The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-28

saw most of his lfe for with them almost altogether
his latter years were spent
FORESTS HOME AS 1T is.
The old mansion looks gloomy enough on this
cold spring day. We ring the BELL and in a few
minutes are admitted by Mr.. McArdle who has
been designated by the executors to take charge
OF the place. IL Is now offered Tor sale and has
been partly dismantled. We stroll into the draw
ing room. The carpets are up, the ornaments re-
moved, the collection OF prints and pictures are
gathered into corner. We go up stairs, our
feet resounding the unurnished steps,
and come to the door OF the Old library.
freshly painted spot shows where the fire broke
out shortly alter Forests death, destroying.
among other things, the 1928 foo Shakespeare,
winch he priced as the apple OF his eye. The
books have been taEen away, and are packed up
to be sent to his Actors Home. The walls are
bare and fresh and Clean Here are two large
photographs life slze-one Of Forrest In citizens
dress, the other as Lear, holding mis- sceptre OF
straw, and saying, 'Aye, every inch o kingr'
Around the wall there Is collection OF photo.
graphs OF Forrest. in all OF his characters,
imperial size, taken by Brady. Ee took great
deal OF pride In this work, and when the photo
graphs were printed he persisted in buying the
negatives. 80 that they could not be reproduced.
Here we have him in all his char acters-Lear
Hamlet Otnello, ROllO, Claude Melnotte. Jack
Cade, Metamora, Spartacus. the Broker OF b.
gotta, and SO on down the list. Here, on q table,
Is the glass which he kept his acting swords
We open 1t and take them out, for they a
noted collection. The nrst Is Richard the Thirds
sword with the monogram ~. p. X" engraved
upon 1t, for John Philip Kemble, to whom 1t
originally belonged. On the weapon is this super
scription :-''This sword worn by Edmund Kean
rs Richard ILL.,, was presented to Edwin Forrest
by his sincere admirer and friend stephen
Price, London, 1926" We look at the weapon
which Kembe and Kean and Forrest welded
and put 1t by with reverence. We take up
another, Roman sword with ''ralma" engraved
upon it. This was the property Of Talma, the
great tragedian, who wore 1t In his Roman
parts and the tradition Is that he received 1t
from the Emperor Napoleon, his friend. There is
another Roman sword, with q handle IN
| the shape of eagles beak. and
Scotch claymore, which are not known
to have any epecial history. And here, also.
Ia a Bowie knife, the first ever made, and
made present to Forrest by Colonel Bowie, the
inventor OF that interesting emblem of American
civilization. The blade is nearly foot long, and
sheathed in a rude leather scabbard. Here is
cane that belonged to George Washington and
another sgnifylng that 1t had been presented to
Forrest by the artists OF the Broadway Theatre,
New York, on the sixty-ninth night OF his per-
formance in that city, April 80, 1852. We close
Wallack, which Forrest treasured, holding, as
he did, that great actor and prinCely gentle.
man in high esteem. We pass into another room
which Is occupied by Mr. McArde, and is the only
chamber furnished in the house. Here are many
personal relics OF the actor. Here Is his favorite
cloth cap which he wore around the grounds In
tramping the streets in rainy weather. Here are
all tho known or attalnaple prints OF Forrest,
from the earliest down to she latest, taken
n nofor uoro ic
rest as Rolla, which must have been made when
he quite lad, for the face is boyish Here are
pictures of cakes, Dougherty, McArdle and Forney,
which were among his dearest household treas.
| ures. We note also two play bills OF which he was
proud and had framed. The first records that at
the Broadway Theatre. on April g. 1852, Forrest
played Otheo for the firtieth night OF his engage
ment. The Iago Of the occasion was F. b. Conway
who died very recently; Cassie was Mr.. A. W.
Fenno, just passed away Desdemona was Nine.
Ponisl who Tor the last three months has been the
mother OF Conn. the Shaughraun. There was the
after piece, "My Precious Betsy, In which Mr.
| Davidge was the low comedian, ana Mss Croker
who was aiterward TO be the vile of Mr.
Conway, supported him. Around the room are
various prints OF famous actors Kembe as Cato
Rola and Hamlet aud or Bishop White; small
statue OF Napoleon; and the little odds and ends
that he treasured, his grandfathe spectaces old
! receipts book -thouettc portraits Uf his brothers.
all the marks Of active and vigorous life. His
desk seems 10 he overaden With business and to
wait for Its owner 10 come and clear is up.
TIRE PICTURE GALLERY.
| We pass from this room into the picture gallery
gong through the dlsmanted parlor on our way
| now filled with boxes containing the books of
Forests library. The picture gallery is a
building erected during the last years OF For
rests lie, an oblong room, well lighted. The
lower story was fitted up as a theatre Forests
intention being to give instruction to young men
| and women who cared to enter the dramatic
profession. This work he looked forward to as
the closing duty OF his liie and he often spoke OF
1t with pleasurable anticipations. But the thea
ire is closed now, and he never had an opportu.
nifty OF entering upon the scheme. The picture
gallery has been very little changed and Is very
much as it was during the lifetime OF Forrest II
Is an interesting and not great collection repre-.
sentlng, as have said before, the fan
cIes or hayward collector rather than
the ripe experience Of a connoisseur in art
What strikes the eye at first is the
life size statue OF Forrest as CoriOianus which
was made by Ball, and was presented to Forrest
by twelve Boston gentlemen. 1t is a noble work,
cut in Italian marble. and pleased the tragedian
greatly. Mr.. McArdle tells us that when it was
first unveiled in Forests presence in Boston he
sat for a couple OF hours looking at il ana ex.
pressed his pleasure with emphasis and feeling
At the head Of the stairs as walk up the
picture gallery we note interesting placard,
announcing thai "Mr. Sheridan Will speak at the
close OF the poll" This Is a memento OF English
political life which brings back as with a flash
those great days when Pitt and Fox
| and Burke and Sheridan ruled England
and the British Empire was struggling with Napo-
leon for existence Here are busts OF Napoleon,
Milton. Aineri. Burns, Shakespeare. and two OF
Forrest at different times Of life Here are por.
traits, all from lite we believe, OF John c. CAL
houn. Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, DR.. Bird
author OF 'Spartacus;" General Washington
James Oates, his dear friend Daniel Dougherty,
Cooper, the actor; George Frederick Cooke