New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1897-05-12


Following the parade, six thousand
actlves were fed at the great machinery
hall, and then the field exercises began.
They opened with mass exercises by
the boys of the gymnastic schools Of St.
Louis, consisting of calisthenics and flag
drills, and mass exercises by girls with
rings. Then a 60O-yard relay race was
run, each competing society entering one
team of six men. Thursday evening
the fest was formally dedicated at the
exposition hall by Hugo Muench, chair
man of the central committee. Mayor
Ziegenhagen welcomed the Turner's and
extended to them the freedom of the
city, and Henry Braun, chairman of the
national executive committee, made an
address. The rest of the program con-
sisted of gymnastlc exercises on appara-
tus Ivy picked classes from the different
Turnvereins of st. Louis.
The second days work began early and
the beautiful weather that marked the
first day of the fest continued. AS early
as seven O'Clock the different classes
marched to the 1nfield OF the race track
at the fair grounds and took their places
to begin the days exercises. At times
there were as many as 5000 men on the
field, and the scenes were picturesque, as
they marched and c"untermarched with
their bright steel wands flashing in the
sunlight as they went through the vari-
Gus exercises.
There were three groups in Friday
mornings class contest. The first group
consisted of 10 classes of from eight to
eighteen men and was divided into four
subdivisions. In group two were eleven
classes, numbering from 10 to 38 men
inclusive, with Otto Boettinger and K.
Heckrich as judges.
There were ten classes in the third
group, numbering from 80 to 5S men
inclusive. Albert Nathan and Oscar
Ernst were judges for this group.
The competitive work consisted of
prescribed exercises with iron wands,
putting the 16-pound shot, high and far
jumping, and 100-yards running.
While the outdoor exercises were be-
ing proceeded with another competition
was held in the upper hall of the house
of public comfort on tire fair grounds.
This consisted of recitatious and i'm
promplu speeches. There were sixteen
contestants, but none from Minnesota,
all of them hailing from the larger cities.
At Music Hall, there was competition
in chorus singing between number OF
singing societies.
In putting the shot with the right
hand Sauers of the Dayton Turngemein-
de covered 81 feet, and Reprecht OF Chi
caco covered 81 feet and inches with
his left. These were the best records
made.
| The awards for literary and mental
work were made Saturday evening. Dr.
Geo. Richter of st. Louis received first
literary prize and w. Ahrens of Chicago
second. Ernst Gechner Of St. Louis got
first prize for rectations and Max
Doersciiner of Cleveland second.
Rain interfered to a considerable eX-
tent with Saturdays exercises, but in the
afternoon fifty thousand people witnessed
the feats of strength and culture.
The individual competition for all
round prizes, consisting of exercises or
the horse, horizontal and parallel bars
was pulled off inside as were also the
fencing and wrestling contests. Among
the competitors was Eyser of Denver
who suffers the seeming disadvanta ge o.
a cork leg. This however dia not inter
] ltIC Win Ills w VI du(t illS ClLOl Us CfliGl
out wild applause. In the exercises OF
the horse and bars, there were about {
hundred entries, and Chicago, Mi]wau
kee and ST. Louis performers appeared
to be in the best form. In the wrest
ling contests Eisener Of Chicago wo1
first prize for heavyweight wrestling il
! four bouts. In the lightweight clas:
Hopper of St. Louis won first place anc
Weidem of Philadelphia second. In the
final heats Of the amateur bicycle races
the one mile open was won by Felix
Cast of St. Louis in 1855 1-5, and also
the fve-mile open IN 1888 3-5.
Saturday afternoon ten thousand chill
dren of the st. Louis Schools gave !
beautiful drill exhibition. Afterwards
200 senior Turner's went through the
dumbbell exercises and then came the
mass exercises by the actives, 800
strong. When ali WIS over the Turner's