The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-06-04
The New Turn ffnIi.

certnouieS lnclueht 10 the uculcauon In
cluded the reception of delegates from va
rious German societies from New York.
Philadelphia and Baltimore, a parade OF
the local societies and the transfer OF the
building committee to the officers of the
society at the hall.
The new building is a eommodious brick
structure of an ornate style of architecture
and consisting Of a large hall with stage
and gallery on the first floor and with a
dining-room. kitchen, refrigerator and
hoier-room in the basement. The build
ing was profusely decorated inside and out
with bunting and flags, magnificent
American flag hanging across the middle
Of the building during the dedicatory cere-
monies. The front of the building was
almost covered with flags and tri-colored
bunting representing the American and
German flags Inside the building the tops
of all the windows, every wall panel and
every roof girder was decorated with bunt-
ing and shields, while from the gallery
hung the United States flag and the local
flags of the participating societies, making
brilliant assemblage of rich -colored dra-
perry. touched here and there with the
CLEAN of gold.
The basement was the scene OF a real
German social entertainment and was
crowded with men, women and children
and everybody was in holiday attire and
exhuberant In their Joy. Tables were
spread and luncheon was served to every
one who could be induced to participate
The morning hours were occupied in the
decoration of the building and in the recep-
tion of the visiting delegations of the
Germania Turnverein of Baltimore, the
Philadelphia and Germania Turngemeinde
of Philadelphia, Harmonica Singing So
ciety of Chester, Pa, and delegations of
other societies from Camden and Trenton,
N j., and from New York. The delega-
tions representing the German societies,
the Delaware Saengerbund, German Bene-
fetal Societies. Nos. 1 and q; Liberty
Lodge. A. o. U. W.; Delaware Conclave,
o. o. H., and other local societies with the
guests met at the hall at about $50 O'Clock
and forming In procession marched over
the following route: From the new hall on
French street to Sixth street, to Walnut,
to Front, to French, to Sixth, to King to
Front, to Market to the City Hall and
thence to Eighth and French, to the new
Turn Hall.
The ceremonies at the hall were di-
rected by Henry Feldmeer. Seated with
him on the stage when the exercises begun
cilmen Howard Stats and John W. Kirby;
Charles Baird, William Turner and s. H.
Baynard of the Board of Education: Joseph
Rymski, president of the Wilmington
Turngemeinde; Samuel Bancroft, Jr.,
Henry Blouth, William NJ. Pyle, of the
Police Commission; Architect Charles
schmitt of Philadelphia. Victor Kalk. DAN
lei Maier president of the Wilmington
EQanparhIInt. rhar rd
Schirmer.
The exercises began with a speech In
the English language by Henry Feldmeier,
in which he gave short history of the So
ciety and of the movement that had cul-
minated in the building of the hall. The
society. he said, demanded that all who
desired to become members OF 1t should de-
clare their intention to become citizens of
the United States and were obligated to
obey its laws and defend 1t from its enc
mics. At the outbreak of the war the So
ciety which had organized in 1858, num-
bered only seventy-fiye members, but of
these forty-two responded to the call of
President Lincoln for soldiers to defend
the Union. Mr.. Feldmeier closed his speech
by introducing Mayor Shortlidge
SPEECH OF THE MAYOR.
In responding to the introduction Mayor
Shortlidge was greeted with a round of
applause. He spoke as follows:
ut seems but a few weeks since l had
the honor of assisting at the laying OF the
cornerstone for this beautiful ediiice, al
ready completed.
''rhe work illustrates the American spirit
on which we all pride ourselves in Della
ware The guides in Cologne will tell the
traveller how many hundred years the
great cathedral was building, The chief
attraction for visiting Philadelphia is to
see the workmen stiil hammering away at
the Public Buildings.
I'VE do things differently In Delaware,
but ! must not misapprOpriate to the city
of Wilmington the credit for this at
tractive ornament to the city. 1t Is a
legacy which our German fellow-citizens
bequeath us. AS Americans we date back
less than 300 years but sRhat German or
German-American has not been thrilled
with the defiance which Arovstus hurled
at the Romans nearly 1000 years ago You
will find out what the invlncble Germans
are able to do, a people who have not gone
under a roof for fourteen years That is
a people who were seldom defeated
81 take pride as mayor of Wilmington in
addressing you to-day as 'Inyinclble Ger
mans, who have brought to America and
breathed into your American children the
same valor. the same public spirit the
the same love of religious and
civil liberty which has marked
every step OF your progress from the strug-
gle of twenty centuries ago till the dawn
of German unity, nationality and consti-
tutional freedom in this century"
PRESENTING THE KEY.
Following the speech of the mayor, Mr..
Feldmeier introduced Henry Blouth, the
treasurer of the building committee, who
presented the key of the new building to
President Rymski of the Turngemende.
He spoke briefly, wishing the society sue
cess in its new home, and reminding him
of the necessity Of working in unity with
his fellows as the basis of the success for
which they were striving. President Rym-
ski accepted the key in a brief speech of
thanks.
President Auer OF the Philadelphia Turn
gemeinde was introduced and made an
earnest speech, referring to the close and
friendly relations existing between the
German societies of Philadelphia, New
York Baltimore and Wilmington. In time
OF war they had Joined hand in hand bat
tling for their adopted country He de-
elared the society to be one of the most lib
eral In the world, Its motto being: Live
for one another" If this idea was carried
out it produces freedom and happiness. In
closing his speech he presented the local
society with a handsome clock from the
Philadelphia Turngemeinde, which was re-
ceiyed by President Rymski.
GERMAN VETERAN SOLDIERS.
Henry Feldmeier sopke to his friends in
the German language of the loyalty of the
German-American citizens. and introduced
Victor Kalk. president of the Association
of the Twenty ninth New York Veteran
Volunteers, who came on the stage ac-
companied by delegation of the veterans.
Mr.. Kalk spoke in German, commencing
the Turngemeinde and complimenting Mr.,
Feldmeier as a comrade in arms and said
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