The Republican., 1899-07-06
HE Is NOW 4 BONIFACE.
Rev. DIR. F. S. Hiplins, Who Made a Record
in Oakland a Few Years Ago, As
sumes a New Role.

from LarcnmOnt, n. L, to that paper.
tells of new departure made by Rev.
DIR. +. s. Hipkins, at one time the
rector of st. Matthews Parish, Oak
land, who cut up high jinks while here
by breaking in the door of the Episco-
pal church after he had been locked
out by the vestry and in other WAYS
showing himself off before the public.
The letter to the Cincinnati paper is
as follows:
Larchmont Manor is still pulsating
from the effects of the shock it re-
ceived when the Rev. Dr. Fred. Hip
kins, who for years had been the rec
tor of st. Johns Episcopal church,
announced his intention of renounc-
ing his pastorship to become landlord
| oflthe Mitchell House, which is the
| cAest hostelry in the place. The
| house, which has been enlarged and
edded to many times since the orig
inal structure was erected, is on q hill
overlooking the sound and the Horse
shoe Harbor Yacht Club house, and
at one time enjoyed the entire sum
mer patronage that now is distributed
among the Bevan House, the Victoria
Hotel and the Mitchell.
During DR.. Hipkins' rectorship of
the picturesque, vineclad, gray-stone
| church, the congregation of which
| numbers all the elite of Larchmont,
he made q record as golf player and a
| bicvclist. He could handle billiard
cue dexterously, and knew how to sail
yacht over the blue waters of the
| Sound as well as any of the brOnzed
| yachtsmen of the place.
! Mrs. Hipkins, who was beautiful
! Southern woman of accomplishments
| took no part in the social life of the
manor, living an almost absolutely
| secluded life, while her spouse took
| the part of social lion, attending
pink teas and dinners in winter and
donning pink golfing coat or white
| duck yachting suit in summer.
! The doctor suddenly went to Fargo,
Oak, and in May, 81, obtained di-
vorce from his wife, Sue +. Hipkins,
on the ground of cruelty. Since then
Mrs. Hipkins has died. and the two
children of the marriage were placed
with relatives, under their fathers
authority After this he resigned his
rectorship of the church after some
comment, as he had many supporters
as well as enemies.
1t was in March that DIR. Hipkins
| obtained lease of the Mitchell House.
but the announcement that he was to
| conduct it personally was not made
until May. The news proved another
| shock to Larchmont. \ dominic in
| the role of a Boniface was a distinctly
! new proposition, somewhat Gilbertian
in its possibilities, and people Won
! dered if he would hang Scriptural
li,S.s.srpoc oil tho Jiniror TnpO1D Ir.
decorate the menu with texts.
On the contrary, the doctor secured
the services of an up-to-date barten-
der, arranged little cabinets in the
rear of the billiard room, where
thirsty Larchmonters might imbibe
seductive mint juleps and insidiOus
cocktails unseen, and announced his
intention of running his house on
thoroughly business principles, de
claring that his idea was TO make it
the Woldorf-Astoria Of the Manor
The idea that the house was to be
provided with a bar caused any
amount of gossip. In the under
ground recesses of each LarchmOnt
hotel there is room devoted to the
mixing of alcoholic concoctions, into
which the male guests are seen to
| NdIlSn, NthIIlS UliCu IillIl WI III
weary expressions, only to reappeaI
blooming, jubiIant and Glove per
fumed. The Larchmonter is not a
prohibitionist, but it isn't considered
nice to drink anything where people
can see you. He goes to the club
sometimes and absorbs quantities OF
various mixtures, or he goes on a yacht
and does likewise, but in the bosom
of his hotel he takes tea with his din
ner and apollinaris with his Welsh
rabbit.
The marked disapproval that the
doctors announcement OF bar al
the Mitchell House met with again
raised ripple of comment for and
against. Many daring Larchmonters
were heard to express the opinion that
there was no sense in having to &c
down in the cellars of the hotels tC
obtain drink. Patronage began tC
pour in upon the Mitchell House, and
rooms were booked, while the merry
clink of ice in pitcher and the gay
popping of corks resOunded over the
air and echoed on other piazzas, driv-
ing the male guests into the aforesaid
recesses or caves of the hotels where
: Fum was obtainable.
Now, there is no place in the world
where keen rivalry between the hotels
exists to a greater extent than in the
Manor. The war against the Victoria
Hotel, which some Larchmont cot
tagers declared to be an improper
place, because the cafe was not fal
enough under ground, is a matter o.
recent history, along with the plucky
woman proprietor's fight with ant
victory oyer her accusers. The court
revelations brought out the fact thai
Larchmont has its boss, who practic
ally runs the Manor, and that the feel
ing against the Victoria was due tC
the fact that the new hotel was al
Independent enterprise, run for tn,
entertainment of guests who hac
mastered the art of not blowing out
the gas.
So it is that the new boom which
the Mitchell House has experienced
has awakened a storm of Whispering
among the rubber neck colony of the
Manor, which promises to become al
popular as the Rocking Chair fleet o
the L. Y. c., composed of wordy sail
ors, who criticise through marine
glasses, but avoid any practical dem
onstration of their talents as shippers
DIR. Hipkins may be seen constantly
about the house and on the piazZt
welcoming newcomers with a Ches
| Ha,,, Of n II