A Few Tales

Stavert Tanton enjoyed being an Anglican Christian, and a priest. His conversation wasfull ofBib/ical quotations and references, usually employed in a humorous way. He was steeped in the Scriptures. Although he did not claim to be a scholar his wit was quick. and he had an ability to go to the heart ofan issue and simplify it. He was a born leader, who achieved his goals by inspiring people to do what he considered right rather than by controlling or

manipulating them. As he aged he mellowed, and became more tolerant of

those who did things o/"u‘hich he disapproved, like holding weddings in Lent. Many tales might be told in illustration ofwhat he was like; the/err that/allow are representative.

1. Harry Ploughman and the Archbishop's Letter.

One of Staffs great friends at King's was Harry Ploughman. Harry let it be known to all and sundry that he intended to live a celibate life. and he showed little interest in the girls until his last year in college. Then. much to the surprise of his colleagues. he began spending most of his evenings at Sherriff Hall, the Dalhousie University women's residence. The attraction was a young lady named Philippa Thygesen. Staffand Bill Maclntyre, a law student, knowing that Harry was expecting to hear from the Archbishop of Fredericton about his appointment to a parish in the spring, thought they would play a trick on Harry. They acquired a couple ofpages ofthe Archbishop‘s letterhead and matching envelope, apparently through Bill's mother, who was the Archbishop‘s secretary. In any event, they wrote a letter to Harry, and forged the signature of the Archbishop. In the letter Harry's anxiety to know what parish he would be sent to after he was priested was acknowledged, and the Archbishop stated that he had just the right parish for a person who felt called to a celibate life — the Mission Church ofSt. John the Baptist in Saint John. 11 would soon be vacant, and had always been served by an unmarried priest, for that was all it could afford. The letter went on to state that the Archbishop would be visiting King's shortly. and that he would be able to supply Harry with further details at that time.

Staff, Bill, and Karl Tufts took the letter over to the Dalhousie Post Office and had it duly stamped. Then they placed it in the mail at King's College. A group was on hand the next day across from Harry's room when the mail

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