The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-17

RO6LEY D. EVANS,
Rear Admiral in command of the
great squadron which sailed from
Hampton Roads yesterday.
At this time deep interest centers no
less in the man who has command of
the Atlantic squadron which sailed
/ from Hampton Roads yesterday. thaa
it does the great fleet itself. The Her
aid received this note of inquiry from
/ w, {. Smoot, jr., of Idaho Falls: quite
a number of Utah people claim Rear
Admiral RObley D. Evans, or Fighting
Bob as he is Familiarity called, is a
product of Utah and received his mill
tary training while citizen of the
same place. Please state why the peo-
pie of Utah take so much pride in Ad-
miral Evans, and to what extent his
early life was associated with Utah and
her people,"
Utah takes more than passing inter-
est IN the dcings of Admiral Evans, for
he was appointed from this territory by
Delegate in Congress W. II. Hooper 10
cadetship in Annapolis.
While in Salt Lake. Evans made his
home with Mr.. Hooper.
James Creelman's character sketch
of Admiral Evans is given below:
a
with long, light curls, a blue velvet
suit and feather in his cap. When
years old he owned a gun, a pony and
negro boy. He learned to smoke and
chew tobacco. His nurse was an af-
fectionate black nanny who lived for
102 years.
Comes to Utah.
when Bob was 10 years old his ia
Their died and the boy WENT to live i'm
Washington with an uncle a news
paper man, who was a clerk to con-
gressiOnal committee. He entered the
Gonzaga college, where he learned.
among other things. a smattering OF
Greek and Latin. Much of his spare
time was spent about the rooms of the
capitol, where he attracted the atten-
ton of many prominent men,
"One day Mr.. Hooper, the delegate az
congress from the territory Of Utah,
halted the little fair-haired Virginian
AID asked MIN now he would like to be
appointed to the naval academy at An
napolis- Bob at once poured out his
heart and declared it was his dearest
wish. Mr.. Hooper said that if young
Evans would so to Utah and become a
resident tne' appointment would De
made That was in 1859.
Bob was only Is years old, but he
ital. He Travelled alone to St Joseph, /
Mo. There he was met by friends, who |
arranged that he should cross the /
plains with party of five bound for !
California.
Mounted on j large gray mule. the /
future senior rear admiral of the Amer /
lean navy went out into the great viii 1
nerness. he helped to hunt buffaloes 1
and was iii several Indian fights
1-fr~ l. i
band Of Blackfect, but after a sharp
fight, in which Bob did his share, they
managed to escape. There were three
ugly arrows sticking in BObs gray
mule and another shaft had gone
through his ankle, pinniIg it to the
mule. That unhappy animal danced in
agony until ne was lassooed and Bob
vas released by having the arrow cut
between his ankle and the mules hide
Journey Full of Wonders.
THAT was a wonderful journey for
Bob, full of life and color, the vast
loneliness of the plains Offering a
strange contrast to the shut-in majesty
of the Virginia mountains. Again and
again the party was attacked by saw
ages, and Bob learned how to watch
and how to fight.
TT seems hard to believe it now. but
on that memorable trip across the prai-
ries. Washable, chief OF a band of
Snake Indians, saw Bob and wanted to
adopt him as a son. Washakie's son
rolled Bob in a blanket, threw him on
a pony and attempted to make off with
him. But Bob managed to escape. The
Indian chief afterward explained that
be meant no harm, and Bob was al
lowed TO go up Green river with the
Indians for ten days.
Washable dressed the boy in buck
skins taught him to shoot the arrow
and throw the lasso, and forced him to
wrestle with young Indians.
1.-THE small Virginian whitfield a will
low whistle, and when the Indians
heard him blow it, they kept him busy
for several days cutting copies. and
he was entertained by the spectacle of
grown men and women walking about
soiemnly, footing on willow whistles.
The chief then offered to adopt the
and even promised In
time to give one of his daughters for
his wife. But Bob shook his head and
refused to be beguiled. Otherwise he !
might now be eating COVE tnment ra-
tons on an Indian reservation instead
Of commanding the North Atlantic
squadron.
While he was in Salt Lake acquir- J
Ing a residence he saw much of the
I'll ~ NlplIiDl anu iidu ldih Will
Young. He had a good chance, | I
loo, to study the primordial American, /
Tor the noble red man used to come in ]
to tie city, get drunk and shoot ar {
rows at people. A tipsy Digger Indian {
sent an arrow at Bob who replied to
he jest with a shotgun and they pick /
I'd shot out of him until after dark. I
The Call of the Sea. Il
But the call of the sea was strong I
II han the bewitchment of the adven-
urous west. and in 1860 Bob Evans en-
cred the naval academy at Annapolis.
In all Of the seas apd all of the cit
es that have known Evans, he has
been recognized as natural leader and
tighter. In spite of his nature, there l
vas something about his face and
Eyes, something in the set of the !
mouth. that. in spite of his good ma I
ure, marked him the leader of men.
I'm 1891. when he was sent in COM $
nand of the Yorktown TO assist Cap I
ain Schley. whose crew had been at '
lacked in the harbor of Valparaiso. y
chile, it was not until then that he re- {