Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-03-08

ure of the American refugees who had
taken refuge under his flag.
Bob" Evans is gruff and abrupt and
gifted with q vocabulary that would
shrivel you up did he make you the ODD
ject of one of his verbal castfgations.
But what old sea- fighter is worth his
salt unless he possesses some of these
qualities? The admiral is no parlor
warrior. He would much rather lead a
fleet into trouble than remain home
and lead a cotillion. So IL there is
ANYTHING in the character of men Bob
Evans is following the lines he is best
adopted to. And like chip off the old
block his son, Lieutenant Frank Taylor
Evans, is following these very same
lines and for aught we know there may
be another Admiral Evans one OF these
days.
Robley d. Evans--a gentle name the
public would not stand for, hence
s'Fighting Bob"-is first, last and al
WAYS for the navy. He Is happily we'd
ded. the father of three children and
even a grandfather, but If you could
read his heart you would probably hnd
that the navy comes first.
Fights for Larger Navy
For years he has fought for a larger
navy, more men, increased pay and
every reform that could make this arm
of the government the first in the
world. Never has he decried this or
that in the department, never has ne
taken sides with the cfiques that make
the navy a nest of politics. He has
always stood by a champion of what
we had fighting for more. He may
may we'll be called the father of our
modern navy" for he has done more to
bring 1t to it's present stage of high
efficiency than any other man. And
when it comes to the practical work of
sailing q vessel, a squadron, q fieet or
an entire navy and putting it into ac-
ton there is no one Bob Evans would
take lessons from.
To see the admiral in his modest
home on Indiana avenue. Washington,
| you would meet man possessed OF a
rough jollity and sense of humor that
would force every good yarn from your
| mental storehouse. You would find
| him trying to forget what his next
sailing orders would be and acting as
much like boy as any rear admiral
could. His son, the lieutenant, and his
married daughters, Mrs. Sewell and
Mrs. Marsh, often make up happy thea
ter parties and sometimes go on jaunts
| into Virginia, where all the Evanses
hail from.
Even in the cabin of the flagship
Connecticut, outside of q certain re-
| SerXGQ ulSIllLy, yOu WOu4N bAi0 q oAAAPASt
democratic gentleman with some of
the drawl of the southland still to his
| tongue, who would place you at your
ease and force his hospitality upon you
against all protests. If his rheumatism
bothered him any he would probably
make your visit short and pleasant,
otherwise you would find yourself
swapping tales until the small hours.
MY last conversation with the adj
miral was on the day before the sail
ing of the fleet. He was in the little
cabin that shelters one on the bridge.
On his head he has placed the ear
piece and apparatus OF a wireless tele-
phone. Evidently the commander of the
fleet was disguised with the aerial
| central or the ether waves refused
to take his conversation without ex-
purgation.
Nearby stood young Lieut.. Evans
plainly grinning at his fathers dis
| comfiture.
"Here is a friend who wants to see
! you, Dad. Wait until I get a belt and
some pistols sc you will look real
warlike."
The admiral chuckled, threw down
the phone gear and stalked out on the
bridge
The American Boy
"The American boy" he said in an
swer to my question, "has as good
a show in the United States navy as
! in anything else. There is nothing
that will keep good man down, and
| thank God there was never pair OF
admiraps shoes made that wouldn't
fit a poor boy who gets to the top. The
navy wouldn't be worth q continental
dam without the American boys who
man it. I'm an admiral, but
wouldn't amount to row of beans in
action without the boys behind the
guns"
"How about your present task, adj
miral? There is some talk that you may
meet with difficulties on your
voyage"
"That's all bosh," he replied, with a
snap of the square jaws. Our mis-
| sion Is a peaceful one and we have
a right to send our feet where we will.
| We sail tomorrow, and / may add that
there is nothing going to stop u.s."