The Portland daily press., 1868-02-18
The perfland Turnysrsin.

Receiving an invitation to visit Turnverein
Hall, in company with one of the officers,
was ushered up two flights of stairs and into a
hal well lighted and commodious, in which
were all the paraphernalia of we'll regulated
gymnasium. Parallel and perpendicular bars,
at which were half dozen persons hard at
work; horizontal bar, on which in turn'were
the members of a class performing many diff
ficut and graceful evolutions, some of which
required q vast amount of patient work and
close personal application; the trapeze, sus-
pended to which were two well built GYM
nasts, whose we'll rounded muscles and tough
sinews impaired TO them confidence and ia
miliarity to the dangers attending that branch
of relief when they stood npon the floor again.
Three of the members were engaged in pos
turing and tumbling; performing many of the
most difficult feats of the Hanlon Brothers,
having learned many OF their exercises while
performing here few mouths since. This
feature of the performances is the most inter-
ing. The han ding of each other with such
ease and grace Of motion, requires a great
amount of practice; and to the noyitiate,
whose primary introduction goes no turther
than the more simple efforts, it has discour-
aging effect, as he sees before him years of
hard labor and jealous assiduity, to enable
him to accomplish the more difficult faats. /
am told that seVen-eighths of the professional
gymnasts were selected before they were eight
years of age, and obliged to submit to con-
slant practice for years before being brought
before the public and when I looked upon
those before me and saw to what remarkable
degree of perfection they had reached, could
but be surprised, as the members of the insti-
tuition are selected mostly from the business
community, or those whose occupation pro-
hibits tbsir giving only their evenings to its
attention. The rowing weights, dumb bells
and Indian clubs were doing good service in
the hands of the boating fraternity, who are
looking forward with pleasure to the coming
season, which promises to be lively for the
aquatic world. In fact every means at hand
were being employed, and for what? Was it
merely for the pleasure of the participants?
the ambition to excel in human force and
power and agility? Not alone. 1twas mainly
for the purpose of building up the physical
nature, to bring out the muscles and sire myth,
that their days may be long and the system in
condition to battle successfully with the
world, keeping off disease and early decay of
physical and mental powers. would recon-
mend this institution to all who have anv
pride in developing what God never intended
should remain dormant, or would wish to re-
store wasted constitution; as exercise prop.
erly taken at proper times, will put new life
10 fh.aca xTTlan 81 l.
day clogsing their views and undermining
their health. 1t is duty we owe to future
generations, that we leave to them a legacy.
far beyond the value of earths richest treas
ures. the priceless gift of perfect health: and
in order so to do we must drive out of our svs-
TENS all foreign matter, make the blood pure.
and the body hard and solid as the oak; and
while we are accomplishing this we are feed
ing the brain, and making the man, in every
sense OF the word. Drugs kill, while exercise
builds up. The Portland Turnverein achieves
greater results and renders most lasting bene
fits than all the pharmaceutists in the country.
The unusual attendance and interest mani
tested by the members at the present time il
owing to the preparations now being made for
giving public exhibition at City Hall in
about three weeks, and 1 hope our citizens
will show Willingness to aid an object so
beneficial to the community. VISITOR.
GEN. BOWS LEcTURE.-The members of the
Young Mems Christian Association were adj
dressed last evening, at their beautiful hall.
by Hon. Neal Dow. The room was full and
all gave undivided attention to the remarks of
Mr.. Dow, who spoke of the duty and response
blity of Christian men and women in relation
to the cause of temperance in this country and
the civilized world. He remarked that the
Church has great work to do, and before the
white banner of temperance can float in tri-
umph over the world, Christian men and We
men must become tetotallers and huckle on
their whole armor and fight mapfulIy for the
cause. And when they do that, the glorious
work will be accomplished. Mr.. Dow made
himself very interesting on this occasion and
spoke with much earnestness and duency.
His illustrations were apt, his logic keen and
his language terse. He alluded to his travels
in England and on the Continent, and drew a
sad picture of the crimes and pauperism that
flow from the grogshops of the Old World
We have not space to speak more at length of
this admirable lecture. We feel quite sure the
members of this Association were highly graf
flied with the remarks of the speaker. who
spoke with much zeal, but in the spirit of
kindness and good nature. Such lectures are
calculated to do much good in this commune
ty. That Mr.. Dow is well armed at all points
and understands all the ropes in the temper
ance ship there can be no doubt. Ii he does
not, We don't know where to look for one. 1t
is life-work with him and may success crown
his labors