American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-10-11
Powerful Acting.

THE last almanac issued by the English
theatrical paper, known as the Era, gives
these amusing but apocryphal anecdotes
of powerful" American acting:
On one occasion MIR. Edwin Forrest,
then young man, gave tremendous dis
play of really powerful acting He was
supposed to represent Roman warrior,
and to be attacked by six minions of de-
tested tyrant. At the rehearsals Mr.. For
rest found a great deal of fault with the
supers who condescended to play the min
inns. They didn't lay hold of him. They
wouldn't go in as if it were a real fight.
Mr.. Forrest stormed and threatened. The
supefs skulked and consulted. At length
the Captain of the supers inquired, in his
local slang, Eyer wants this to be a bully
fight, ell ~ 81 do" replied Mr.. Forrest
'All right" rejoined the Captain, and then
the rehearsal quietly proceeded In the
evening the little theater was crowded,
and MIR. Forrest was enthusiastically re
ceived. When the fighting scene occurred,
the great tragedian took the center of the
stage, and the six minions entered rapidly
and deployed in skirmishing order. At
the cue "SeiZe him !" one miniOn assumed
a pugilistic attitude, and struck blow
straight from the shoulder upon the prom
inent nose of the Roman hero; another
raised him about six inches from the stage
by well-directed kick, and the others
made ready to rush in for decisive tus-
sic. For moment Mr.. Forrest stood as
founded, his broad chest heaving with
rage, his great eyes flashing fire, his sturdy
legs planted like columns upon the stage.
Then came the few minutes of powerful
acting, at the end of which one super was
seen sticking headforemost in the bass
drum in the orchestra, four were
having their wounds dressed in
the green-room, and one, find
ing himself in the flies, rushed
out upon the roof of the theater and
while Mr.. Forest, called before the cur
tain, bowed his thanks pantingly to the
applauding audience, who looked upon
the whole affair as part of the piece and
had never seen Forest act so splendidly."
Upon another occasion, however, the
powerful acting was upon the part of
the supers. For the sake of poetic JUS
tice, let us hope they were the same
supers. The hero was Mr.. George Jones,
afterward known as the Count Johannes.
Mr. Jones was impersonating the theatri-
cal British sailor, transformed, of course,
into the theatrical Yankee sailor, who
fights broad sword combat with four
pirates, and rescues lovely damsel in
distress. By some means or other, Mr.
jones had offended the free and indie
pendent supers who played the pirates,
anu inc result was material alteration
in the denouement of the drama The
damscl was in DISTRESS the four pirates
were just about to bind her and bear her
away to their secret cave; the feelings of
the audience were wrought up to their
highest pitch, when suddenly Mr. Jones
las the Yankee tar dashed upon the
scene threw himself before the unhappy
damsel, fourished his cutlass and shout
ed, Come on villains, One Yankee
sailor is more than match for four such
lubberly sharksi" 81 guess not, " replied
one of the pirates, and the four of them
took the astonished Jones by the legs and
arms, and in spite of his desperate strug-
giles, carried him bodily off the stage,
locked him in the property closet, and,
returning, bore Off the maiden TO their
mountain cavern behind the scenes. The
curtain fell.
The present cash value of the farms
of Ohio is set down at 81 ,054 465,5 26; the
value of farming implements AT si5,G02,-
III; the wages paid, including the value
of board, amounts TO $lG, 4S0.77S; the an
nual value of all farming productions is
St9S 256 O07; orchard product, 81 ,st3G1J;
produce of market gardens, 81 2S9 212;
the number Of acres improved is If, 49,
1873 woodland, 6,SS3, 575 unimprovep
other than woodland, only 359, 712 acres.
In the last seven months 800 horses
I. 1,.... sod