Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-10-30
A NOVEL ExrsRrAsxmzs1.
An Exhibition shelving How 0srsss
ah'lnssn srs Ply aicaily 1ssssusssa.
tphtisdsIrhia Tsmoal


The Academy WIS filled with repre-
sentative audience OF German-Americins
AID American citizens Of prominence
Many OF the ladies in the audience wore
evening toileltes. and a number OF the men
we're alfred In evening Dress. When the
curtain was rolled up after an overture by
the GeTmania orchestra there were 900
boysand girls arranged throws onthe stage.
Tley were under the charge OF Turn Lehrer
ii. L. +. Stable, who was strict, exacting
mester, aud the perfection OF the childrea's
eyolutions was due TO his psiustnking. A
hundred little boys, dressed In blue trou-
sers and shirts, with red belts and white
moccasns, came 10 the front first and with
long wands went through long series OF
cvolutlons. Then laying aside the wands,
with their empty hands tbeyobeyed quickly
the orders OK their instructor, who shouted
"Ieft face, arms forward, arms backward.
arms at rest, arms horizontally, arms ul-
ward, legs out, legs together, arms down."
and the boys obeyed every command rs
quick as a fash. Tb re- were lite
boys scarcely six years old. the
stage was set in forest scene. with
meadow In the background. and the httle
toddlcrs who stood at the back OF The stage
looked as IL they were lost IN. The high grass
Of the meadow. They were all cookbook
ing, laughing, healthy boys, and each one
tired 10 stamp the loudrst as they marched
OF the stage after their act. TGere were
great MANY mothers and fathers in front.
aud the little fuckers gos storms OF ap-
plause. DR.. j. William White, who looks
after the physical education Of the Unlver-
sity students, sat in the Prince OF Wales
box, and said he'd never seen anything
like IL. Another battalion OF boys, in
wbiieflannel shirts, went through series
OF dumb-bell exercises, and then came the
girls.
LITTLE GIRLS WITH DUND-BELLs.
Forty.four rosy-eheeked little girls In
blue flannel dresses with their hair tied
back from their foIebeads with bright blue
ribbons and their feet encased in white moe
casins. marched In a circle ike clock-work.
Their little feet scraped the stage floor in
perfect time, and after the march Turn
Lobrer Stahl put them through great
many intricate eyOlutions. The girls, like
the boys. looked heiltby and well deyel,
oped. They joined hands In fours and
sang:
"The rain is falling very fast and we
can't 90 out to-day; then clap, clap, clap
together IN our play" They clapped their
little hands to keep time with their voices
ard their pattering feet, and this big audi
euce gave them round after round OF ap-
rlausc. 1t wasn't the "LOndon bridges
ialng.down" style OF play that is seen
among the children on the streets. IL
vas lively, yiyaclCu', novel exhi-
bition OF girls at play, and every
motion was physical exerlion. Fol-
lowing this. the giyis began TO march in
rcnpA and round thq Si1Up
They walked faster and faster until they
ran, and the march ended IN a serpcntine
circle that mystiGed the audience and
brought fresh applause. Every body
laughed when these forty-fOur little girls
came TO the front OF the stage, each hold
ing n pair OF wooden dumb-beIiS. The
smallest toddIcr wasn't much bigger than
her dumb.bells, but she was Just AS perfect
in her part as the biggest girl in the crowd.
FAvoRING PHYSICAL EDUCATION.
After the hoys and girls had been
squeezed into the wings male chorus OF
seyenty.fye Turner'S sang Becker's NcrE-
lungcn," aud then James MacAlister, : J.
pcrintcndCnt OF the public schools, deliver
ed an address, in which be said that Oh b
philadelphia TurngCmeinde had i1Yiiet
him to say few words about p1yilcli
education. lie said it was capital Hen
ard that no theory Of eGucltion was per-
feet unless the ply. as well a.
the moral and mental, was cultivated
aud developed. He gave a short history
Il German gymnastics in the schools 1nd
universities OF Germany, and concluded by
SAYING that although the principal college
Of this country had taken up physical III
cation, the development OF the body wa'
unknown in the common schools OF this
country, and that physical education oush.
TO find room il the list OF cXcrcic} In the
hubble schools Of the land. SupeTintend-
cnt Mac Alister's address was received
with applause, and then began the gym
nastic exercises Of the junior members
of tie philadelphia Turngemeinde, directed
by Turn Lehrer Stable. There was turning
in sections hy bali a hundred strapping
Young men, who could have shown the
average circus and yaricty-'tnge acrobat 4
trick or two. These fifty Young men had
big chests and punches OF muscle in their
arms and knots Of snew in the calves OF
their legs. They jumped like cats and
woe - graceful rs gazeles. They Jumped
over leather horses and bucks, yaulted with
uclcs over ten-foot string, and made high
Standing jumps, always landing on their
feet.
FEATs OF GREAT STRENGTH.
Aftcr the jumpnga small iron foundry )
stock was brought on the stage. There
were dumb bells weighing 80, Gj, 50, %.
llG. and 12j pounds each. Again and
again the Juniors held these heavy weights
ii arms lcrgtE. One young man held two
1I5.pound dumb-bells at arms length for
nearly minute. They clos their exhi-
bition with tableau, one man holding an
other on the palm OF his riGht hand above
his lead. There was 4 chorus then OF fifty
male and fifty female voices.