"FIGHTING BOB."

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8539, 20 March 1908, Page 2

"FIGHTING BOB."

According to the account given in " M.A.P.," Admiral Evans gained the name of "Fighting Bob" in 1891, when he was in command of the cruiser Yorktown. There were strained relations between the United States and Chili,'and some of the men of the cruiser Baltimore, lying in Valparaiso harbour, had been killed in the town streets. The Yorktown came in great haste to augment tho United States' fleet in Chilian waters, and it was due to the very bellicose despatches that Evans sent to Washington that the name was given him. In the Spanish war he commanded the lowa in Sampson's fleet, off Santiago, taking active part in the battles with Cervera. As one of the Spanish vessels began to go down, Evans' men sent up a great shout of delight. He immediaely quieted them all by exclaiming: " Shut up those brave fellows are dying/" "Fighting Bob" sometimes tells a story against himself. Once he had a Congressman for a guest. At drinks the Admiral apologised for the poor quality of his whisky, but added: " Here, however, is some brandy that I've kept untouched for a good deal moi}© than twenty years." "Just hand me over the whisky decanter," was the resly. " Why?" said the Admiral ; "what's the matter with the brandy?" "That's just what I want to know, Bob," said the guest, "but if you have had it untouched in your possession for more than twenty years there must be something pretty bad the matter with it!"