The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-29
|G. F. MCDONALD PASSES AWAY Veteran Theatre Manager is No More. AN INTERESTING CAREER
 Aged Montgomery Citizen Left Directions for Funeral.
 He Had Resided Here Forty-Four Years and Had Wide Acquaintance ito Be Buried Saturday.
AN INTERESTING CAREER

Prof. George F. Mcdonald, for forty four years a citizen of Montgomery and the oldest manager of theatres in the Southern States, died at 3:45 o'clock yesterday afternoon at an infirmary af- ter an illness of ten weeks.
 Professor Mcdonald had been in de- clining health for year and half. much of his time in travelling with his wife. He was seized with a dangerous illness on October 18th. in Newman, Ga, and had since then been confined to his bed. His condition grew steadily worse in Newman and he was brought here five weeks ago and taken to an infirmary. For several days past, the attending physician had given up all hopes of the recovery of Professor Mo Donald but the we'll known citizen held to the last spark of life and owing to his remarkable vitality. he retained per- feet consciousness until about forty eight hours before his death. He pass ed peacefully away surrounded by hls loving wife and many devoted friends.
 Professor Mcdonald was known not only in Montgomery but throughout the State and the South. He was a unique character in the history of Montgomery and, with 1t all. he was a man of the stricted integrity and honor. In his family circle. he was a devoted hus- band and loving father.
 Owing to his connection with thearers Professor Mcdonald was widely known. Until recently, for more than twenty years he was the manager and the own CT of McDonald's Opera House on Bihb street. He was known also because of his membership and close association with the members of the Knights of Pythias, the Red Men. the Masons and the United Confederate Veterans.
 Tor September 17th. of next year, he would have been 67 years old. He was born at Rockford, Coosa County, in 1889. He was a son of Dr. and Mrs. John S. Mo Donald. His mother was a Miss Eliza- beth Lane. The father of Professor Mcdonald was a native of Dundee Scotland, and he settled in Coosa Coun- ty long before the war. Professor Me- Donald received his early education in the best schools of Coosa County and, at the age of f6, removed to Wetumpka where he spent his early manhood. He developed a marked talent as a must- elan and took up the violin as his fav- orite instrument. He was studying medicine at the outbreak of the war and had almost completed his course when he volunteered his services as a soldier in the Southern army. He was assigned to duty on the medical staff where he served for three and a half years.
 At the close of the war he located in
 Montgomery and began giving dancing lessons and continued in that business
 for twenty-five years and. because of his tutorship, he had a large acquaint- ance in this city.
 Embarking in the theatre business in
 1881. he built McDonald's Opera House on Bibb Street and managed 1t success fully until about eighteen months ago Ixxyt1 ho raf{rad from hilaipnae nn count of falling health and leased the playhouse to Jake Wells. who now conducts the house under the name of the Bijou Theatre. Upon his retire- ment, Professor Mcdonald was the old est theatre manager in the South.
 He was proud that he was a native Southerner and a native Alabamian. He was one of eleven children, only one of whom survives him. She Is Mrs. Elizabeth Manning of Coosa County, who has passed her S0th year.
 In 1862 Professor Mcdonald married Miss Josephine Ragland of Wetumpka. Besides his sister of Coosa County and his wife of Montgomery, he is survived by two sons, Evan R. Mcdonald of Chicago and Theo Mcdonald of Nor folk, Va. and one daughter. Mrs Alex ander Porges of New York. Mrs. Porges was devoted to her father and she, his only daughter was idolized by him. She was unable to attend the bedside of her father and cannot be here for the funeral owing to tho ill., ness of her children in New. York
 Both of the sons of Professor McDon- ald visited him here about a week ago and their father seemed so much i'm proved that they decided to leave and return here again. Evan R. Mcdonald was in Mobile at the time of his fath- er's death and he Is expected to arrive here today. Theo Mcdonald returned to Virginia and it may be impossible