The record-union., 1897-08-27
CONGRESSMAN HOOKER.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GIVES
HIM A RECEPTION.
His Hosts Take Him for a Trip on
the River and Point Out the
Need of Appropriations.

The reception rendered to Congress-
man Hooker, Chairman of the House
Committee on Rivers and Harbors. by
the Chamber of Commerce yesterday
was all that could have been desired.
The committee appointed to meet the
New York Congressman was on hand
when the train pulled in, and he was
driven to the Suffer Club, where he
was introduced to quite a number of
the clty's representative men.
A banquet was spread, to which
ample justice was done, and when the
good things had disappeared, the COM
mittee, under the chaper0nage of Com
missioner of Public Works Leake and
Highway Commissioner Price, escorted
the guest of the day to the Capitol
building, where the wonders of the
large relief map of the State were ex-
planned to his entire satisfaction.
To Commissioner Leake, Congress-
man Hooker said the map gave him a
more comprehensive idea of the State
and its needs than he had ever expected
to get.
From the Capitol building the party
drove to the Sacramento Transports
ton Company's landing at the foot of
steamer San Joaquin, No. 3.
Among the persons who assembled on
the little steamer, besides Mr.. Hooker,
were Joseph Steffens, President of the
Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Hub
bard, Trustees Leonard and Pennsh,
Supervisors Jenkins, Curtis, McLaugh-
lin and brennan, Judge S. Scion Holl,
County Surveyor Boyd Colonel j. B.
XgT, NJ ID
diting Board to the Commissioner of
Public Works, DR.. William Ellery
Briggs, Captain E. L. Hawk, J. o. Cole
man, secretary of the Chamber of Com
merce, T. A. w. Schock, R. T. Devlin,
Sheriff Johnson, John r. Price, High
way Commissioner; Captain John H.
Roberts, President of the Sacramento
Transportation Company, and City Col
lector c. C. Robertson.
Captain Roberts was the perfection
of hosts and soon mad Congressman
Hooker slowed away in the pilot house
of the steamer, where Commissioner
Price, Mr.. Steffens, Captain Roberts
and others spread out the drawings of
the river made by the engineers of the
Public Works Department, and did
their best to explain the aims Of the
contemplated work on the river
Mr.. Hooker knew nothing of the
plans proposed by Commissioner Leake,
but proved an apt pupil, and while he
threw out a few hints respecting rivers
and harbors, he was in the main, either
questioner or a listener.
He spoke of the appropriation allow
| ed for the Sacramento River, and want
ed to know whether the amount was
not sufficient
Then it was that Commissioner Price
explained to him that the present move
was to make permanent instead of tenn
porary improvements.
In reply to a question as to about
how much would be needed yearly to
keep the river open for navigation by
constructing wing dams, etc, Captain
Roberts replied that he believed SD,
600 a year would answer the purpose,
but that nothing permanent could be
had and that high waters would fill in
and round up the spots where the most
labor and money had been put the
tyear before.
Congressman Hooker was an acute
questioner respecting the actual impor-
| tance to the State of the river as g
transported ton line, and got some in
teresting statistics on the matter from
/ Captain Roberts.
| From the landing the steamer drop
| ped down the river to a point opposite
Merkeley's ranch, and then made the
turn and went up to a point about a
mile above the mouth of the American
River, when the turn was again made
and the boat landed at her wharf at
2:40 .. M, the entire time spent on
the river being an hour and a quarter.
At o'clock Congressman Hooker left
for Marysville, where he will be the
guest of Manager Phipps of the Anti
| Debris Association. He was accom-
panied by Robert T. Devlin. and will
leave on the north bound train at mid
night for the East.
Those interested in the reclamation Of
the river feel elated at the impression
| evidently left on the Chairman of the
House Committee on Rivers and Har-
bors as to the needs of California's
| greatest river.