Evening journal., 1911-08-15
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Great Actor and his
Temper
By Holland.

In the late spring Of 1883 met John
Mccullough, one of the great Ameri-
can tragedians Of the sixties and the
seventies of the last century, at a re-
ception in Washington given at the
house of Colonel Bob" Ingersoll. Nc
Cullough at that time was beginning
to show the effects of the insidious dis
ease which two years later caused his
death There was a certain slowness Of
step, as though the strength that once
was in his powerful limbs had gone.
But there was no trace Of the hesitat-
ing speech which later compelled his
retirement from the stage.
knew that Mccullough had trav-
eled with Edwin Forrest from 1866 to
1868, and that the latter had hoped 10
make Mccullough his dramatic success
sor. The two men had been very close
TO each other, and so / made bold to
ask Mccullough If he had ever seen
during the years that he was with
Forrest, Americas greatest tragedian
until Booth came, any of those violent
ebullitions OF temper in which, as
had heard, Forrest frequently in
dulged, raving sometimes like ma
MAC.
Forrest was quick-tempered
man." replied Mccullough. "and he
did burst out sometimes like maniac,
but personally never beheld him in
any of his most violent moments. Still,
l once experienced one of his milder
outbreaks, and that was sufficient for
me. Whewl How that man did ragel
1T seems that one of the actors Of
the company had arrived a little late
at a rehearsal in which / also was to
take part. Forrest turned upon the
luckless man and let himself loose TO
the fullest extent possible He ragged
and roared like a Iona stranger to
Forests way would have sworn that
he was a raving maniac The actor
himself was thoroughly frightened and
edged backward so that he might flee
to place of safety in case Forrest at
tackled him
Among other things Forrest said to
the poor man we're some words of
praise of me. He told the shivering
man that he ought to study John Nc
Cullough for a model. He declared In
his rage that / was never tardy, that
was always upon the stage at the
appointed time, that he knew | always
awaited my cue. And again and again
he shouted at the object of his wrath
that he must take John Mccullough as
his model for promptness.
We'll. it so happened that while the
rehearsal was in progress 1t was de-
layed because I was not on hand TO
respond to my cue. l don't remember
what II was that delayed me; but the
cue was given two or three times, and
each time there was no response. Then
the actor who had aroused Forests
temper to do it's worst ventured to say
to Forrest: Don't you think I'd better
get new model? Mccullough doesn't
answer his cue
Just at that moment / appeared.
Forrest rolled his great dark eyes upon
me with a ferocity of expression that
l had never seen equalled by him when
he was acting. He seemed almost "a
be foaming at the mouth. He roared
and used most vituperative language
And through Il all he managed to tel
me that he had set me up as a mode
for promptness and then l had instant
ly repudiated that praise by my tardi.
ness. l shall never forget the way he
roared. 1t was magnificent, but it was
awful
After a time the rehearsal pro.
ceeded. My one thought was TO sneak
away from the theatre after the per
formance was over without Forres
seeing me But was not able to do so
He sent for me 10 come to his dress
ing room, and / went with my knees IL
a quake. / opened the door and stood
before him, expecting this time to re
ceive the Forrest temper in its fulles
fury. But he turned a gentle face upoI
me.
John he said. in the mildest
sweetest tones, I want you to go ou
and have supper with me- And / went
And never saw Edward Forrest NOR
charming than he was at that midnigh
feast.
YES" continued Mccullough, For
rest had a great temper; but / learnel
that, Notwithstanding his inability T.
control It, he was, like most quick
tempered persons of a very sensitiv
and generous disposition. He could no
knowingly do a mean thing, althoug
he might give vent to his temper an
then forget the explosion a few min
utes later"
Copyright, 1911, by q ] Edwards Al
Rights Reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell Q
"A Yankee Who Was Ahead of Hi
| Tina