enry C. Potter, seventh Bishop of New York, who
had married Mrs. Alfred Corning Clark, took up his residence at
Fernleigh. In his administration of the most populous diocese in
America, Bishop Potter had gained wide renown as an ecclesiastic; added
to which his prominence in civic affairs, and in matters of national
importance, together with a public championship of workingmen's rights
at which many wealthy churchpeople stood aghast, made him one of the
most notable figures in American life. He passed his summers in
Cooperstown until his death at Fernleigh in July, 1908, and the near
view of his big personality caused him to be as greatly beloved in the
village as he was honored in the city. He entered with zest into the
interests of the village, gave a new impetus to many of its activities,
and made friends in all walks of life.

When Bishop Potter came to dwell in Cooperstown, the village had already
made up its mind that he was a rather austere and distant man, an
official person, the quintessence of ecclesiastical
statesmanship,--urbane, but unyielding. He looked the part. Tall, erect,
and of splendid figure, his countenance had the aristocratic beauty of a
family noted for its handsome men. The noble head and the poutingly
compressed lips of a wide mouth gave an impression of power, while a
slight droop of the left eyelid, and a thin rim of white around the iris
of the eyes, imparted a veiled and filmy coldness to his glance. The
personal dignity of the Bishop, his commanding presence, a certain
picturesque magnificence, the rich and well-modulated voice, the
incisiveness of his manner of speech, with the clear-cut value given to
every word and syllable, were characteristics that marked him as a
leader of men.

[Illustration: _A. F. Bradley_

BISHOP POTTER]

But Cooperstown soon came to realize the lovable traits and real
simplicity of its most distinguished resident. He placed many villagers
in his debt by personal acts of kindness, and charmed all by his genial
friendliness. In any company he was the chief source of entertainment.
Although he applied himself intensely to official work during certain
hours of every day in the summer, when the hour of relaxation came he
laid aside his task. With all his cares, he was never the grim man
forcing himself to be gay. His contribution to the pleasure of a company
was spontaneous and contagious. Not the least highly developed of his
qualities was the Bishop's sense o