The San Francisco call., 1905-02-23
BENEFIT DR. Avs
GREAT THR0NC
jim Mcdonald Is Shown the
Regard in Which He Is
Held by Sporting Public

There are but few men in this town
held in higher regard by the people
than Honest Jim Mcdonald. One look
at the stands and bleachers of Recrea-
ton Park yesterday would convince
even the most skeptical on this score.
Fully a, 900 men and women who have
known the popular umpire fought and
struggled for chance to gain admis-
sion to the benefit game.
When Megaphone Joe Copeland an
nounced the contest and the batteries
and told the assembled hosts that the
proceeds would go to aid the noted in
dlcator man, a thunder of applause
arose. 1t could be heard for blocks
around. The mention of the name of
Mcdonald started every man, woman
and child in the grounds cheering and
they were all glad to have chance to
shout for the man they hold in esteem.
1t was the first regular ball game
held in this city since the closing of the
league season and the fans were
hungry for bit of the national pas
time. The gate receipts of the exhi-
bition were not officially announced
last night, but it is safe to say that
Donations came from all parts of the
State. Seattle sent $65 and Tacoma
SIS. Thousands of people bought
tickets who did not attend the game.
The game was so great that the gates
of the park were closed before the
game started.
The afternoons performance was
opened by Jimmy Britt and Sam Ber-
ger in three-round boxing bout. The
first two spasms looked like the every
day stunt, but in the final round the
pair began to mix it and the fans
shouted with glee. Suddenly Berger
brought a right over on Britt's Jaw
and the conqueror of Nelson and Cor
bett dropped like the proverbial log.
He was up quickly and a moment of
feinting elapsed and then Britt got
away with the same stunt. There was
a short pause and both fell to the
ground together, apparently down and
out for keeps.
This made the spectators feel they
were real fight fans. so when frankie
Neil and Joe Cans began to mix it
there was cheering and yelling galore,
This little mill proved equally as fast
as Its predecessor, and, although no
krockdowns were scored, there was
lots of hitting, ducking and clever
fCotwork, followed by applause from
the vast multitude.
The ball game was not the finest ex-
hibition in the world, but it was base
ball all the same and good to look
upon. The teams were dubbed the
Fishers and Geggus' mines and were
made up of National Leaguers, bush
leaguers and Pacific Coast Leaguers.
The Geggus men were lucky and man.
aged to hit the sphere. on the nose at
times. Mike Fisher and Charley Geg-
gus held the indicators. Each made
some awful decisions. the worst in fact
the fans ever saw. Nobody but the
players got sore, and, as the latter had
no salaries coming, 1t was impossible
to impose fines on them.
Big OWE Overall did not show up
and thus the crowd was in a measure
disappointed. Smiling Schmidty took
Overalls place and started to pitch
against Brother Joe Corbett. Schmidt's
offerings came UP to the rubber like
balloons in the initial spasm and the
Fisher aggregation hammered in two
runs. The Geggus men managed to
amass two soon after. They swelled
this number later on and before the
game was through they piled up seven,
while their opponents never scored
again.
All the favorites took part in the
game Three pitchers were used by
each team Schmidt was relieved by
Fitzpatrick, Corbett by Whalen Soon
after that Goodwin, Morley's new
pitcher. was pitted against Walter
Nagle. George Van Haltren, Charley