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WILMEbTTE L aivPOco&ri,,93 Given the address, "Lake Front at Randolph."'most people 'would won- der if a hoax were being perpetrated because. the terminal'of. Randolph i.s terra incognita. Yet a taxi ride out to the lake front at the foot of Ran- dolph street-via Monroe street and the, Leif Ericson- drive-is amply re- warded. The ride ends at the U. S. Naval Reserve station, which is com- manded by a Wilmette resident é 30 years standing, Capt. Edw wd A. Evers, and botb he and the station are worth a visit. The station is new, having been built of concrete and giazed tules only thret years ago to replace the beached and rebuilt U. S. S. Commo- dore. But Captain Evers dates back to January 15, 1878, according to data furnished by bis office. He adds a comment to this, with a twinkle, "I was born on Prince street in New' York City, a no-account street,. where they bang the wash fines across." Outfitted with Souvenirs Apart from this discrepancy in their ages, the station and the captain are inextricably mingled. Captain Evers bas been witb the Naval Reserve sta- tion in Chicago ever sitîce it was established in 1893, following the Co- lumbian expositionof that year. Mucb as a bride sets up honsekeeping with lier wedding gifts, so was the station out fitted by souvenirs, froni the ex- position. ýIn bis suite at the Reserve station Captain Evers bas many relics f rom the brick battlesliip wbich the govern- ment exhibited at the first , World's Fair in Chicago, sncb as a handsomnely carved sideboard and- its companion.i piece, a secretary-both decorated with nautical designs. Upstairs i the ward-roomare other pieces.fromf the brick battleship, notably two carved tables. Spanish War Veteran Througb the years Captain Evers bas added to the collection of souve- nirs so that bis own taste and bis own bistory are reflected in the furnish- ings throughout the station. H1e fought in the Spani&h-Americàn1 war and brought heme several prizes. One of thiese is the telegrapb key fromi the iI1l4u4ed U. S. S. -Maine.. Another is the chronometer from the U. S. 'S. Nashville, wbich was the first to cap- ture a Spanish ship. Binnacies are among the station's treasurers, of course. One occupies an bonoreci place in the ward-room with its brass beautifully polished by the Filipino staff of servants. The other, from the U. S. S. Yantic, of Greeley expedition fame, is in t.he captain's suite. This bas pockets on either side for the holding of iron nails, to furnish the compensating pull on the compas s. Binnacle iamps whicb any antique-lover would re- move without a qnalm of conscience arc stili in place to illuminate the face of the compass, empty of the lard oul which was the un-freezable sub- stance used by mariners. Ancîent Weather Glas& And speaking of mariners, one of the most curions souvenirs is an old ship's weather glas s, hand-blown, which Captain Evers says is "hours ahead of any of the mdern barome- ters." It- is kept* filled with water, which is coiored with red ink for the sake* of interest as it moves up- and down the tube in accordance with the shift in air pressure. Modemn weather glass equipment works witiî mercury or on a, spring. There's really no end to the me- minders of years past. In a glassed- in case between one of the offices and the main corridor is a ship's mode'. which the captain says is the finest ini this country, a model of the Edna whicb ivas wrecked off the coast of Ireland ini 1868. It is made of wood from the original ship, and its canvas.; is made of flax spun, by the Irish womnen for the captain wbio wished to reproduce bis ship in miniature, The detail is unbelievably accurate. Relic From Farragut Ship On a wall in the second floor cor- ridor is a portable mirror, wbicb like- wise too would be coveted by the an- tique- hunter. And most attractive of aIl for decorative effect is the pair of' sbields in the ward-room, each bearý ing fifteen gleaming cutlasses, lockel together by links of chain, wbicb were weided on Far.ragut's flagship in the battle of Mobile bay.,The ward-room is distinguisbed by hand-bewn furni- ture, bv a walnut fireplace remnoved in toto from a wealthy Chicago home, by plaques 'in the walls depicting the life of Lincoln-and by a view of the lake and its craft that wouid be tbe envv of any îoop or north side restau- rant. Photographs abound, of course, chiefly of sbips and of men wbo have commanded sbips. Bal.bo's arrivai isi portrayed, and incidentally the cap- tain bas been notified by the Italian government that be is to be given the decoration, ýChevalier.. One of the most interesting group photographs shows, sportsman Gêne 'MacDonald's party comprising Donald MacMillan, noted. Arctic explorer, Borglumn the sculptor, and others aboard the U, S. S. Wiimette where they are being weicomed by Captain Evers and Admirai Rodman. MacDonald's pbotograph in- one of the offices bas a lot of Hollywood hauteur about it that makes for good-natured razzing, and razzinig is 'the spice of life in the navy. Nothing. comes in for more razzing at the Naval Reserve station than "Lizzie's room," which is fur- nisbed amusingly, with antiques of varying degrees of worth and interest. Was Ill-Fated Eastland The captain would probably swear a deep Irish oath to hear bis good sbip the U. S. S. Wilmette, called a relic too,-but so it is. It was formerly the Eastland, which won fame by turning over in the Chicago river when onfy eight years of age. The government bougbt it, and the cap- tain in re-cbristening it decided to bestow an Indian name. H1e found ont. however that Indian names for ships were numerous and it was diffi- cuIt to find one that bad not been taken. So be decided to take the name of bis village, Wiimette, and.to speil it as tbe founder of the fanîilv. Antoine Ouilmette, had. The first to view the petition for this name, bowever were moved to laughter over the word "omelet" for a sbip, and the captain withdrew the French version of the name in favor of the American form. Used as Training Ship The U. S. S. Wilmette is used as one of the fleet in training the enlisted men in the Naval Reserve. Each summer the fleet g'oes ont for four cruises of fifteen days each, three for its own men and the. fourth for lads from the militarv schools in the ninth naval area comprising thirteen states, wbich is commanded by Admirai Clu- ve*rons. Enlisted men in the Naval Reserve station in Chicago number 750. ac- cording to Captain Evers, wbo savs he bas more applications than lie cati handle. They assemble in groups of 250 each on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings of eacli week for instruction. They are divided ini- to ten' divisions of seventy-five each with headquarters and officers for eacii. A staff of tw.enty men, comi- manded by three officers. directs the instruction and drill. The drill hall by the bay can accommodate 5.000 men. Desagfna Station Proud as he is of the bhistorical relics which make the station a treas- ure-honse, Captain Evers is " utst as proud of the station itself, a building wbich he bimseif designed. H1e thinks the boiler room the finest and 1most immaculate,*of any boiler rooms in the world, h .e brags about the swîm- mi.ng.pool, he shows with justifiable pride the carpenter shop and the win- ter quarters for the small craft. an'1 even takes the visitor into the kitchen where the Filipii~o cook is ýbusy ma"k-' ing.Johnny-bread for supper., Here on a high. shelf is anothèr, object d'art.- a huge :copper pun ch bowl witha brasgdecoration that shouid make foý jollity at anv and el'ePry naval party. Naval gatberinz.ç this fail-nn con- nection. you understand, with the punch bowl-include a recent, week- end conclave oif the commandinf- offi- ,,,-pr in tlh<- ninth naval area and the 'fort":cominiz national meeting of the Naval Reerve nýsociatir,,1 on October 21 and 22 in Chicago. Captain Evers ,was presiderit of this for six years. Lnmnq NpvaI Career His naval, career has proceeded nois Naval reserve in August, 1897. iHe wàs, called te, active duty in. the navyon May 1$, 1898, and assigned to the U. S. S. Indiana,. serving. on board -this vessel until October 1, 1898. iHe participated ina number of bcm- bardmnts of Cuban ports and as- sisted in'the landingÉ of ,the troops at Seboney, was present at the batt1e of Santiagâ, and was in the boat that rescued Admirai Covef; who comn- manded the Spanish squadron. After bis discharge from the regu- lar navy, he rejoined the Illinois Naval Reserve, was elected ensign in August, 1901, lieutenant in 1903. Two years after being appointed executive officer with rank of commander in' 1909 he was elected commanding offi- cer with the rank of captain. Veteran of World War His World war activities were num- erous, and as he admits, arduous. He was ordered to active duty on April 6, 1917, and assigned various duties, sucb as serving as commanding offi-_ cer in the Grant Park camp whicli furnished men for the many yachts that were taken over, later as coin-, manding officer for the Officers' Ma- terial school, Municipal Pier. He was at theý samne time in charge of the re- modciing and fitting out of seven steamers, taken over by- the Navy department, also the construction of forty coal barges. A third job was the training of cretvs for patrol boats and snb-chasers. It was during this stage of bis career that he became friends witb the Secretary of the Navy who . is now President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt. NVliat witb collecting nantical tro- phies and souvenirs and serving in two .%ars,.tlie captain has been bnsy, but not too busy -to enjoy a familv life that ivent feminine in a big way. "WTe were sure onr first was going to be a boy," jokes Captain Evers, who mar- ried a Scotch girl. "She wasn't. And we were absolutely positive the sec- ond wvas to l)e a )0v-. XVeII. . we jnst knew for certain the third wvonld be a boy." Contrarywise, ail tbree were girls, jean, Virginia, Marjorie. The first is librarian nowv in the Amnndson scbool in Chicago, the sec- ond has married and lives in Sani Diego. and the third is known as "Dick" Evers throng.hout the north shore byformer classmates at Ne-w% Trier High scbool and Northwestern universitv, and to ber colleagues in the Glencoe scbool system. "Her grandmnother thought she was tough." jokes the.father, "and nick- named her Dick Turpin for the des- perado. I tanght ber to swim when she was thÉee, and she has piled up several swimming honors. She's ai- wvays been Dick to everybody ever since." As befits a veteran officer who bas his softer moments, the captain ad- mits bis favorite movie actress is Shirley Temple. "You ought te go and see ber." says he, "éshe 's some- thing remarkable, I'm telling you." It's a safe gness. yon see, that wben he's not at the lake front and Ran - doip.b, he's ont seeing Shirley. Mr. and Mrs.LeRoy M.inor and fam- iiy,- formerly of 929 Sheridan. road, have 1l'eased a bouse at 605 North Wal- den 'drive, Beverly Hils, Cal., which they eopect: to occupy the middle of October. Harry. Minor, who gradu- ated f rom Newv Trier last June, wilI enter Leland Stanford university as a f resbman. Mrs. D. L. Taylor, 849. Michigan avenue, will bave the meeting of ber Reading circle on Monday afternoon,, October 8, at 1 :15 o'clock. Mrs. Alfred, McDougal, 325 Abbots- ford road, left Kenilwortb Tuesday' for Peoria to attend tbe funeral of a October 4 1 VILMETTE LIFE