure water supply, the Land & Water Company, i f not the R ailroad Company, would be lia b le in damages to the victim s o f the epidemic. The people o f Las Vegas are very much wrought up over the s itu a tio n and the in d iffe r e n c e which has been shown by the r a ilro a d 2019-02-05 2019-02-05 http://cdm17304.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p17304coll5/id/47… 47402 47403.pdfpage /p17304coll5/image/47403.pdfpage