The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-17
BISHOP POTTER'S WIT.
Sometimes II Favored His Sermons,
but Oftener His Conversation.
New York SUM


The late Bishop Potter had dry wit
which sometimes favored his sermons,
but was perhaps more interesting in
his private conversation.
He was never ritualistic. He refused
for short time to visit the most adj
vanced of the ritualistic churches here,
but his refusal arose less from his OBJ
lection to the service than from the
disobedience of some of the clergy in
persisting in practices against the au-
thority. He frequently attended the
most deliberately ritualistic services.
wearing only his lawn sleeves and
black silk gown, however ornate the
Vestments of the others might be-
1t was after such a service that he
met one of his old friends, a woman
active in the work of the diocese, but
rather prejudiced against the ritual
istic practices.
And you mean to say that you were
at that church, bishop" she said TO
call that man Father? Don't you
| think that is outrageous"
"Oh, ! can't say that do, Mrs.
Smith" was the deliberate reply of the
bishop. He certainly has a right to
be called father. Everybody tells me
that he has five very attractive chill
dren. If five don't give a man the
right to that title, I'd like to know
how many it takes"
1t was after the marriage of Bishop
Potter and Mrs. Clark that the story of
| his stepson was told among his
| friends. The second Mrs. Potter had
several sons who were grown up at the
time of the wedding, but much younger
than was their stepfather. Bishop Pot
ter also had several daughters.
no traL as
daughters" Mrs. Potter said one day
to her husband, Ito call me Elizabeth,
| by my first name"
The bishop was contemplative for 4
second.
| Perhaps you had better not after
ALL" he answered with his invariahle
calmness. IF you did maybe your sons
would want to call me Henry"
| The suggestion, made as il was in
spirit of humor. appealed 10 the wife.
and his daughters We're not requested
to call her Elizabeth.
/ X x =
The Potter family al. lone time repre-
scented the most conventional of New
/ York's social ideas. but that was as far
back as the time in which Mrs. James
Brown Potter became an actress. II
was not, as a mater of fact, an UMPIRE
oedented thing for a bishop to have
| relatives on the stage. Marie Vain
wright. for instance, Is the daughter
Of bishop. But until the wife of
| Bishop Potter's nephew took to the
professional stage nothing of the kind
had happened in New York. II was
once while celebrating founders night
at the Players club that one of a
small party in a corner Joked the
bishop about the propriety of his pres
ence in a club of actors.
'Oh. | realize how well i am suitec
to this gathering" he said with twin
kle in his eye. You know actresses
will happen in the best regulated fam
lilies"
| One of the stories that Bishop Potter
always loved to tell about himself
dated back to a visit to Tuxedo, where
he went to confirm a CLASS OF candi-
dates. He stopped. as usual, at the
house of a member of the church ne
was visiting. He passed a comfortable
night. and the next day returned TO
New York for other duties
Several days elapsed before ne re
received a letter from his hostess III
II she vaguely but with evident con-
narn referred to the silver toilet set
that had been spread out on the ofess-
ing table. She even ventured TO Won
der if the bishop had by mistake
/ packed it up with his own things When
he went away.
1t was then he remembered whal
had happened to the pieces. So he sent
a telegram to quiet the apprehensions
of the nervous hostess 1t read
mot guilty. Look in the top bureau
drawer
The magnificence OF the silver outlay
had been too much for him, and on his
arrival he had put it into the drawer
and used his ewn articles Then he
had scared his hostess by failing to lei
her know where he had put it before
he departed.