Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-12-13
OLD-TIME ACTORS.
The Oldest Living Actor and His
Cat.


'1Ou see thnJ Dig ltllOW just coming
out OF the stage entrance, don't your"
asked an old theater-goer the other night.
'Yes.n
"Well, he has been on the stage about
forty years and has wife and twelve
children living IN Philadelphia. saw him
play with William Macready Just after the
Aston place riots here. don't think he
has been off the stage season since. lie
is near SIXTY, and is as fat and happy and
spry as kitten. That stomach he wears
is worth $50 week in any piece"
The old actor was enticed into q seques-
tered nook, where there was round
table and waiter, aud where he lit a
cigar. Then he talked about modern
acting and theatrical management as COM
pared with the acting In the days when
every theater had stock company, and
| finally began to tell OF the famous actors
| he had played with. He said:
| "Speaking about Forrest, there was a
finished actor for you. He was man
who could reveal all the hidden siguif-
canoe OF situation by look OF gesture.
! He had the power TO mike even those
! who played with him forget that he was
| only an actor. But for the footlights,
should have believed that | was taking
part in real tragedy sometimes when /
was acting with him. lie was not only an
actor, he was finished gentleman. Ask
him anything about art, literature or
! science, and he was at home. He was
also proficient swearer."
al never will forget" he resumed, Zone
night at the Walnut Street tbeater when
Forrest played Hamlet and / played the
grave-digger 1t was the opening night,
and everything was all ready at the after
noon rehearsal excepting the skull anu
bones. Letinger, our property man,
could not find them, though he ransacked
the theater all over. He asked Forrest
what he would do.
'Don Numbered Forrest. by -
--- --, find them or get Others.
"Poor Letinger understood that some
thing must be done before evening. After
another fruitless search he hurried over to
Jefferson University Medical college, and
up into the dlssecting.room Jim, the jani-
tor, was putting a lot Of refuse flesh into
the steaming-pot.
" jim said Letinger, 'haye you got a
skull around here2'
"'Skull2 Oh, yes; I've got one up
there ON the shelf, but it's a little green
yet
"'Well, give it to me. It's for For
rest
$50 the skull and bones were wrapped
in blanket and Letinger went back to
the theater and dumped them into the
grave. 1t WIS by that time O'Clock
Letinger had lost his supper. | don't
think he felt like eating much ANYWAY.
He left the theater, saying he was sick
and wouldn't be there that night.
at was lucky he wasn't there.
didn't know anything about it, you see,
when | got into the grave and began
picking Right beside me sat Forrest,
acting the greatest Hamlet the American
stage ever saw, and beyond the footlights
was the largest audience ever packed
into the theater. When the time came |
picked up the skull Huml Why, the
meat was still hanging to the jaws in
same places, and there were few strag-
cling hairs sticking to the crown. |
thought should have to get down in the
grave to hide my face as | said:
"'This same SKULL sir, was Yorick's
skull, the kings JESTER
"'This p said Forrest, as he took it.
"'E'en that | said rather family"
''Did Forrest turn up his nose 20
mot bit. Not a muscle betrayed his
feelings. l expected to hear him say
poor Yorick,' and then swear like a
trooper think | never heard words
better spoken on the stage than when he
went on:
'Let me see. ALAS, poor Yorlck!
knew him, Horatio; fellow of infinite
jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath
borne me on his back a thousand times;
and now, how abhorred in my magma
ton it is! (There was world of abhor-
renee in his tone) My gorge rises at it
(and so did mine.) Here hung those lips
that have kissed l know not how oft.
Where be your gibes now2 Your gam
bolsP your songs2 your flashes of merri-
ment that were wont to set the table in a
roarp Prythee, Horatio, tell me one
thing
"'What is that, my lordP'
'Dost thou think Alexander looked o.
this fashion il the earth?'
"'E'en So
"'And smelt so? pah!'
"You ought to have heard Forrest saw
that. 1t wasn't acted; it was real. When
he got behind the scenes he whipped ont
handkerchief and-hum! II poor Letin-
ger had been there | believe the theater
would have had another green skull, sure.
"While there was very little fooling
about Forrest, he was yet an easy man to
get along with. He would do anybody
good turn.
"No manager could refuse him any
thing. remember one time when For
rest was playing at the Walnut Street
theater. 1t was just before the war.
when he began to get a little equity, and
wanted someone to travel with him to re-
hearse for him when he felt indisposed
and, in short, be a sort of sub for him,
One morning saw Mrs. Garrisons in the
theater with very sober face.
whats the matter, auntyfn said.
"Forrest wants Adams to 90 with him. -
she said. "Now, | can't spare Adams.
aud can't refuse Forrest. What shall
dol"
Perhaps he viii take MoCulloughpn
| said.
1 Mccullough was then playing any,
thing in the company. He could be
4 spared wen enough We didn't see that
he had the making of tragedian in him.
Forrest took him, and did great deal TO
make him n great actor, poor fellow, now
/ dying in Bloomingdale asylum.
There was John II Spott n Nan VT