EVANS 



2104 



EVANSTON 



had considered weaving a novel about it; feel- 

 ing, however, that it was better suited to poetic 

 treatment, he offered it to Longfellow, who 

 made of it an exquisite idyl. The meter chosen 

 was that of the classic epics, the Iliad and the 

 Acncid, and the lines are long and stately. 

 Some of them, as the opening ones, for in- 

 stance, are as familiar as any lines in the 

 English language: 



This Is the forest primeval. The murmuring 

 pines and the hemlocks, 



Bearded with moss, and in garments green, in- 

 distinct in the twilight, 



Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and 

 prophetic, 



Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on 

 their bosoms, 



The pathos of Evangeline's search for Gabriel 

 through many hundreds of miles of forest and 

 city, down river and bayou, and of her final 

 discovery of him on his deathbed rings true and 

 is never strained. Many a line is worth re- 

 membering for its true poetic quality, as 



When she had passed, it seemed like the ceasing 

 of exquisite music. 



Silently one by one, in the infinite meadows of 



heaven. 

 Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of 



the angels. 



EVANS, MARY ANN or MARIAN. See ELIOT, 

 GEORGE. 



EVANS, ROBLEY DUNGLISON (1846-1912), an 

 American naval officer, who was known by the 

 popular name, "Fighting Bob." The boy who 

 was to become Rear-Admiral Evans was born 

 in Virginia and was appointed to the United 

 States Naval 

 Academy in 1860. 

 At the age of 

 seventeen, he, a 

 Virginian, was a 

 midshipman 

 in the United 

 States navy, 

 while his brother 

 fought on the 

 side of the Con- 

 federacy. ROBLEY D. EVANS 



In 1868 Evans was commissioned lieutenant- 

 commander; in 1870-1871 he was on duty at the 

 navy yard at Washington, and in 1871-1872 at 

 the Naval Academy at Annapolis. He was 

 made commander in 1878, in 1891 was in com- 

 mand of the Yorktown at Valparaiso, Chile. 

 and in 1893 became a captain. During the 

 Spanish- American War Evans was in command 

 of the loiva, and at the naval Battle of Santiago 



took an important part in the destruction of 

 Cervera's fleet. He was commissioned rear- 

 admiral in 1901, and in 1902 was made com- 

 mander of the Asiatic fleet, with the Kentucky 

 for his flagship. 



Although the nickname "Fighting Bob" was 

 merited early in his career, it was not given 

 to him until 1891, when he was sent to Val- 

 paraiso in command of the Yorktown to help 

 Captain Schley in a fight which the latter's 

 men got into with the Chileans. During the 

 absence of the Baltimore, Evans with his single 

 gunboat confronted the ten forts and the whole 

 Chilean squadron, and twice cowed the Chileans 

 with the threat to open ' fire, thus saving his 

 flag from insult and preventing the forcible 

 seizure of the American refugees. 



When President Roosevelt sent the American 

 battle fleet around the world on a mission of 

 peace and good will, Rear-Admiral Evans com- 

 manded it around Cape Horn and up the 

 Pacific coast to California, when he relin- 

 quished his duties, having reached the age of 

 retirement, sixty-two years. 



EVANSTON, cv'anztun, ILL., a residential 

 city of Cook County, one of the most beautiful 

 suburbs of Chicago, situated twelve miles north 

 of the center of that city, along the shore of 

 Lake Michigan. The population in 1910 was 

 24,978; in 1916 it was estimated to be 28,591. 

 It is served by the Chicago & North Western 

 Railroad, with finely-equipped suburban passen- 

 ger service, and is connected with Milwaukee by 

 an electric line, and with Chicago by elevated 

 and surface lines. 



Evanston is a city of wide, beautifully-shaded 

 streets, attractive homes and churches and 

 well-known educational institutions. It is the 

 seat of Northwestern University (which see), 

 attended by over 5,000 students, and the largest 

 Methodist Episcopal school in the United 

 States, and of three affiliated schools, the Gar- 

 rett Biblical Institute, the Norwegian Danish 

 Theological School and the Swedish Theolog- 

 ical Seminary. Winchell Academy, the Con- 

 vent of Visitation and the Cumnock School of 

 Oratory, the latter affiliated with the uni- 

 versity, are also located here. The Willard 

 Rest Cottage is the headquarters of the Na- 

 tional Woman's Christian Temperance Union; 

 the city was the home of the founder of the 

 organization, Frances E. Willard. 



Evanston was incorporated as a town in 1863 

 and as a village in 1872, and received a city 

 charter in 1892. The water and filtration plant 

 is owned by the city. 



