Show o THE MILlIONIRES BISnOp I Bishop Potter of New York Administers Upon More Money 1 Than Any Churchman j There are two leaders in New York society One of them is Mrs Astor the other is Bishop Potter and the latter lat-ter is far and away not only the most powerful and picturesque but very much the most exclusive of the two Bishop Doane of Albany may wear smart gaiters and an orthodox aDron I and Cardinal Gibbons a stately hat but Bishop Potter comes nearer than II I wit is often caustic smart society loves i him none the less far it while every hostess feels that the presence alonG of the bishop lends a vast dignity to her table It is perfectly certain though he never chooses to conceal his beliefs and prejudices that he is regarded with perfect friendliness even admiration by men and women of all creeds and on all municipal occasions Bishop Potter Pot-ter is called upon to appear prominently prominent-ly The public relishes his brief J r c t4 1 1 q I I t ah vii Jt u 7t frY5cr J i I r I I I A CLUB TOAST I any other man in America to representing represent-ing the prestige of the Archbishop of Canterbury or the authority of the tiOI Ostensibly he is head only of the Episcopal diocese in New York in reality real-ity he represents more varied responsibilities respon-sibilities greater financial schemes and unique accomplishments than any other man in the metropolis He is first of all bishop of the richest diocese dio-cese in America administering with the skill of a William H Vanderbilt on church property that when it came into his cure represented a round twenty millions of dollars Since he j has taken charge of this sacred fortune for-tune so to speak he has increased it at bounds often a hundred thousand j ear Tina has been done by the very longheaded investments and by inspiring inspir-ing rich parishoners to glorify the church bi donations Added to these cares Bishop Potter lias undertaken the biggest building scheme since the capitol at Washington was put up That is the cathedral of St John the Divine which when it is completed will represent a great deal over the 30000000 estimated for its ejection Thirty millions and Bishop Potter has guaranteed to put the scheme successfully through is just the price of the cathedral itself it does not include the splendid altars the windows and organs etc tliat at his persuasion his millionaire admirers are already beginning supply Ultimately I Ultimate-ly the cathedral will stand as a monument monu-ment costing nearly fifty millions to the ambition and energy the diplomacy and enthusiasm of one man who is very far from a millionaire himself though millionaires with the exception tf car drivers cloakmakers and the like are his best friends It is a good deal because of this same cathedral that the average New Yorker always talks about Bishop Potter and points him out boastingly They will tell you he is building an American I w I I j J J4i I r I The Bishop Bringing Out a Bud Westminster Abbey a monument as big and fine as anything Europe can show that he is the spiritual guide and chosen chum of more moneyed aristocrats than any man in the town and yet he isnt a snob It is perfectly true that no Vanderbilt or Astor feels that he or she is properly christened I married or buried unless the bishop is on hand to give blessings and benedictions bene-dictions that he is asked to lay foundation c foun-dation stones of Newport palaces take the handsomest debutante heiresses into j In-to dinner be present at yacht launchings I launch-ings and preside at the smartest fune i tions still he is not by any means a mere rich mans chanlain If he Is asked to more dinners in the I i course of a season than he could possibly I pos-sibly eat it Is because he represents I 2 with Joseph Choate one of the wPli known men Who is at once a wise and witfy conversationalist Hhpugh his r ii a 4 speeehes There is no one in New York who can make a few remarks with the consummate grace appropriateness appropri-ateness and distinction and because of I these countless calls on his time he is the busiest man in the city In spite of the enormous labor he I must get through with in every twen tyfour hours in spite of his hale 611 years and the architects conservative estimate that it will require twenty I years more to sea the completion of the great cathedral Bishop Potter speaks I I I 1 I f i cc I r2 rr j 1 lJ7h < f J I l 7 ziFL37il 1 IJ Jl ii 1 J11 I f 0 J 1 U7 I I I v t f 1XI Y I + = l2 1 e 1 0 4fg fI 1J I A J k l l t 1 t Wi I = < fIi jt I l WJ t I i l < < tf 1 4 f I 4 1 pt r mJ I II r 1 f f t < II I I mil 1 ft1 61t I j I J I J 1 ll I I Iq I W Jli fl Ww J j I J i A Case Where Talk Is Cheap I always with pleasant confidence of the time when be will conduct services in the great chancel and dedicate the building His guarantee for this is that he comes of a long line of Potters three of whom were bishops all of them mighty aristocrats and every one reached a ripe old age before they were gathered to their fathers Though not I a rich man in the New York sense nor I assuming the airs of one he keeps his health good and his back straight by I indulgence in a single luxury Like I many another sensible hardworking man he spends an early hour every I day in Central park on horseback I whether it rains or the sun shines He learned this from his friends the athletic I ath-letic British bishops who assume far i more style in living dressing and entertaining en-tertaining than the New York prelate A street car is his favOrite conveyance convey-ance when he Is not covering miles on foot In manner he is proud of being a good American with broad church I principles and his dress is as simple I as that of a curate As his daughters grew up and gc t ready to marry he welcomed sonsin I law who boasted nothing mcre than comfortable means andit Is his habit frequently enough to lay down his napkin in the middle of the most brilliant bril-liant dinners of the season to fill an I engagement In the slums of the city Bishop Potter is probably most at his ease and seen at his best when he i is down among his friends the workingmen work-ingmen and women He heartily likes and enjoys them he understands all their sentiments and the cold haughty sharptongued predate who rather i frightens the debutantes and who knows how by the most exquisite i diplomacy to make a closefisted old j dowager endow a hospital bd with a single check is the simplest sort of a man and brother when he visits the striking oloakmakers or gives an inc in-c reception to the lockedout J typesetters I orlng the temperature of w aj dirty redhot anarchist down 50 degrees I in five minutes he can talk angry men into calm reasonableness and affectionate affec-tionate attention by a half a dozen sentences sen-tences and the same man who nj refuse areporter a tenminute inerr view > will byspreference spend his sum L I 1ai e CHRISTENING BULLIONS mer among the slum folk and cancel dinner engagements because a delegation delega-tion of strikers want his esence and advice Down at Stanton and Riving ton street where there Is snore swarmIng swarm-Ing degraded povertystricken humanity human-ity to the square yard than anywhere else on earth Bishop Potter is regarded regard-ed as a benevolent approachable helpful help-ful friend He enjoys himself at the social extremes and he has about as much toleration for a reporter or a simple easygoing middleclass citizen citi-zen as Torquemada had for an avowed heretic The average New York newspaperman newspaper-man would just as leave be sent out on I an assignment on tIle shores of the I open Polar sea as to get an Interview from the master of the white marble diocesan house on Lafayette place He Is apt to get no interview and to carry in his memory ever after the recollection recollec-tion of a tall wellpreserved man buttoned but-toned closely in a black clerical coat i I with a spare cleanshaven face like j that of an English ecclesiastic and a I pair of wonderfully hard steely jjray eyes I Perhaps somewhere along In the class with bores and reporters the advanced I I ritualists are relegated by the bishop I A ritualist is apt to act on his perves I somewhat as the dissenters used to affect af-fect Sidney Smith though on the other hand he has small sympathy with I puritanical sentiments A man can be a good bishop and a good club man at I the same time Is his belief and if I anyone doubts his capacity as a jolly good fellow they should drop into the Players on Founders night or into the Century club when some special function func-tion is on hand It is plain enough to see then that beside the great ladies of society and the hornyhanded sons of toil the bishop of New York possesses a hold on the affections of another element ele-ment in society tiw business men whether they are brokers bankers actors act-ors authors or artists On Founders night at the Players he will toast Joe Jefferson jn words that bring tears to the eyes of the veteran or drop in with a couple of priestly colleagues col-leagues to a quiet chop and talk in a corner exchanging nods and handclasps hand-clasps with John Drew and Francis Wilson as he goes by Of the Century club Bishop Potter has now been president for several years giving as great care and attention atten-tion to the interests of that organization organiza-tion as to his vast responsibilities in the cathedral and he bids fair to enjoy 1 i the presidency as long as he likes The 5hrewdest members admit his wonderful l wonder-ful executive ability they quote his I keen marks one of his toasts or I speeches will evoke more applause than my other halfdozeu men speaking in I I in evening and the nonbelievers and I he Catholics the sternest Presbyte I ians and the most loyal Jews will not I iiesitate to serve and praise him act m his committees and forget all dif erences of belief in their confidence in his liberalminded churchman whom nen after all admire most for his ut er fearlessness and who unfortunate y is the last of his name in the church with no son to succeed him EMILY HOLT 1 7 a = I T r i f V y I V9 I j N I Jj tse 1 f TEE BISHOP uTHEOIEiElt HALF J J 1 i 1 > I > 4 |