Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-21
EDWIN FORREST.
Some Interesting Anecdotes Of the Old
Time Actor.

In 1866 Forrest went to California on
one of the Pacific Mail steamers, taking
Mccullough with him. Dlring the voyage
there occurred a number of incidents,
which well illustrate the character of the
famous old actor. He was suffering greatly
from govt, and, in addition, the passage
being a very stormy one, was much
afflicted with seasickness. One day,
while in this condition, groaning and
moaning on deck in his own peculiar
fashion, he came face to face with Captain
Bradbury, the commander of the ship, and,
for moment, looking at him as if he
would annihilate him, blurted out;
'Damme, sir, do you know that no one
ever had any reasonable excuse for going
to sea except the patriarch Noah "
"Well, well-ah, noah Mr.. For
rest" stammered the captain, and then
recovering himself and entering into the
spirit of the occasion, he asked: "What
was Noah's excuse?" To which Forrest
at once replied Why, damme, sir, if he
had staid at home he would have been
drowned.
On board the same vessel, during the
same passage, Mr.. Mccullough recalls that
there was an exceedingly doleful preacher,
who, after the habit of many gentlemen of
his calling, spoke more through his nose
than his mouth, and made himself very dis
agreeable. On Sunday it was announced
that this gentleman was to preach in the
cabin, and Forrest, who was always fond
| of good sermon, asked his young assist
ant if there was any probability that the
minister would do well. Mccullough, in a
spirit of mischief replied that he was very
sure he would, and at last induced Forrest
to go into the cabin and listen to the SER
vices. When they commenced, however,
it was at once evident that the preacher
was one Of the most dismal, drawing and
uninteresting of his kind, and from time to
time during the discourse Forrest, who was
so situated that he could not get out of the
cabin, gave vent to his outraged feelings by
loud, though half stifled, EXPLANATIONS of
80, Lord, Lord 0, my God, my God ~
The preacher was evidently much pleased
with these demonstrations, which he took
as evidence of his own power in awakening
penitential thoughts in the mind of an
actor, and the next morning, at a hint from
| Mccullough, who was bent on keeping up
the joke, he called on Forrest in his state
room to converse with him regarding his
soul.
At the outset, however, his good inten.
tions were nipped in the bud. He knocked
at the door of the cabin. "Come in, y
growled the great deep voice of the actor,
The dominic opened the door and found
Forrest lying half in and half out of his
bunk, moaning with seasickness and racked
with govt.
aha it is you, is it ?" cried the actor.
g You are just the man l want to see. l
want you to tell me what your Master s
opinion was of the sea.
my Master, sir, my Master" said the
solemn-faced preacher. "Who do you
mean ?"
"Why, who should 1 mean but the
SAVIOR" replied Forrest. Don't you
know what He did when He went TO sea-"
"Well, ah no, sir, no, stammered the
confused parson.
"Well, then" Numbered Forrest, "I'll
tell you. He went to sea only once, and
then he got so disguised that he walked
ashore again.
With this the actor turned over in his
berth with groan, and the parson left the
cabin in dismay. New York Times.