The age-herald., 1898-06-06
SHORT STORIES
 OF THE DAY

mas hard and discrm. mating head, which ne does not lose in time of danger or emer- gency He was on the Maine when the snip and her sailors were massacred on the hight Of February 15, and risked his life twenty times after the explosion in ineffc- tual attempts to rescue Lieutenant Jenklns NIT. Boyd is the ideal midshipman of whom Marryat wrote. Careless and joyous off duty or ashore, but alert and brave to fecklessness aaCIt In young MT. Boyd's dltty box, which was not raised from the battleship, was a gold watch, valuable as a chattel proposition, but of more worth to its owner by reason of the inscription. Its presentation by a committee of grate- ful fathers, husbands and brothers came about through characteristic action on the part of Boyd. He was with party of ladies in a steam launch at Newport 0 summer or two ago. The crafts side was crushed in by floating spar and the boat began to fill. Simultaneously the women began to scream and prepare to leap over board. The embryo Farragut immediately upon the occurrence of the sacci2ent sig naled neighboring boat for help and then quieted the stampede in his own lau ch. He figured the chances quickly. He could save one, and the two sa lors could be I'll ed upon for one each, which would leave some six young women to drown. The perc mt age of probable loss was too great and the cadet decided upon moral effort.
 Ladies' he shouted, 'sit sill Stay in the boat; you may get your feet wet, but that's all. It is imrossiale le to sink ths launch. She is lifeboat."
 Meanwhile help was approaching, and he rescue boat was presently alongside. Boyd and the seamen transfer, d their passen- gers, and just as the last girl stepped over the side the launch filled and went down. The cadet cleared himself from the cra!t and drawing himself over the side of the other remarked with mild surprise:
 'I thii k I must have been mistaken aoout that launch's ability to float
 The next day the relatives of the young women gave the wise young man the watch he lost in the Maine.
 'Fighting Bob" Evans earned his title the first year at Annapolis. He has made good his claim to it since-years before he became six pper of the Iowa, but "fig a;lng Bob was tackled to him as n cadet. AL the time he was sent to the naval academy there was a rule of the institution Wnlch forbade the decoration of the walls of the cadets headouarters by hanging pictures thereon or in any way improving upon the furnishing of the cells. The object was wise and twofold. It sought to prevent the bo. s fom lecoming sott Snl luxaIlous and to head off any expensive IlVairy III the way of outfitting. In q word, the end de- sired was to produce hardy and democratic naval officers. Young Evans fond mother like all good women was a Christian, anu with her sons academy equipment packed a framed motto-a quotation from the Scriptures, so the legend runs
 The first act of Bobby D. upon hls as- signment to quarters was to nal his mot to the wall He was told to remove 1t, but declined. The contumacious youngster was reported from officer to another, but resisted argument and command alike. Ihe narrow martinets of the academy resolved to expel h m, and orders were at once is- sued to that effect The story of the war spread and at last an officer in Lincolns cabinet intimated very strongly to the lac- ulty that they would GO wei u overlock K the offense. Preachers were beginning 10 predicate sermons upon the noble cadet who preferred expulsion to taking down the scriptural text, and, as the politician said the chances were that if the young man were dropped the authorities of the academy would not last long afterward as public sympathy was with the boy. It was in this way that Evans became kHoWH as "Fighting Bob"
 Around official Washington a story is told concerng an inte. view betw5 en Ca. tain Evans and Secretary Long of the navy the day after the Maine was blown up. Naval offioers-thcSe who take the initiatiV-- were inclined to believe that Admiral Si- card should have knocked at Morro's door as soon as he could steam to Havana. Si- card was at Dry Tortugas with his squad- ron. He had two courses before him. One was to Key West, where he would fin1 tee- graphic communication with Was ington. The other was to Havana, where there was also telegraphic communication but perhaps more difficult to obtain. Sical d, flying the signal of inquiry, laid his course to Key West and asked for instructions. What they were is well known. There was a protest on the part of navy offioias-na- val and military, as well as civilian. Long and other catinet chiefs he the i1i- cisms and in quiet way felt the pulses of the departments.
 Captain Evans, who was member of the lighthouse board, was caller at Sec retary Longs office.
 What do you think of Scard's ac ion?" asked the secretary so the story goes. 'I hear many criticise it.
 "Well, he acted in the line of his duty,' replied Evans, diplomat cally "but think I know men who would have done other W se."
 "In what respect?'
 ssThey would have hea led their squadron for Havana. and reported to you that they had asumed control of affairs pc ding an examination, and would hold the c,ty to in- demnify this country in case the inquiry fixed the responsibility for the damnable affair upon the Spanish government or au- thorities."
 "Such a proceeding would have been high-handed and in violation of interna- tional law. The adm 'nistraton would have been very angry with Admiral Sicard and would have disciplined h'm severely if he had taken such action," objected Long.
 '.No doubt the administration would have been very angry, and doubtless also Sicard would have been severely disciplined,' Captain Evans is reported as saying, "but he would have been the next president"