The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-11
BISHOP AND HUMOR1ST
rs u VI TANNER, VINO PRESIDED ar
THE BETHEL CONFERENCES.


at the Gathering OF Coiorcd Brethreu
Fame has come to Bishop j. W. Tanner O
the African Methodist Episcopal Church, VIII,
presided over the Conference OF colored minis
ters held last week In the Bethel Church II
Sullivan street. Much has been written abou
the Bishops strong right arm. his massiv,
BRAIN and eagle eve. His patience and en-
DURANGO in presiding over the Conference anC
In dealing with the business presented by tn,
various ministers were tho subject Of much
complimentary comment But great as the
Bishop is In these respects. greater. fai
greater is he as humorist and story teller
During tho Conference the Bishop kept every
one In good humor by his witty remarks and
funny storios Personally he is a man Of
UNIQUE appearance. He appears to be over six
feet tall. and is spare and lean. He holds him.
self at all times very erect, save when per-
picking questions are presented to him. He
has massive frame. q clear. light com plexion,
and bright brown eyes. and striking NOUS
tache and chin beard hide his frm mouth His
hair is brushed straight back from his FORE
head. and falls toward his neck In luxurious
quantities. His smile would DO fortune to
an actor. II begins with the ends OF his nous
tache. which oscillate gently. Then It creeps
up to his nose. which witches end wrinkles.
The lines about his eyes deepen, and heavy
ridges appear upon hie forehead. As he
smiles he slowly and meditatively strokes his
brow with his left hand. As the smile dies out
the wrinkles and ridges disappear and the
moustache and beard become motionlesa He
| has happy faculty OF answering the most
perplexfng problems with this com prehensiye
smile. 1t may mean everything or nothing,
The members OF the Conference arc very
fond OF him. Ho ts fair with them. quite i'm
partial. and hears all that they have to say
EriandS and an0mfaa ~ h. de-
very few Of the latter. are treated alike. In
the distribution OF the appointme nts at tho
conference just closed tho Bishop wns Just
While he shows to great advantage as pre-
siding officer. 1t is IN personal conversation
that one appreciates his ready wit. On the
evening OF the close Of the Conference. and be-
fore the last session. the Bishop and several Of
the ministers attending the Conference were
chatting and trading stories in the front pews
OF the church. The subject drifted to intem-
perance Some OF the ministers present con-
demned drinking strongly. saying that
whskey had no redeeminR features. Others
held that while the redeeming features were
few. nevertheless while the effects Of too much
h. MhatsT Ss the the Taste 4
he leaned forward and slowly strokine his
0ea The ssid Il bumor IN evil .omot,no, ~.
member a story that was told me about q |
solored man down South. He worked hard.
R ToSd AZ hs Sots Sth us
whiskey., In telling about his experiences az |
road With John BsrleHsor a07e h shs
John In I'll the Jug with a corp-oob stopper.
sampei r hT several times along the road He
fence. The jug and got up on the fence s and
as we were about to get over, doyn went the
on the other And out Of the Jug did come the
SSo Plf st9ppes. and out after the corn cob
out he sad GOOD sSod eo odd good 90
there and looked at him and said: .Oh. Lord
sp sr.s ssR
81
5sa to attend satherins s' % si sh
batting society that he once heard Of. he said
s S'f s09os
pennsylvania GI They met every Wednesday
ats6 sess.s; rEssss ssS
aver from the probability q the pres
G 81 rn ShsS IN the
bns nisSt 4 PIePo.ed sh.s tSs sssstioa
ns %he Is so as the
evenly III diytdea All agreed that Wills
han the other. The debate waved hot. Per.
hours earnest argument. an old man arose. eWo
ae was noted among the colored people in the
ssEeSa By %st ss rsS
! being able to saw more wood and eat more
hiek e than n any other man In the village. He
or his understanding. He looked over the
audience calmly fore moment and then said: ,
ooishness When You are sa,' s Essson no rs
nc al argHe ABOUT The cream and pSt about
nd hypocrites are only skim milk. You should
&c that the profession Of thief requires the
Smse fimsef Is SE and
Whis5 q those tE se sofst Th IS
ni ME IL beth band and is not exactly bad
ion tonight could be drawn from this propo- :
ition. There is fence, 4 owns the land on
seed Ii. 81 sdt se q tRa b fence.
uedee tHs ea %p
pumpkin, Whose Is that pumpkin p kf'" g
' SS'tS oePasEsa qSS Soc sHS q
su sd %sHs Rear
as they %0.s Then the old
asf tst .Ssrs @ass yho were
eIon. forgetting all about liars. thieves. p
The Bishop planned that he did d' not toll
lustrate the lact mat there were few people tr
II on earth who were perspicacious. III
These are two OF the many stories attrjb- r
led to Bishop Tanner, Colored people who /
atched him at the Conference and heard | ',
3 quaint sayings delight to repeat them. 10
hen q colored person who goes to church in | n
ew York now mentions Bishop Tanner's IN
ame he insures to himself the interest OF his Pc
carers. Many story tel lers have been shrewd W
place on the Bishops shoulders stories. n
my and otherwise. that he has not told. i
hose two hoWeyer, are vouched for by people 90
no heard the Bishoptell them. And those who 60 60
emselyes, may be good yet the Bishop as &c &c
cir teller Is thousand times better OF
The wit and the humor Unborn In colored 10
'ople is well known, and when they gather m
gether they never fail to make the most OF pa
cir opportunity to provoke smiles and cause bs
lighter 1t requires that man OF the ability GO
I'd temperament OF Bishop Tarns. should ~
esido at a Conference, for 1t has Zen said |
at the ablest negroes either become preach- Tn
8 or poiltioans, and In this state " sesms that
Roiitlcians among mi, tho eoloFed people are
Is that In no poitical gathering OF politleians