.), ▁the ▁B ene vol ent ▁and ▁Prote ct ive ▁Order ▁of ▁El ks , ▁and ▁the ▁Exchange ▁Club . ▁He ▁was ▁an ▁enthus iast ▁of ▁box ing ▁and ▁was ▁friends ▁with ▁both ▁Jack ▁D emp sey ▁and ▁Gene ▁Tun ney . ▁He ▁enjoyed ▁playing ▁baseball ▁and ▁he ▁batt ed ▁well ▁over ▁. 3 0 0 ▁in ▁the ▁Cong r essional ▁Baseball ▁Games . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁journal ists , ▁alco hol ism ▁pl ag ued ▁R ivers ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁He ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁" b inger " ▁variety ▁of ▁alco hol ic , ▁one ▁who ▁is ▁generally ▁so ber ▁but ▁rela ps es ▁period ically . ▁Washington ▁synd ic ated ▁column ist ▁D rew ▁Pear son ▁called ▁him ▁a ▁" security ▁risk " ▁and ▁devoted ▁eight ▁pages ▁to ▁him ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁book ▁The ▁Case ▁Again st ▁Congress . ▁ ▁Hon ors ▁R ivers ▁received ▁numerous ▁acc ol ades ▁and ▁hon ors ▁to ▁comm emor ate ▁his ▁service ▁to ▁the ▁nation ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁con gression al ▁district . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁a ▁stretch ▁of ▁highway ▁from ▁the ▁crossing ▁of ▁U . S . ▁Route ▁ 7 8 ▁over ▁Me eting ▁Street ▁( known ▁as ▁the ▁Five - M ile ▁Vi ad uct ) ▁to ▁where ▁U . S . ▁Route ▁ 5 2 ▁meets ▁the ▁Ber keley ▁County ▁line ▁was ▁named ▁as ▁R ivers ▁Avenue ▁because ▁R ivers ▁was ▁key ▁in ▁getting ▁funds ▁from