The San Francisco call., 1897-06-12
Ball Players of the Dry
Goods League in
Earnest.
The J. ]. O'Brien Team Have
Set Their Hearts on
Winning.
But the Newman G. LevinSons Have
Scores of Pretty Girls Work.
ing for Them.

The employees of J. ]. o. Brien & Co. and
those of Newman & Levinson have en-
tered upon spirited tickei-sellins con-
test preliminary TO the meeting of their
respective baseball teams on the Goth,
when they will play a game to aid the
families OF the heroic firemen who los
their lives in the Folsom street fire. The
young ladies at Newman 81 Levinson'
have been especially active. Each is try
ing to outdo her competitor in selling
tickets, and one would think that prize
had been offered to the person disposing 2
OF the greatest number. They have
pressed into the good service their broth
ers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins and
cousins cousins, and their unhappy sweet
hearts are vending tickets frantically, as
the only condition upon which the fail
charity workers will smile upon them.
"Four thousand tickets have been
printed" said Manager Lowenthal of the
Newman & Levinsons yesterday, land we
vii have TO have more. They are going
like hot-cakes. We wilt surely have q
good sum to turn over to the families oi
the dead firemen. We are all heart and
soul in the movement and will make big
success OF it"
The J. J. O'Briens are none less active,
although they are handicapped by not
having such a large proportion of lad Y
workers as the Newman & Levinsons.
/ They have set their hearts on piling up a
| bigger score than their kearny street
rivals on the Goth. If the ball-twirlers
from Jones and Market don't come out on
the top OF the heap. their enthusiastic
bsckers threaten 10 "eat their hats" but
the boys downtown declare they are only
talking through their hats.
However that may be, the J. J. O Brie s
certainly have crackerjack team in train
ing for the game week from to-mo orrow.
One of the best known of their trump
cards is Ed Mitchell, their pitcher, who
is looked on to do big things. He has
long been recognized as one of the fore
most amateur pitchers on the coast. and
weekly he bears out the reputation whe n
the poor inoff ansive batsman makes dar-
ing swip pes at the ball only 10 find he has
been d-luded once again. 1t has been
claimed for Z that he can toss a ball in
the direction of the ferries down Market
street. and by slight pressure OF the
thumb and foreinger at critical momen
cause the ball 10 deliberately turn from its
course and strike terra-firma in the direc-
ton OF the Presidio. OF course, this seems
incredible, but in view of the fact that he
can cause at will the ball TO encircle tho
batsman's collar, his admirers are ready
to believe almost anything of this ''phe-
nom."
Another player whose photograph is re-
produced this morning is Emmett
Tomalty, the catcher of the J. J. O. Briens.
Possibly his many friends will not recog-
nize the name of Emmett in connection
with this now famous backstop. for on
account of his pro pensity for gobbling up
every ball that comes his way he has been
nicknamed Chicken" which. having
been shortened by the small boy from the
bleachers, he has to be content with the
musical appellation of Chick" Those