Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-11-27
FIGHTING BOB HAS
GREAT RECORD
IN THE NAVY
CURIOUS MIXTURE OF
FIGHTER AND DIPLOMAT
Something Of Character Of the
Man Who win Guide Great
War Fleet Of United States
10 the Far East


Especial corrsspondeaes Morning Journal
washington. Nov. 24-"Fighting
Bob Evans. The pride u the Amer
Jean navy. who Win be IA command Of
the big battieship fleet on its trip TO
the Pacific coast, Is ; sirsrge mixtur'
Of gentloness and combativeness. Do
spite an the things that have been
said n written about this old sea
dog who loves a fight better than he
does a square meal after d season Of
fasting. It Is doubtful II any person
who reads this has ever known that
the man who treads the bridge Of the
finest fighting craft IN the new navy,
facing storm and slcei and hail with
the same impasslye. grim determined
bull-headcdness that he would face
shot and shell from an enemy's broad
side. Is an adept az knitting crochet
ing and embroidery
n h. true that many people have
been led 10 believe, and with good
reason. 70 remain firm IN that belief
that Bob" Evans could embroider
the English language und do " IN
such fashion that left him without a
rival. but he Is equally skillful In the.
art or embroidery as practiced by a
grntlewoman In the quiet Of her own
boudoir.
Admiral Evans IL q man of intense
activity. He has been active all his
long life, For him the years have
been strenuous TO a degree. Vie start
ed out fighting. and has kept It up
ever since. As this country has been
largely at peace with the world dur
ing the time he has been Ia a position
~ authority. Admiral Evans has not
hesitatcd 20 fight shams OF all kinds
and q fight for the rights Of his men
and that respect which he believes Is
due TO the man who wears his coun-
try's uniform and has taken an oath
10 defend the flag.
on his trip 20 the Pacific coast Adj
miral Evans will train his men In
the art Of war and give them extend
cd practice in battle formation, n
the execution Of the car
ricd on IN actual wat conditions. but
he viii find ample time 10 engage in
that other occupation from which he
takes 40 much comfort. for he does
not believe In perr.itling his hands
30 lie idle.
Imagine his. .rcat noinla OF battle
ships saline falong the sea With
Fighting Bob seated la his cabin,
quietly knitting socks or %crpcheting q
ANA W N'AlNk NNf fAA'Nt NhAft'NihN
stitch on some little limerick, and you
will not miss the picture that will be
presented on occasions. lie Is a good
knittcf. az he u good AZ everything
else no undertakes. and he finds lots
81 solid enjoyment out Of this pastime.
Many a pair Of socks has Fighting
bob" knit when his thoughts have
wandered of from quarter decks. big
guns. projectiles, range finders. ira
lnFfnFfgM aud fhinpu nI that uaFf and !
every pair be- ever made ~ the man
for whom they were Intended.
In the embroidery line he can WELD
n needle with al the skill or an cx-
pert seamstress. And he can throw
his knitting aside. preside at a prize
fight. superintcnd divine services, play
a game OF poker and take part IN a
song or mix up as fine "a bowl u
punch as ever went down the throat
Of a sailor II it any Wonder that
such a man H. The idol OF his men2
Strict discipliuarian that he h, his
men love him. for they know he b.
fair and square, that while he insists
they shall do their fun duty and do u
wen. he wiz not stand any Oppression
or any infringement upon their rights
u - FOR such a man AZ this that 9TH
er men VIII risk their lives TO be lt
the forefront when danger b. impcnd-
ing
The people OF the Pacific coast have
not seen many Of the big men Of the
American navy. and when they look
upon Bob" Evans as his ships drop
anchor in san Francisco bay. they
will see one Of the biggest and one OF
the bravest. He began his active SER
vice In the civil war. where he was
wounded On the leg, from tho effect of
which he walks today with a very
p"erCcptible limp. lie ls perhaps The
only man in the navy with such an
injury who b. on the active list. %
who has been permitted 10 serve UNI
~ he reaches The retiring age uroVid-
ed by law His combativencss dis
played Itself when quite q youugster
A. "a lad 30 b. lola uf him tnut he VAS
sailing a toy boat on day when a big
ger fellaW than no broke hls shin
with a brick Young Evans broke the
head nf the boy who destroyed Die toy
with another brick
He was just as ready to fight when
grow TO manhood's estate % Doe ob-
tanned the s%ouhriuuet ~ Fighting
Bob pn account of the famous Incl
dent iH which he figured 90 Nslparai-
so. Chile. iu the early niuctics Those
were the days when there was hot
blood boiling between fhc ChiIisus
and tho Americans ono 81 our mer-
chantmen had been mulcstcd and the
EANHWN" W. NNN| HNM H.ININNN H NNNNN ANAfA
los Admiral. then Captain SChleR,
while ca shore leave. had been mob
bed hy a Thousand or more 81 the
citizens Of the Gillian city. This had
been settled amicahiy by the two gov
erumcris before Evans appeared upon
the scene but the Chliians were stil
rCscnfmi
This was tho situation when %,
yorktown. r. cruiser 90 small weight
as q fighting craft, with Captain
Evans dropped Huchor In the suppos-
eddy friendly port The officers 81
the Chilan navy hsd Doc men 90 war
boz thr harhur and among them some
torpedo boats They Unanswered these
torpedo boats about the harhur in The
musf tantalizing fashion. seeing how
near they could come fa the York
town without actually hitting her
This made Evans mad anc nc motif
fled the officers of the prurdu boat
that o. o. ~ them hauld hi the
yorktown he would blow Or uut ~ the
water. To fhis the ChlIlaus rctorted
that fhc harhor was Gillian waters
and the Chiiians would ust if Tor
drilling purposes a. they saw nt
And what MAS the reply % Captain
Evansf Tie called hts men to quar-
ters. cleared the decks ~ the York
tnHn for action loaded every one OF
his mfrna for aaftrme huaUwaaa ANA Fnnu