Registered Rowies: 962
posted by Ben Fried
Just wanted to open a new thread to carry on the discussion of Preserved Smith and the many permutations of the Purple Bishop story. I know the story was told at Jr High this year by Dan Farbman, but I'm not sure that it was told at Sr High. Maybe someone who was present can tell us what happened.
After Eric Cooper last told the story in 1995(?), it was told at Sr High for several years by John Kleber. Does anyone know when it was first told at camp? Maybe we could piece together a timeline of Purple Bishop tellings.
On an unrelated note, to those interested in finding Dan Gediman, go to http://dangediman.com.
posted by Abigail Westwood on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 4:18 PM
it was not told at Sr. High this year.
posted by thomas davies on Tue Aug 19, 2003 at 4:25 PM
sooooooo, is there a connection between the buried Purple Bishop and the organ at the head of the Chapel ?
posted by Max Hodes on Wed Aug 20, 2003 at 1:15 PM
The story was not in fact told at Sr. High this year, nor was it told by Dan Farbman at Jr. High. It was told by Scott Sokol with theatrics by most of the staff and CITs.
Kyuss rules!
posted by ben fried on Wed Aug 20, 2003 at 2:28 PM
When I was a camper they told us the organ in the chapel was the same instrument Preserved Smith played, but that is nowhere close to the truth. Even if it's not the real deal, it still sounds incredibly creepy to hear someone play it.
My mistake about Jr High. Thanks for bringing the truth to light, Max.
posted by Dee Beider on Wed Aug 20, 2003 at 10:36 PM
Last year it was told as a big joke so those of us who have only been at Rowe since then have never actually heard the story. If someone would care to share it i'd be greatful.
posted by Jacky Gerstel-Friedman on Thu Aug 21, 2003 at 12:15 AM
We need someone new to carry this tradition on. It appears that Purple Bishop may fade into oblivion...
posted by Ben Fried on Thu Aug 21, 2003 at 10:37 AM
It's true. Someone new needs to take over. But I wouldn't worry about it never being told again. When Cooper stopped telling it, John stepped up and did a great job for a long time.
I think this hiatus will help revive interest in the PB. It won't go untold two years in a row.
posted by Max Hodes on Fri Aug 22, 2003 at 2:14 PM
I hope it does. I hope it doesn't get told for at least five years. This will bring speculation to a ridiculous high allowing for unprecendented levels of FEAR to be instilled in the unwitting as they settle down to hear it. The story should also feature blood in the future. Lots of blood. And pig intestines. And a skull. A really big one.
Screw that. I say let the PB rest in peace and stop telling that ridiculous story once and for all. Dee, you ain't never missed much ifin you ain't never hoid no damn purple bishop story.
Deicide rules!
Max
posted by Steven Gallanter on Sun Aug 24, 2003 at 5:49 AM
I am writing this at 6 AM 8/24/03 as I have just found out that Seth Deitch, the greatest man alive,
has had some serious health problems as of late.
I am sure that he would appreciate hearing from everyone.
posted by coleen murphy on Wed Aug 27, 2003 at 1:58 PM
I have heard it said that it's been told for many, many a year...
I was hoping that this year there would be a visitation of some sort, but ah well.
I like it with twists and turns and not so many theatrics during... save those for after.
I also like it as a big joke.
steven, maybe if you start a new thread about seth, it'll get noticed. I don't know him myself, but if you put his name in the title of the thread, it'll catch the eyes of those who do.
posted by Max Hodes on Wed Aug 27, 2003 at 3:11 PM
Kill it. KILL IT!
Krisiun rules!
posted by Holly Thompson on Thu Aug 28, 2003 at 8:36 AM
As far as I know, the story of the Purple Bishop has been told by the following people at Jr. High, in this order:
Skrott ("David Jarratt")
Eric Cooper
John Kleiber
Renya Larson
Tom O'Connor
Daniel Farbman
Scott Sokol (apparently)
I think that Skrott took The PB on as a research project in or around 1988. He spent many an hour in the Rowe Library on a fact-finding mission. He told the story at Junior High from 1988 (roughly) through 1990, then again in 1993 (Am I wrong, Fried? Did Cooper tell it that year?).
posted by Max Hodes on Thu Aug 28, 2003 at 4:28 PM
KILL IT!
posted by Dee Beider on Thu Aug 28, 2003 at 4:42 PM
Max- How about someone tells Dee the story and then we can kill it...?
posted by Max Hodes on Thu Aug 28, 2003 at 7:11 PM
KILL IT NOW!!!!!!
posted by Steven Gallanter on Fri Aug 29, 2003 at 2:22 PM
Dear Colleen,
Thank you for acknowledging my posting re: Seth Deitch. If I knew what a thread was I would surely use it. I am definnnitely open to enlightenment.
posted by coleen murphy on Fri Aug 29, 2003 at 11:43 PM
I'm looking around this blog and seeing that I have no idea how to start a new thread either... uh, fried? is this something that only some folks can do?
posted by ben fried on Sat Aug 30, 2003 at 2:14 AM
Morgan the webmaster can help you become a blog admin. He's also working on message boards, which I think are more what we're after. You won't need admin privileges to start a thread on them.
All these discussions we're having on the blog should be happening on the message boards once they go up. The blog is supposed to be more of a bulletin board for posting announcements of general interest. This purple bishop thread isn't really what it was meant to do... it's just a stopgap until the message boards go up.
posted by Steve Gallanter on Sat Aug 30, 2003 at 2:20 AM
Thank you Ben.
posted by Max Hodes on Sat Aug 30, 2003 at 3:10 AM
KILLITKILLITKILLITKILLITKILLIT
NOW!
posted by Scott Rasmussen on Tue Sep 2, 2003 at 5:46 PM
Well, I was going to say this was off-topic, but now I'm not so sure. I'm looking for a ride to Rowe
the weekend of September 5th from the Boston area. I'm pretty sure that my email address is
listed in my profile. I'm really looking forward to heading up there and seeing if my shaky old memory can
actually recall being at camp with anyone. If I can't get up there I'm afraid the Purple Bisop will come here
to get me. There, now it's on-topic. Sort of.
posted by Scott Rasmussen on Thu Sep 4, 2003 at 2:36 PM
I'm not sure if anyone tried to email me regarding my plea for help getting to Rowe, but it seems like the email address listed here is down for the count. First Lycos claimed it was down for "routine maintenance", then "technical difficulties, but should be up soon", now it's "we're having problems, we apologize for the inconvenience, be back Friday". So... if anyone has tried to contact me try this address smadbeck1@hotmail com. Thanks.
posted by Tom O'Connor on Fri Sep 5, 2003 at 10:47 AM
at junior high this year, we thought of a number of people to tell the story, including scott sokol, myself, simon delekta, and sarah kavanagh.
scott ended up telling the history of preserved smith, and then a number of "scary stories" were told by (and correct me if i'm wrong, max)
simon, sarah, mark taylor, and c.i.t.s india adams and isaac pirie. i would have told one, but i was really sick that night and also had to work on
the yearbook. max, i feel like i'm forgetting people.
posted by Max Hodes on Fri Sep 5, 2003 at 3:24 PM
I think that the list you have there is fairly comprehensive. Remember that most everybody else was upstairs at the time and I'll be damned if I remember anybody because I was just lurking around the chapel ominously the whole time as well as slamming doors and shit. So no, I don't think that you are forgetting anybody.
posted by Morgan Kelsey on Mon Sep 8, 2003 at 9:38 PM
My brother Ted used to tell it at Sr. High i believe.
posted by Zack Leven on Tue Sep 9, 2003 at 2:08 PM
The person to really ask about this is Aaron Kropf. He could tell you about the old Townie guy who told the story for many years. He may even be the original, I don't know.
posted by Max Hodes on Tue Sep 9, 2003 at 6:45 PM
For those of us who are younger/newer to camp, who are Aaron Kropf and Ted Kelsey? Does anyone know the whole lineage of PB story tellers? Tom? This seams like your area of expertise. Not that I recommend that it get told in the future or anything but maybe from now on we tell the tale of those who have told it.
posted by coleen murphy on Tue Sep 9, 2003 at 10:40 PM
max, aaron was a sr. high director in the early 90s, perhaps beginning before then... I've seen him with mine own eyes.
posted by Zack Leven on Tue Sep 9, 2003 at 11:09 PM
Aaron Kropf was a camper in the 70's, staff member in the 80's, and he directed with Missy Salzberg in '90, '91, and '92. I bring him up because I remember talking with him about how the story used to be done.
I have to say though, when I did the story with Cooper, in what must have been 1990, we were like, "How does the story go? Oh fuck it, we'll just make it up." I was upstairs playing the organ and making "spooky" sound effects while Eric told the story downstairs. It was all very silly. And from that proud tradition came the others like Kleeber. I think since that (possibly) original guy stopped, it's always been a scramble to find someone, and no one really remembers how the story goes.
Another person to try might be Dan Gediman. He was also a camper in the 70's. When I was on staff with him in '95, we did a lot of research about the history of Spirithood (another interesting topic). He might have something to say about it. But if you want to get the real original story, you should track down that original guy -- and I think Aaron would be the best place to start.
posted by Max Hodes on Wed Sep 10, 2003 at 2:34 AM
If you by any chance have the authority to do so, you should start a separate thread for your Spirithood research. I'd be interested to read about your findings and what the Hell, this thread has gone considerably off topic at points (and I wonder who's responsible for that *zing*), so if you feel like musing about said research, I for one would like to hear said musings.
Nile rules!
posted by Zack Leven on Wed Sep 10, 2003 at 3:40 AM
Yes, actually, I would very much like to do that. Umm... how exactly does one start a new topic on this thing?
posted by Holly on Wed Sep 10, 2003 at 9:11 AM
There is also discussion of the PB on another thread -- the Woodside Benefit thread that Fried started. Check it out --a few campers form the 70's are weighing in. I also referred them over here.
posted by Morgan on Wed Sep 10, 2003 at 9:15 AM
guys,
I'm hopefully gonna get the message board up today, where everyone can start topics. (and where this stuff will make more sense anyway).
so this section will return to being news, (i'm renaming it such, since alot of older people thing a blog is a form of snot).
patience, patience...
:p
posted by Morgan Kelsey on Wed Sep 10, 2003 at 2:12 PM
allright, y'all can head on over to the message board now!
posted by Holly Hilpert on Fri Sep 19, 2003 at 2:08 PM
Speaking of the Purple Bishop Stories
perhasp some one could help me out.
i live in San Antonio,Texas and had never heard the stories, though in Weird New Jersey magazine they mention a Purple Bishop,and at another site supposedly at Downers grove,Il,there is a legend of a man known as the Purple Bishop whose carriage was drawn by dogs instead of horses dressed inpurple and supposedly kidnapped kids back in the 1800s.
There was a man in the 1800s in new York state known as Mad Mathis and also as the Mad Bishop. He was supposed to be a clergyman who rented the Beechwood Estate,
in the Hudson River valley.He put ads in the paper and lured 4 young women to the place were he later killed them.
Their bodies were found and he stood trial
for the murders.This is a historical fact and according to the book,Ghosts of the Hudson Valley(a book about once great manor houses and estates on the hudson)
they have records on the case in the White Plains,NY historical Society.
Is it possible these stories came from this case?
i really would like to hear from someone
about the Purple Bishop,this organ your talking about and who in the world was preserved Smith.
thanks for your help.Holly
posted by john kleber on Mon Sep 29, 2003 at 1:05 PM
Hey all-
To clear up confusion:
Eric Cooper "entrusted" the story to me in '94.
Over the next year Ben Fried and I decided to revamp the story, make it less "historical" more story driven.
We invented the names Siras, Hadrian, and Annabelle. Siras was a bastardization of Osiris, the Egyptian god of death. (Fried and I are big dorks)
Anyway. We modified all of the history to fit into the timeframe given by the plaque on the Chapel wall. We did minimal research on the town of Rowe itself, and just basically made up the entire thing before the "Classic Stories" Sections which included the Drowning Children, Boy Scouts on King's Highway, etc.
The Train Tunnel story, if you may remember it was a variation on a story told by Aaron Kropf in 1993 (?). We modified it to fit into the lore of the mines. (A series of stories told about the old salt mines, one of which exists on the other side of the mountain which was explored in full by myself, Brandt Belknap, and Jonas Sherman in 1994)
The story of the Mountaineers/hunters whose dogs were slain "as if something had driven them all to madness" was an invention by Ben and I as well.
We were trying to build a case wherein all of the stories had witnesses.
So as for the "classic stories" most of them were modifications of Skrott Jarrett's, Eric Cooper's, and Aaron Kropf's. With the exception of a few.
Another interesting aspect of the story is the slow integration of the "Little Blond Girl" Myth.
In my early years as a camper there was a story that in YPC several years earlier a camper fled into the woods, never to be found and to haunt for years to come.
This story was alleged by Eric Cooper to me, to be an invention as well. To simply scare the crap out of new campers.
So in the story that Fried and I conceived, Annabelle, who I think has morphed into a composite now, with a different name, was the wife of Preserved Sr. She hanged herself while pregnant with the unborn 3rd child of Preserved Sr. as our story went. She then was left to haunt the woods by walking near the waterfall whistling and singing children's songs.
{If I may this also is a composite of several "fear scenarios" invented by members of my workshops in Sr. High.}
So to finish the etymology of the rest of the story, each of the "modern day encounters" are based in supposed fact, all experienced by campers who were later elected spirit (an interesting coincidence).
In order of their supposed happening as told to me throughout the years:
Eric Cooper + Stephan Anagnost- old man by the chapel basement window, his mysterious disappearance, and the later sightings of him at the farm house. The so called "Man in White" who protects the teller of the Story from the Purple Bishop himself.
Ted Kelsey-The story of the Bloody Hands apparently occurred in Sr. High '92. There has been confirmation from others who were there at the time that this happened.
Nina Ferrelli- Little Blond Girl on the JJJ Cross trail. (This trail still exists, I am unsure of its new name, it was recently renamed;a side path off of King's highway Road)
Brandt Belknap- Loud Noises in the woods followed by the appearance of two ghostly figures on the White Tail trail.
And Finally variations on the fear scenarios that many of us know and love all attributed to various people.
{I once had a camper ask me, "Hey Kleber, weren't you the one chased by the Horse?"
Not only did this make me laugh a lot, but it was a combination of two stories that I have told unrelated to the Purple Bishop in years past, both related to my family's farm in Buffalo New York.
So, if you haven't had enough, here is the lineage as far as I can recount it since I stopped telling the story:
I told the story to Renya over the phone one long night in 1996.
Then in Sr. High 1998 Micah Allen told the
story.
I told it again in '99. Then Ben Fried told it in '00, a complete revision of his own, an unbelievable story if I remember correctly- told from the perspective of Preserved Jr. (I think).
in '01 Tommy O'Connor told it, directly from my "notes" with a revision of the section on Preserved's Wife.
in '02 Ben told a hilarious parody thereby stalling the PB tale for the year of '03.
OK so that's a heap of info that you may have wanted to know. I would like to say that although many credit me with inventing much of the tale, more than 3/4 of it are the combinations of other's stories, the words of Ben Fried, Micah Allen, and Tom O'Connor, as well as people unbeknownst to me, and the support of members of "operation indigo" and Jonas Sherman.
I am eternally grateful to all who have carried the story further since my involvement with Ben (the true mastermind if you ask me, I'm just a voice for his ideas) because a ghost story can't grow without the new insights and passions of others. Folklore is the work of community, individuals and society.
Much Love to all. If I have provided any conflicting information to what you have heard in the past I am interested in answering any questions I can, but I assure you Mr. Ben Fried has a better memory for this stuff than me.
-john kleber
posted by Sarah Greeb on Tue Oct 7, 2003 at 2:59 PM
The Purple Bishop has been told at Rowe for many many, years, well before my time ('85-'91). As Zack Leven said well above, a townie used to tell it at camp every year. When he didn't want to do it anymore, there was a hiatus of a few years and then Skrott started doing it. I believe that Skrott got the story from the townie himself and embellished it with some spooky bits of his own. I'm told that the true joy of the story was that so much of it was rooted in local history and tied to "evidence" you could find if you looked for it. I spent many an afternoon out behind Henry cabin looking for the handprint left by the girl so scared she grasped the tree hard enough to leave marks before she died.
posted by Dan Updike on Sun Oct 26, 2003 at 9:30 PM
I heard the story at either Jr. or Sr. High camp somewhere between 1978 and 1981. It was told by either Doug Wilson or Jac Tenhove (spelling?) Anyway, being that it is close to Halloween, I was looking for good ghost stories and decided to do a search on the purple Bishop. I think it would be great if we could get one of the earlier reciters to tell it again, and record it (with organ sounds etc.) for posterity, fun, etc. There's nothing like a good ghost story!
posted by jay on Mon Sep 6, 2004 at 12:20 AM
could someone send me the purple bishop story? i remember it from camp! J
posted by Nathan Arthur on Thu Sep 23, 2004 at 3:09 PM
Mention of the Purple Bishop haunts me to this day. I was at Rowe Jr Hi 74-76, and remember the Purple Bishop, but that is all...except for the fear.
Having read everyone's contribution in this thread, I do remember the Purple Bishop and the fear but that is all. I will continue to dredge through my memories and see if anything can be found behind or under the fear. Except, is this really a good idea???
posted by James Mullaney on Wed Nov 10, 2004 at 12:16 PM
Does anyone know where I can obtain a copy of The Legend of the Purple Bishop?
The legend has been told for many years in my family. However, the Legend told today does not resemble the verision, I remember as a child.
Can any one assist me, in my quest to locate THE LEGEND OF THE PURPLE BISHOP?
posted by Mark D. on Sun Nov 21, 2004 at 10:58 PM
Hey everybody,
I'm not familiar with the hgih school that everybody seems to have heard the story from, but I was told the story of the Purple Bishop once on a camping trip many years ago. the man I heard it from picked up the story in the 70's as well, and had changed it to fit in with the location in which we were camping (Catskills). I've tried to recap the sotry, but I can't quite get it down. I'd love for somebody to try and retell it here or direct me to a place where I can find it. I rrealize that it loses its effect when typed, but I want to learn it properly so I can retell it. Every time I attempt, I goof up at the end and it never works out. thanks very mcuh!
posted by Max Hodes on Mon Nov 22, 2004 at 12:56 PM
I really wish this story would just die already.
posted by Nathan Arthur on Wed Nov 24, 2004 at 10:42 PM
Hey Mark D,
Why don't you start out by posting what you can remember and maybe the rest of us can add to it? I honestly need something to trigger a memory on PB.
posted by Bob Lynch on Mon Dec 27, 2004 at 10:54 PM
I remember hearing the story of
"The Purple Bishop" in 1963 when told to "Boy Scouts at a Camp Lewis in New Jersey--Along with this story which I really don't fully remember but the title there was also "The Donner Party Story" and the "Light from the Church" which was supposed to have taken place in Jersey City N.J.
They were really scary, with a tinge of truth--of course the Donner party is historical fact but ----------
posted by jay on Sun Mar 13, 2005 at 9:01 PM
so what is the story?
posted by coleen on Tue Mar 15, 2005 at 5:54 PM
oh no no no no...
it is to be heard, not read.
posted by Jonathan Brownlee on Mon Mar 21, 2005 at 5:01 AM
I was first told the story of the Purple Bishop in 1956. It was a hot and humid August night, I was in Bonnie Brae Camp for Boys in New Jersey. The councellor told the story and a bunch of terrified boys spent the next two weeks sleeping under the sheets with the hopes that the Purple Bishop would not show up. We could have sworn that in the dark of the night, there was that Purple glow coming from the nearby woods.. I recently told the story to my young nephews, and believe me, it is as impressive now as it was then......so be good, or you may get to meet the Purple Bishop personally...
posted by peter on Mon Mar 21, 2005 at 8:26 AM
so what is the story you all love and mention?
posted by coleen murphy on Mon Mar 21, 2005 at 4:04 PM
go to rowe, massachusetts. talk to people at the town hall, at the library, at the town museum.
posted by Matt Rosvally on Mon Jan 9, 2006 at 7:00 PM
The Pruple Bishop.....I was first told this in 2001 at Transitions. it was "illegal" to tell young children this story so it was a private telling. no one got caught.
Preserved Smith.........eh
posted by Karin Broadhurst on Wed Apr 12, 2006 at 5:23 PM
I meant to add this comment years ago, but see I forgot. Sometime in the... maybe early-to-mid-90's? I found the Purple Bishop story on a book on tape in my local library. It was called something like Ghost Stories of New England. I knew Skrott was really interested in it, and I think I taped it and sent it to him. I haven't been in touch with him in years, but he may still have it. I don't remember the story as it was told at Rowe. I think I opnly heard it once and I don't rember who told it. Could it have been Doug? The cassette version did take place somewhere in New England, but not, of course, in Rowe, MA.
posted by Bradford Lawrence on Sun Apr 30, 2006 at 11:02 PM
Although the Purple bishop story has been told for decades now, and every one now expects some one to play the organ as the story is read, the height of the flashy-ness and ?stuntary? would possibly have to be about in 2003 or 2002 when the Purple Bishop went Hollywood, the staff was able to "hang" someone through the grates in the floor... representing the camper that was hanged in Lee. I didn?t get to witness it, however I can image it was terrifying.
posted by cait kennedy on Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 7:56 AM
It's wonderful to see how this thread has continued over 3 years! Mighty impressive.
This is specifically to Kebler or anyone else who feels they could answer it: This year (06) at Sr Hi Kebler told the PB and related stories saying it was what he knew to be true. Was that just said to freak us out or is it to the best of your knowledge actually true?
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