the State; but it soon receives from the east the much larger and longer Pitt River, which in the wet season is the outlet of Goose Lake, lying partly in Oregon, and having its headstreams in that State. From the junction the main river flows southward until it meets the San Joaquin River, which drains the southern half of the inland basin. The two unite by several arms, but flow through separate channels westward into the northeastern inlet of San Francisco Bay, whence their waters enter the Pacific Ocean through the Golden Gate. The length of the Sacramento is about 400 miles, but to the source of the Pitt River it is over 600 miles. It is navigable for small vessels to Red Bluff, 300 miles, and for larger steamers generally only to Sacramento, 80 miles. The river receives numerous tributaries from the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Range, on many of which there has been a great deal of gold-mining. The valley of the Sacramento is very fertile, becoming marshy toward the junction with the San Joaquin.
SACRAMENTO. The capital of California and the county seat of Sacramento County, 90 miles northeast of San Francisco, on the Sacramento River, here spanned by a bridge, and on the Southern Pacific and the Central Pacific railroads (Map: California, C 2). The city is noted for the remarkable beauty of its environment. The most prominent feature is the State Capitol, which was erected in 1869, and cost $2,500,000. It occupies a site in the central part of the city and is surrounded by a large picturesque park. Sacramento has three libraries: the State Library of more than 113,000 volumes, the Public Library with 28,000 volumes, and the Odd Fellows' Library. The Christian Brothers' College, Howe's Academy, and Saint Joseph's Academy are the leading educational institutions. There are a fine city hall, court house, United States Government building, Crocker Art Gallery, Roman Catholic Cathedral, Marguerite Home, Protestant Orphan Asylum, the City Dispensary, and the Southern Pacific Railroad Company's hospital. An annual fair is held at Sacramento under the auspices of the State Agricultural Society, which maintains here a handsome exhibition building, and a park and racecourse.
The valley of the Sacramento, in which the city is situated, is one of the most productive sections of the State, yielding large quantities of wheat, and various fruits. Manufacturing is extensively carried on, the various establishments, in the census year of 1900, having had an invested capital of $7,369,013, and an output valued at $11,141,896. There are flouring and grist mills, foundries and machine shops, harness and saddlery factories, slaughtering and meat-packing establishments, breweries, and manufactories of carriages, furniture, soap, crackers, and lumber products. Shops of the Southern Pacific Railroad also are here. The water works are owned and operated by the municipality. Population, in 1890, 26,386; in 1900, 29,282.
In 1839 Captain John A. Sutter, having obtained from the Mexican Government a grant of a large tract of land in this vicinity, built here a fort which he called New Helvetia. This fort, which has been rebuilt and is preserved for its historic interest, was the first point in California reached by miners coming from the East in 1848. In this year a village called Sacramento was laid out. The land was originally only 15 feet above low water, and destructive floods occurred in 1850, 1852, and 1853. Subsequently levees were built and the general level of the land raised, the city now being eight feet higher than when first settled. Terrible fires occurred in 1852 and 1854, the first causing a loss of $5,000,000 and the second one of $650,000. Sacramento was incorporated as a town in 1849, became the State capital in 1854, and was chartered as a city in 1863.
SACRAMENTO PERCH. A bass-like fish (Archoplites interruptus) of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and tributary lakes—the only fresh-water percoid west of the Rocky Mountains. It is an excellent food-fish, from one to two feet in length, dark-colored, with the sides marked with about seven irregular dark bars. This fish is liable to be exterminated by the carp and catfish, which infest its spawning grounds. See Plate of Perches.
SACRAMENTO PIKE. A large, greenish chub, two to four feet in length (Ptychocheilus Oregonensis), which abounds in the rivers of the Pacific Coast, and is used as food. Other names are ‘squaw-fish’ and ‘chappaul.’ See Plate of Dace and Minnows.
SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY OF LONDON. An important English musical organization, organized in 1832 for the performance of oratorios and sacred music generally. It became famous for its extraordinary performances of Handel's work at the Handel festivals, which were begun in 1857 at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, and which have been held triennially with one exception since 1862. As many as three thousand singers have frequently been assembled with an orchestra of 500 pieces. In the triennial festival of 1900, 4000 performers participated. Sir Michael Costa was conductor of the society from 1848 up to the time of his death.
SACRED HEART, Ladies of the. A religious society of the Roman Catholic Church, founded at Amiens, France, in 1800, by Madeleine Sophie Barat and Octavie Bailly, under the direction of Father Joseph Désiré Varm, S. J. The object of the society was the education of young ladies of the higher classes. The constitution was approved by Leo XII. in 1826; a house was opened in Rome and branches established in many cities. The first house in the United States was established by Bishop Dubourg in 1817, near Saint Louis. The society has now over 100 houses in various parts of the world, and 5000 members. The mother house is in Paris. For the story of its beginning, consult Baunard, Histoire de Mme. Barat (Paris, 1876).
SACRED HEART, League of the, or Apostleship of Prayer in League with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A pious confraternity founded at Vals, in France, 1844, by Father Gautrelet, of the Society of Jesus, with the intention of cultivating an apostolic spirit among the young Jesuit students who were in the seminary there preparing for the mission. It soon spread throughout France and thence to other countries and to the missions. Gautrelet's foundation was organized and perfected by Father Henri Ramière, S. J., who also gave it renewed life and vigor and founded the Messenger of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as a monthly organ of the association. This was soon reproduced in several
