The Portland daily press., 1866-02-05
THE Portland Turnverein.

The Portland Iurnverem Association,
whose reputation our citizens are well aware
has always been of the first order, and which
has got to be one of the established institu-
tions of our city, intends soon to offer to our
good people an entertainment in the shape of
gymnastic exercises, &c. Although protesting
to be only amateurs in the art, and consider
ing that only small part of the time is de-
voted to it, and then for the benefits to the
general system which is derived from it, some
OF the members have SO far perfected them
selves in their exercises, as to really compete
witha large number of the imany companies
which have visited our city and exhibited in
our halls. a.a or GA. sis s1olgd
This Association was formed for the express
purpose of physical culture, which in its at
tainment, brings with it the blessed boon sought
by all-irrespective of circumstances and con-
dition of life-good health. Whether this has
been attained, or is attainable, can be shown
in the many who have experienced its bene-
fits and in the scores who have left our city
for fields OF usefulness elsewhere, who attrib-
ute their good bodily condition to their pune
tual attendance to the exercises there practic-
ed. Many easesof Chronic Rheumatism. one
in particular of young man who has suffer
editor long time, was scarcely able to walk,
besides dyspepsia, liver complaint and decline,
have been permanently cured by systematic
course of training under the able leadership
of the officers who have labored so long and
SO faithfully to attain for themselves and Others
rugged constitution and bodily develop
ment. jt 1eba5 Is ao5a3iiad1 l8e ls :
| Our old Puritanical fathers would have
thought one insane to have advocated such a
course of training for the boys good, and
| even now, are found among the wise men of
| our time, a few who shake their heads, and
see nothing but broken limbs and necks, and
like Mrs. Partington, who, shortly after the
departure of a circus, gave Ike solemn adj
monition not to stand on his head, as his
brains would all run into it, wild gaze with awe
at the perilous and risky feats of the gymnast
and earnestly declare that no good can ever
come of such foelishness. But the days of
pills and drugs are fast waning. The young
men Of our country, who, during the past four
years have been learning the art of warfare,
have as sequence, also learned to take care
of their health. When the happy day shall
come, when people will point to American
men and women as types of physical endur-
ance, we shall then know that it was accom-
plished through Life of activity and personal
application to muscular development, as that
day will never come without it. si1sq 'At
Some people have mortal antipathy to gym
nasiums, as they think it nothing more than a
place for systematic practice of leg breaking,
and when in the course OF two or three years
some accident is noticed to have occurred in
one OF these institutions, they set up the cry
of II told you SOP and Hyou will all be killed,
ayet," while the thousand and one. casualties
which occur elsewhere are almost mno-
| ticed. 3idH ECI1ssl ~ bng ,li9n73ls brg
But we are growing wiser every day, and
the interestfelt in these matters is increasing
Middle aged as well as young men are begin
ming to find out that exercise makes the man,
| and withoutit the mental labors, of our men
of learning are brought to close, years before
their time. -,9isi0Q bns iiYis YsiG3 gaifs ssSs
This Association has given our country,
during the years of civil war just ended, the
services ofsome of the hardest sons of Port
land and then uniform absence of sickness
and disease, among Them was proverbial
among the regiments to which they were at
tached. The lamented brave and gallant Capt.
Phillips, who was one of the leading members
of the Turnverein, and who lost his life by
rebel bullet while bravely leading On bis men,
was one Of the sacrifices we we've called up
on to make to secure for us that peace which we
now enjoy. Few organizations can show a
nobler record of names of those who sprung
to arms at the time of our country's peril. 1t
is not the object in bringing this Association
before the public, to help it pecuniarily, but
that our citizens might be again reminded that
there is place where the failing ener-
gies can be recruited, the general health i'm
proved, and usefulness and happiness be added
to our Life's calendar. baa sane. eafg tt