Bridgeton pioneer., 1908-05-07
BISHOP POTTER'S WIT
Amusing Experiences of Famous
EpiscopaIian Churchman.
AN EARLY lob INTERRUPTED.
How He Was Called Down by a Walking
Deleeate-An Episode Of His Boy
hood-odd Experience on One Of His

Delegate-An Episode of His Bow
hood-odd Experience on One Of His
| Tours.
Bishop Henry G.. Potter, the famous
| EpiscQpalian divine, while visiting his
daughter, Mrs. Mason Davidge, at her
place in the Adirondacks one summer,
got up early one morning, thinking to
| give her surprise and put in a prof
table hour or so by painting the barn,
job which, to his daughters despair,
| the local painter had promised and
! procrastinated about for weeks. The
| bishop donned an old suit of overalls.
| rigged up scaffolding and was soon
absorbed in imparting the traditional
dull red spot to the rural landscape
| when a voice, stentorian and peremp-
| tory, assailed his ears with the in
quiry:
"Hey! What are you doing up
| there?"
Looking down and around, he found
that the question proceeded from an
important looking individual with
square jaw and thick mustache and
smoking a big cigar. Imputing the
question to neighborly interest," the
bishop meekly answered:
"T'm painting the barn. It's almost
| finished"
"Well, you just drop that brush right
there" commanded the walking dele
gate, as he proved to be. Before you
hit the barn another lick I've got to
see your card"
Still mystified and a little embar-
rassed at not being able to produce Il
cardcase from his overalls pocket, the
amateur painter put on his eyeglasses
instead and, facing about, benignantly
said:
"Sorry haven't card with me, but
my names Potter-Henry C. Potter.
I'm Mrs. Davidge's father, you know"
But the eyeglasses had already iden-
titled him to the walking delegate, who,
uttering prolonged "Geev' magnanl-
mously shook hands and exclaimed:
"You can go ahead with your paint
ing. Bishop Potter's all right
When the bishop was once laid up
with a sprained ankle, Mrs. Potter, with
wifely consideration, had ventured to
remind him that the injury might have
been intended to give him an opportu-
nifty to display the resignation Of spirit
he had long commended to others in
misfortune.
Madam, the mere fact that have a
game Leg" he had retorted, "gives
you no right to make game of me''
Turning then to several clergymen of
the diocese who were present, he in
dulged himself in "reminiscences: =, ~,
Something by way of diversion. gen
tlemen. This leg reminds me of an cpl
sode of my boyhood. l went once to
visit venerable relative, farmer,
who had fine COW, which it was my
delight to drive daily between pasture
and barn. guess, though, was fond
of my bed, and the old gentleman had
hard work to get me out of it. One
morning he aroused me thus: Get up;
get up quickly. Henry. The old COW is
on her last legs jumped, hurried
| into my clothing and tore down to the
| barnyard. There stood the COW, being
| MIXED and as fit as ever.
| Thought you told me she was OIL
her last legsy l exclaimed.
| $50 did, he drawled. DO you ez-
pect her ever to have any moreY"
| Ambassador Joseph II. Choate met
Bishop Potter one day in New York
city. Mr.. Choate said:
See here Potter, you must wear
something to make yourself more cas-
lily distinguished. Why, a man just
| met me and addressed me as Bishop
Potter. Awkward mistake, wasn't it p
"Wel, Choate, l do think there's
something of resembfance-slight, you
know, for of course you hardly travel
in that handsome class that I fit in SO
snugly"
Possibly. possibly" slowly replied
Mr.. Choate. Il confess there's some
resemblance, and possibly the mistake
was excusable, for you must admit !
look more like clergyman than you
do"
During a recent visit to western
city Bishop Potter was entertained sev.
eral days in the home of a prominent
churchman. His room was prepared
and garlanded for the occasion, and
among other details bis hostess ar
ranged upon the dressing table an elab-
crate silver toilet set The bishop on
seeing 1t carefully transferred 1t to a
drawer, replacing it with his own set
The divine's visit over, the hostess
went to the room and was dismayed
to find her silver missing. She searched
everywhere in vain and questioned the
servants to no purpose. Finally she
summoned up courage to write very
apologetic letter to the bishop, asking
if by any chance he had found any of
the articles among his luggage. There
was an immediate and characteristic
reply. The telegram read as follows:
| I,,1t n11x