The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-09-08
THE VISITING CONGRESSMEN.
SIX OF THEM INSPECTED THE
RIVER YESTERDAY.
Impressed With the Ruin Wrought
by Debris and Think 1t
Should be Remedied.


take a short survey of the river condi-
tons, arrived yesterday morning on the
local train, having been met on the way
by Mayor Hubbard and William Beck
man, and welcomed. -
Those who came are b. b. Dove11er
and Warner Miller of West Virginia,
General Walker of Virginia, General j.
H. Bankhead of Alabama, Charles M.
Brum Of Pennsylvania, and Congress
man Bishop of Michigan. 1t had been
expected that A. S. Berry of Kentucky.
James A. Tawney of Minnesota and
Representative Londonschlager of New
Jersey would come also, but circum-
stances detained them.
They were met at the depot by
number of prominent citizens, including
T. B. Hall, Frank Miller, r. I. Devlin,
William Johnston, T. w. Sheehan, j. ..
Coleman, C. j. Ellis Commissioner of
Public Works E. E. Leake, Chief Engi-
neer Morse and others.
A tallyho and hacks were in attend
ance, and they We're conveyed to the
Capitol, where they were shown the
big profile map of the State, and they
acknowledged that they were for the
first time given a clear idea of its vast
ness and the varied conditions it was
subject to. They realized that it was
practically equal to nearly all the
States on the Atlantic coast from New
York to Georgia.
After looking at the map and map
of the river, made by the United States
Government in 1871, showing the
soundings and depths at various points
and showing by comparison with late
maps how it had become filled up with
detritus, they were driven to the Suffer
Club, where they took lunch.
At l o'clock they took passage at the
foot of n street on the San Joaquin No
,, which was in charge of Howard K.
Johnson of the Transportation Compa-
ny and Captain DeMerritt of the United
States snag boat Seizer. The visitors
! took their places in the pilot house.
and these gentlemen pointed out to
them the shoals and bars formed by
the debris, and gave them much VAL
liable information of the former cOndi
ton of the river along the route, and
the Ocean-going steamers and large
vessels that formerly came up the river
to this city. They were much impress
ed by the information they received
and while they were reticent of making
any statements for publication, it was
evident that they felt a remedy should
be found and money appropriated for
the river.
Messrs. Dovener. Bankhead and Bish-
op are members OF the Committee on
Rivers and Harbors, the former being
Chairman, and it was a lucky chance
that enabled the citizens here to induce
them to come up and see the state of
affairs here.
General Walker, in conversation,
touched upon a spot that has undoubt-
ly been a great hindrance to favorable
action in the past
Why" said he, docs not the dele
CATION from your State unite in asking
for such an appropriation as is needed
for the river. and work with that end
in view till they accomplish it? They
! do not seem to stick together and use
their efforts for that end, which is the
only way to accomplish much"
He was reminded that the State was
a very large one, equal to a number of
the Eastern States. and that those in
the Southern part Of the State were not
specially interested in the welfare Of
the Sacramento Valley and so with the
members from the coast counties, their
interests lying in a different direction
He remarked however, that they
should all pull together.
I Congressman de Vries. who accom-
panied the visitors, said that he recog-
niZed the fact that the river should
receive the needed relief as soon as
possible, and that he should bend his
energies to doing all he could to obtain
an appropriation.
! 1t was ascertained from remarks
made by some of the visitors that one
obstacle in the way of appropriations
in the past has been that from inju-
dicious utterances the committee had
| imbibed the idea that the reclamation
of the river was a secondary idea, and
| that the main object sought by those
who urged an appropriation was the
| reclamation of the lands along the
river. They were assured that such
was not the case, and their attention
was called to the fact that the sand
| bars and shoals passed by the boat
were the best evidence that could be
| presented of the need for retaining
| the river itself The boat went down
as far as the brick yards and then
turned and went up through the draw
| to the mouth of the American River
Here they found double object les
son. First they saw the long sand
bar formed by the debris extending out
far into the stream, showing what an
immense amount of detritus had come
down. Then when the boat arrived
opposite the mouth of the river and
they saw the brick-red water coming
down and discoloring the waters of the
Sacramento where they flowed into it
| they showed an instant appreciation
of the cause of the shoaling of the lat
ter. They were told that above the
mouth of the Feather River the stream
was clear and limpid.
The committee who had charge
| of the reception of the visitors
were Mayor Hubbard, William
Beckman, j. O. Coleman, r. B
Hall, William Johnston r. T. Dew
lin and Fl. Weinstock. A number oil
other members of the Chamber OF
Commerce and others We're on tbs
I