The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-18
FRED pETMERs

bers of the local Turn Verein Germania
have been working like beavers; literature
has been scattered broadcast, secretaries
have been turning out letters, invitations
and correspondence by the ream; carpen-
ters have been busy erecting the trappings
necessary for the carrying out of the
athletic exercises; decorators have been
knitting their brows and searching their
brains for new ideas, and the sum total of
their efforts will be without question one
of the most successful affairs of its kind
ever held.
The members of the Turn Verein Ger
mania of Los Angeles are certainly entitled
to great deal of credit. not only from
their kindred organizations but also from
the city of Los Angeles, for the elaborate
manner in which they have prepared and
the amount of work they have expended
upon the coming Kreisturnfest. Notwith-
standing the fact that the occasion will
draw thousands of people to this city, that
1t is secondary in Importance only to La
Fiesta, and that it will be one of the largest
and best advertisements Los Angeles has
ever received, the organization has not
asked for public donations and has borne
entirely the enormous expense attendant
upon the preparation of an enterprise of
this character.
No organization here is more thoroughly
identified with the growth of the city than
the Turn Verein Germania, no class of
people have labored more industriously
for its welfare, no better citizens could be
found in any community than the mem bers
of this society. 1t has kept pace with the
marvellous growth that has made Los
Angeles famous, and on its rolls are the
names of some of the old pioneers and men
whose names will be'foreyer cherished by
the generations who will read of the max
ing of the early history of California.
When hos Angeles was nothing more
than village, in 1859, the first attempt
was made to form German society, but it
was not until 1871 that the present verein
came into existence, it being formed by the
consolidation of two German societies
which at that time were struggling indi-
vidually to maintain an existence. The
first was the Teutonia, whose main object
was the cultivation of singing. Harmo-
nious as the object may have been, discord
arose within the society and rival organ
ization called the Eintracht was formed by
seeding members. In 1869 the Teutonia.
O"ihS ~ oSSCoo1Ouo W lto luSmDeTSDlD
caused by many new arrivals in the Ger
man colony, was merged into the Los An
geles Turn Verein. and the objects of the
new society were somewhat enlarged by
including physical training.
Its performances in Mother Webeck's
Garden at that time were quite the leading
features in the somewhat limited pro-
gramme of the amusements of this citv,
Its successes resulted in the forming of an
other similar organization under the name
of Concordia, the founders of which were
Henry Koch, Theodore Frohlinger, Jacob
Kuhrts, Simon Stoll, John Webber, Nicho-
laus Mueller and others.
These two societies, finding it to their
mutual interests to combine, consolidated
under the name of Turn Verein Germania.
1t was not long before they were comfort
ably housed in the wooden building on
South Spring street, between Second and
Third, which, while at that time consid-
cred an out-of-the-way place, improved SO
rapidly in value that it was, at a later date.
sold for the sum of 500, 900, and the money
used in erecting the magnificent quarters
now occupied by the society.
The building, with its imposing brown
stone front, is one of the most solidly
built edifices in Los Angeles. 1t contains
an exhibition hall S51l00 feet in dimension,