Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-21
THE sKNGERBuND's ANNIVERSARY.
An Enjoyable Time at Concordia HaII-Pleas-
ant Speeches and Great Enthusiasm


An Enjoyable Time at Concordia HaII-Plels-
ant speeches and Great Enthusiasm.
Half a thousand of Washington's happiest
German citizens and their wives and daughters
and sweethearts enjoyed themselves in a typical
manner last night at Concordia Hall in COM
mcmOration of the fortieth anniversary Of the
organization of The Washington Sengerbund. 1t
was a thoroughly German entertainment, fol-
lowed by completely German dance, and every
body present seemed to have the very best of
times As usual IL such instances, the program,
which was billed 10 start at O'Clock, did not
materialize until an hour later, and during the
wait the floor of the hail. which was arranged
with inviting tables for four and six. was grad
uaIy filing with people, who arrived in tine
most leisurely manner. as if they knew the en-
tertalnment would not begin on time. There
were stout German fathers and their respon-
sively stout helpmeets and their rOsy-eheeked
daughters. arrayed IN the delicate tlnts OF
spring. and there WAS the German Young nan,
with his bright cheeks and a flower in ms but
ton hole and his trousers creased down the ex-
uemltles- But around all and amid all was the
omnipresent, omniscient necessary waiter,
with MS flowing white apron and his tremen-
dOus memory and MS extraordinary balancing
power. The cOmponents of a band reached the
scene IN the most unharmonious manner. not at
all on time, and added tho noise of their tuning
up to the increasing pandemonium that came
from the movement Of hundreds of tongues.
ACTIVE conMIrTEEMES.
Members of the committee hustled around |
and the white badges Of the Sengerbund /
flashed hither and thither as if no one seemed /
TO particularly for the start TO come. |
Every one appeared to have just good time |
"a though the program were in full sway. The |
hall was prettily decorated with huge banner \
hanging over the main door, the dag of the So
ciety, on which hung wreath of green. to Sig
nifty the life that Is still in the organization. |
German and American colors were neatly COM
blned, To show the patriotism OF the citizens \
and theirloye for their fatherland. and on either
side Of the stage peculiarly drsped banner
excited curiosity. One the stars and /
stripes and the other the triple-striped banner
OF the empire.
Ii was after o'clock when there was a hustle
over the announcements that Commissioner
Ross, for whom the committee seemed |
10 be waiting. had arrived. and things began to
assume a shape that betokened a start The
band. which by this time had finished tuning,
started in with = march, and the orders for
beer flew fast from every side. The music
over. basket of bottles was taken to the stage
where the speakers sat, anu one long, slim
bottle selected from the rest and emptied
into large silver cup that stood in front of
the presiding genius, Mr.. Paul Schulz the
president Of the bund- The other bottles were
disposed of otherwise.
PRESIDENT scHULzs SPEECH.
FIVE minutes. and he seemed to be heard and
understood by nearly everybody present on
the floor and in the gallery, which was well
filled. He told of the meaning of the occasion
and of the good work of the bund and of the
feeling that animates its members, and then he
introduced Mr. Paul Claudy, the orator-poet of
the evening, who read for ten or fifteen min ,
utes in German to the members of the bund. ,
who stood in a body in the corner of the hall
His words were those of congratulation and en-
Outraged the enthusiasm and patriotism of the {
members. He spoke especially OF the coed re- !
sults of having entertainments at which the
wives and daughters OF the members could be
present.
At the conclusion of the speech Director !
Wm- Waldecker waved his baton, the bund
sang glee with excellent effect and then /
swarmed back to the tables and resumed the !
business Of keeping the walters flying. A slight
ccnmotiOn on The stage greeted with the
hand clapping of the audience a delegation
of four men, headed by Mr.. H. II. Bergman, j
fled on in front of the table and stood still
while the spokesman made a speech in the |
native tongue The delegation. he said. repre-
sented the German societies of Washington,
and when the speech was over the two curiousIy
draPed flags at either side of the stage were
loo-ened from their fasterings and. falling
back, disclosed two stands. on which were five
bu-ts Of German composers, the gift, MIR. Berg
man went on TO say, of these societies to the
Sengerbund- Mr.. Schulz responded in a few
more words Of German and the bund sang
again and the band played and everybody drank
beer To the honor OF the other societies.
COMMISSIONERS ROSS CHEERED.
Mr.. Schulz finally secured the attention of j
the people by rapping on the table with little
hammer and introducing the first speaker.
Commissioner Ross, who, he said, was to re-
spond 10 the toast. Our adopted fatherlano" ,
MIR. boss appearance the signal for tumul-
tuous applause that shook every bottle on the .
tables He spoke easily, and. talking in En-
glish. found more open ears than had the 9TH i
ers, who necessarily appealed to only a portion I
o: the audience He said that he was ALWAYS i
glad TO meet his German friends ard espe- (
cislly on such occasions, when he could ioin i
them in their festival meetings. when they were
accompanied by their wives and daughters I
This, he thought was one of the best traits of |
the German people, that they could enioy
themselves with the women folks around. The |
people of Washington, he went on to say lived
very near TO the machinery of government |
and this gave rise to the thought that laws were
very much like sausages, III that the i
les you know how they are made ,
the more respect you have FOR /
them. This made everybody laugh and il vas
some time before the Commissioner could pro- |
coed He thought that there Is something sub |
lime in the power exercised by Congress of
the United States, and In the confidence which
the people have in their government. There 4
were dangers all around such a machine but
through AL he had confidence, ON his part In | !
the people themselves. One of the dangers is
That the people may be oyerrun by powerful
corporation. but these may be made the benefi-
cal servants of the people If they are but rop-
cry controlled by wise and judicious laws. Il I
would rather be governed by king" Mr.. Ross {
remarked. than by a corporation, for the
former has q heart and soul and the latter has
neither Another danger is in the perversion
OF The ballot but this has been averted already
IN some states by the adoption Of the Australian
system of voting. In conclusion Mr.. Ross paid |
. tribute TO the value of the German American |
Is a citizen IN every walk OF life. and when he |
sat down there was a wild shout and lifting of
giAsses as the entire audience drank to the !
health OF America. while the band played the !
Star SpaHgled Banner"
OTHER ToAsTs AND RESPONSES
There were other toasts, the first one follow
ing being to The ladies'" to which the re-
spouse was made by Maj. Moore. the chief of
police HIS remarks were witty and we're re-
eeIyed by the shouts of the crowd below him.
Mr. Bergman responded to the toast .Socia-
billty and Mr.. Rokar talked to the theme
The saengerbund."
Those on the stage were Mr.. Schulz. Mr..
Slaudy, Commissioner Ross. Mr.. Chris Heurich. I
Mr. bergman. Maj Kirby, sir. Rokar.
After the program mad been concluded and
the beer started TO flowing freely the scene \