The Washington times., 1894-11-18
EVANS, THE RHYMING GUIDE
KashinatOn's Peripatetic Poet Who
Manufactures Verse.
HE COINS MANY ODD PHRASES
Was Christsned the Poet Laureate of the
BLACK Phalanx" for Composing Poetry
While Shells We're Whizzing Overhead
Funny Experience With an Irish Couple.

"AAo on0As "eEe HnAzzlnS OVernead-
Funny Experience With an Irish Couple.
One of the oldest characters in Washing
ton is John Evans, tall mulatto who fire.
quents the open spaces about the Peace
Monument at the foot of the Capitol John
is known among his peripatetic brethren,
who show strangers about town, as the
''Rhyming Guide" He gained this appella-
tion from the habit he has of giving many Of
his explanations to visitors in sort OF dog
gerel verse.
The rhYming habit. although crude and un-
grammatical, is an original and amusing one.
John was brave soldier during the late war
and proudly wears a G.. 4 R. emblem on his
breast. He says he first discovered that he
had poetical talent while lying in the trenches
before Petersburg. One day while Confed-
crate shells were whizzing and whirring
tumbling and turning through the air over
the heads of Johns comrades, verse came
to his mind like an inspiration. He re-
peated II to the man next to MIN, and it was
passed along the line, causing much amuse-
ment. The verse ran thus:
"here We lie,
In mud neck high,
While rebel shells go whizZing by.
There's smoke in the sky,
And blood in the eye,
Lay low, boys, it's root hog or die
This verse gained for Evans the soubriquet
of poet laureate of the "Blaek Phalanx," as
the colored contingent was called. Some OF
his 1fTnsiOps arnaltr
The other day he approached a tall, we'll
dressed gentleman who was gazing earnestly
at the marble figures on the Peace Monu-
ment and said:
That's the monument Of peace,
But it wasn't made in Greece.
II represents good times,
When We had dollars instead Of dimes"
In the hurly-burly of Evans conversation
and descriptive work he sometimes finds it
difficult to supply legitimate words to com
plete his rhyme. In such cases he does not
hesitate to coin filters" as he calls the nee
essary words. The other day be electrified
dignified and seholarly-looking man by
springing this couplet on him:
This is the National Museum,
Full of curiosities and exqueseum"
The scholarly stranger did not stop TO in
quire the meaning or import of ''exqueseum, -
but paid the ''rhyming guide quarter and
quickly made his way into the great building.
Evans had an experience with an old Irish
couple from New York, which he delights to
tell. They had been in Washington but few
hours and were anxious to inspect the Ma
tional Museum, of which they had heard so
much talk. John met the couple at the Capt.
tol and piioted them to the museum struc-
ture. As guides are not permitted TO escort
parties through the building, the man of
rhymes awaited their return on the outside.
Finally after the mau and his better half had
examined the Museum and its contents 10
their hearts content, they came out with a
look of supreme disgust on their c elite coun-
tenances and were about to board a street car
when the guide demanded so cents from them.
''PhTat for?' asked the husband.
why, for bringing you to the Museum"
FIFTY cints, is it, added the old lady. in
dignantly "Shure an its robbin' US onthoirely
you'd be afther"
"Ihat's my price lady"
"Fifty cints fer luking at thot lot of old
mummeries, sthones, ond the loike. Faith
ond We culd see a bitter musheum on the
Bowery in Nj Yorruk for tin cints. Patrick,
give the nagur nickel.
Upon approaching Uncle Sans big flnan-
cial building with party of strangers re-
Gently Evans pointed to the great white pile,
and striking an attitude, perpetrated the fol-
lowing:
.'Yonder is our Treasuree
Full of money and dishonestee.
But they make the Doodle down below,
And it falls from the presses fast as snow"
Another fayorite expression of the rhyming
guide is this:
THAT is the Washington Monument,
Standing there like a big white tent"
Almost invariably after Evans has received
his fee he gets of something like the follow
ing:
snow I've got my money,
I'll take a drink of whisky.
That will even US up,
And make me kind o frisky."
Evans stated last evening that poetry
came as naturally to him as water running
down hill. He is quite anxious to have his
productions published in book form. and says
he is willing and ready to negotiate with any
book concern that is looking for good
thing. One of Evans patrons who enjoyed
his descriptive verse was no less parsonage
than the late President Arthur, who. after he
had listened to the rhymer's description of the
Capitol and Botanical Gardens for about ten
minutes, slipped the guide So note and