The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-02

vitaton.
Yesterday may rightfully be called the
first bright day. rome that has conveyed
the proper meaning of the sunny South"
they have enjoyed, for ten days ago, when
the congressman arrived at Mobile, ala,
| they prevailing norther put in appearance,
and has since accompanied them on their
trip AT New Orleans the weather was very
disagreeahle at Port Arthur and Sabine
Pass the wind and cold drove them from
tie outdoors and the trip down the bayou
Sunday was not pleasant one, the weather
consiuered
They were accompanied from Galveston
by Hon. r.. p. Hawley congressman Ell oct
from the Tenth district: Colonel Walter
Gresham. Guy NJ. Bryan, Jr, j. IL. Sui
Ivan, Major a. NJ. Miller, lieutenant
Judson all of Galveston j r. Meyer. vice
president and general manager of the Texas
City Improvement company. j. +. Duff
Brazoria. Texas. and Colonel l.. l.. Foster
general manager of the Velasoo Terminal
Nelasco. Texas.
Without waiting for dinner to be served
the committee formally assembled in the
| parlors of the Capitol Hotel to hear the
committees from other places. The Vclasco
| pert was first presented by Colonel Foster
who made an explanation of the hitch
| which prevented the trip TO Nelasco. He
said:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of Com
| mittee: a word of explanation is due IRON
me as to the reasons why the committee
| was prevented from going to Vclasco to-
| dav. When | learned through the papers
| that the committee would visit Texas
wired the chairman an invitation to visit
Nelasco. Through the kind Intervention of
Congressman Sayers the invitation was ac-
| cepted. Learning that the party desired TO
| 20 from Galveston 10 Nelasco by water, at
my request Hon. George b. Finlay. col
| Iector OF customs wired for authority from
| the secretary of the treasury to convey the
committee to Velasco in the revenue cutter,
which authority was granted. When the
| committee arrived In Houston | met the
chairman and arranged to leave Galveston
| for Neasco in the revenue cutter Monday
| morning at O'Clock. when the committee
| were to look at the river and harbor take
| dinner and return to Houston ON .he even
| ing train. The necessary orders were is
| sued On the international and Great North
/ ern and Terminal railroads for train service
to convey the committee to Houston md /
went to Galveston Sunday night TO accom-
pany the party TO Nelasco next morning.
| ON arrival at Galveston. the entire rlan had
been changed; how, when or by whom do
| not know. and the committee were to go
by rail to Nelasco next morning and get
| back to Houston by p. nj. Tho telegraph
Offices We're closed and communication nee
essary to arrange a rail trip was iLlprac-
| ticable. On Monday morning the work of
arranging for special via Arcoa Junction
| to Nelasco was undertaken by me, put Ow
ing to delays in answering kilograms aud
issuing the necessary train orders, the
party was laid out at Houston and the trip
laal.,. tx,,. tl.,tx ia 4
sronsible for tho failure of the committee
to see the port Of Velasco. as | did all
that could have been done 10 carry out their
| wishes"
Before he proceeded with harbor mat
ters. Chairman Hooker of the congressional
committee assured Colonel Foster that
Neasco had been decided upon as one OF
the objective places when they concluded
10 come to Texas. and were very sorry
that the trip was abandoned, accepting
Colonel Fosters explanation as sufficient
aud asking that the matter at hand be
. presented
All OF the committee being present, Con
gressmen Berry of Kentucky, Hermann o
Oregon, c. \. Clark OF Missouri. Il. II
Clarke of Alabama. Burton of Ohio. Town
of Minnesota. Walker OF Virginia, stephen
son of Michigan Reeves of Illinois an'
Chairman Hooker of New York Colone
Foster said that as far as he was person
ally concerned he wanted to see more wa
, terways and plenty Of them; that he wa
for the people Of the West and Texas Tn
BRACES river, which properly becomes sucl
i, in Haskell county, Texas, penetrates III
, rich agricultural center of this state an
, drains territory larger than the grea
, State of Illinois. a district which is capanl
of raising sugar enough 10 supply the peo
ple of the United States The improvement
, Of an internal waterway, Colonel Foste
continued, was the solution OF low rates
and materially affected the transportation
of products OF the country. The river a
one time was nayigatcd as far as Washing
ton. ?55 miles from its mouth but nov
owing to the distractions OF snags and de
bris, ii was only navigable for fifty miles.
In response to a question by Chairman
Hooker Colonel Foster said that in direc
line from Washington TO the mouth OF IN
river was probably 125 and 40 miles
There had been two or three surveys, on
by Lieutenant Taller as far as Waco. whic
, was i02 miles distance There had been II
plans made fer improvement but Colon'
Foster gave the committee the mpressio
: that it was generally understood TO hav
been favorably reported upon by the on
glneers.
Colonel Foster again referred to the vain
of waterways in the matter OF rates 10
: products. citing the Mssisslnpi river an
abiding 10 the condition before the nor
Of New Orleans was improved and the pres
, ont conditions and offered 1t as his opinio
. that the Brazos was the only river navisa
Bile In Texas and the only factor for IN
control Of rates to the seaboard points
In response to Mr. Hermann OF orego
no said that the Drazos from Washingto
down as far as Bolivar had not been navii
. gated since the war, prior to that time ran
roads being an unknown quantity. but sine
a then the stream had been In use by boar
. from Bolivar, distance of fifty miles res
. ularly At low tide the water between Bol
: war and the gulf was between eight an
nineteen feet, at Columbia 1t was fi'tee
feet, and the depth was such that gooo
o sized boats could come up that far
Q The channelng of the river, Colonel Fo'
:. ter continued, depended upon the work dol
o at tho harhor, and It should be considere
: as enc proposition There had never bee
: but ono adverse report to Nelasco. ana lh'
was made by Major Earnest in 1859 or leS
= which was in substance that the river WI
i not worthy Of Improvement
i Under an act OF congress in 1891 u