The Washington herald., 1908-08-18

him upon his service 10 his country, but
the 100000 hearts at home and count
less millions abroad VIII 80 with him as
he formally quits the service OF the United
States navy For be 1t said that there
never was sailor who more fully en-
bodied all the traditions Of the sea IN his
makeup. nor who served his country with
more distinction and more bravery than
Fighting Bob Evans.
Upon one occasion Rudyard Kipling pre-
selJed Evans with some OF his books In
the 6yleaf Of one he wrote q poem To the
sea captain Two stanzas ran Ike this
Zoshaun draws with pencil.
And ] do --ilgs with a pen-
Bur y1a slt ur ~ coming towz-
B1ss-lg eight ElllIC1 men
To h5n thar hath saaI Be given.
And that's 7sby these bo1Es are sent
To the uzu who has lived more s-1-i=s
Tlzu Zcsb1uIl ] could l1EClt-
Evans has lived many stories HIS
life is q romance Tl his six-y-JvO years
he has probably sailed more seas, met
more people. had more strange experl-
e1ces. and met more cIsse calls for his
life -lan any other Official u the ADeri-
can navy But whether lying dangerous
u wounded in a waJery pit before Fort
peror IN q way thai made the Kaiser
his lifelong friend. or handing a delicate
Situation il Chile. or assisting il the up
building Of the American navy. or taking
a gallant part IN the Spanlsh-AuerLeau
war. or sitting up IN his coming tower
'-bCss-UE -1915 Of The best jack-tars
who ever went l. sea. whatever Le has
done has been done II way every whit
worthy OF the best traditions OF America
and her navy
His recent career is familiar history
HIS eight years OF service as q iaE on
Ger has been brilliant but congress
has allowed him % retire with no pr0-
motion al all HOW he commanded The
Atlantic fleet for several years. how he
goJ in ship-sEape for the greatest globe
slrC-l1S cruise ever undertaken by any
navy, how he T-l1ced that feet through
The dangerous C1rToWs OF Magellan IS
not soon 70 be forgotten neither Is his
surrender Of The command OF that feet
with its attendant ceremonies
No commander ever bade farewell =
his men under more spectacular. more
pathetic. and YET more fitting circu-l-
stances than Evans did at san Francisco
Il was q blaze Cf glory with which san
Francisco welcomed The feet and Evans
said gocd-oy Co IT, The guard OF honor
On that occasion was composed OF the
cadets Of the salt Lake High school.
where he had been q student more than
Ifry years before Pa-hos attended the
ceremonies, for The gallant old admiral
had 70 live down q thousand pains 20 be
present. and ar that moment. unknown
20 him. his little grandson. the very ap-
pie Of his eye and the hope Of his de-
c-iEins years. lay dead in washington
Admiral Evans was born In FLOYD
County. Va. August Is. 1876 Eis father
was a country doctor. and served his
country in the State legislature. He says
that his first recollection Of himself is
when le was about four years old He
was sturdy IN health. had rather long
ASLt-c1l1r5E curis, and wore q velvet
suit with a feather in his cap for arua-
De1- HIS -rst possessions were a gun. a
pony. and a negro boy. who taught him
how to smoke and chew tobacco He had
q black 'Ia-uGly' IS had all Virginia
children OF quality Ia ;acsa days. This
old woman lived to be -11 years old and
died ID Washington q few years ago. In
his early youth he frequently ae-oupa-
MED his fathers IeamSters O. Ly1clru-E
and be has said that ne never tasted such
carll-ead as they had in those DAYS since
no such corlusaI IS now made His usual
wants when De got o. LyuclblrE were q
pair Of high. rsE-tGp boots and some am
u-Diri1l- The harvest tine was the
brightest Of lis childish experiences His
duty was % gather tIe eggs Of the Bob
whites whose nests were broken uu
by the EarveS-ers. He would take q has
ket lined with raw cotton. and gather
tLe eggs into this One CAV he Ea--e-ed
- partridge eggs and had a hen hatch
them o-L He succeeded I'D raising near
" The whole brood
The father Of young Evans died when
he was ten years Of age leaving him as
the head OF the house His mother so.u
moved 90 Fairfax County. just out o.
washington 50 thar he could get The bel
Ter school advauJaEes- He admits thar he
cannot remember having learned anything
GI The Floyd school and little more At the
F'airfa2- schools IN 155. his uncle. A. H
Evans. had him come 10 Washington and
live al his home This uncle was q lawyer
and was clerk 20 The House Committee
on Claims lie started 20 the public
scIpC- but his career was short He had
-nsce @ jack-klife boat and was sailing il
on q pool at the school grounds A big
boy came along and with q stone smashed
the little navy Of the budding admiral 1t
was Evans cum next TO throw a stone.
and 1e did Il with such precision and dis
patca that -he other boy was carried
home on a door This ended the career
OF young Evans in the public schools He
next went 20 Gonzaga College and there
completed MS school days IN civil life.
Much Of his time in those DAYS was
spent playing about the Capitol and on
the floor OF tbe House When he WASN'T
there he was down at the waterfront
watching the ships in the harbor. He
had about made up his mind 10 run away
70 sea when q l1r. Hooper. DELEGATE IN
Congress from Utah, asked him II he
would 60 70 the Naval Academy on his
appointment He accepted the offer. went
10 Utah 10 stay q year for the purp0se
OF acquiring a legal residence. and then
came back 70 Annapolis On his way
20 Utah he had all his worldly belong
inss in an Old-fashioned carpet bag At
Davis, Mo- an old man swapped bags
with him by mistake. and he raised
money 10 supply his loss by auctioning
on the contents OF the bag left him He
Joined an enigrart party al St joseph.
and rode q Mexican mule. which he SAYS
could smell an Indian farther and set
away faster than any beast he has ever
seen. Once he was shot by the Indians,
Jlc arrow going through the leather fen
DER over his stirrUp first. then through
The tendon OF his heel and then into the
ribs OF c1e mule The party had 20 Iasso
the male and throw II before they could
get the boy loose. At another tine he
had 70 90 with the Indians for ten days.
and they offered him al sorts Of induce
ments 20 give Up his "trip and stay with
them But he was not 10 be turned from
his purpose After dozens Of thrilling
experiences going 10 Salt Lake. and
dozens OF others returning year later,
p 4 q