New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1901-02-06
Address of A. j. Alvin.

|
A. j. Alvin upon the occasion of the
dedication of Turner hall, The Review
this week prints the entire address from
a stenographic report in order that our
readers may read and judge for them
selves.
! Mr.. Alvin spoke as follows:
Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen
| We are met in memorable event, an
event which in all probability will not
fall to our lot second time. We are
tonight enjoying in reality what for sew
eral years past has been the fond dream
( and hope of every member and every
friend of this association, as also of ev-
cry enterprising and progressive citizen
of our beautiful and beloved city. We
are met tonight for the purpose of dedi-
eating the new Turner hall. To receive
this magnificent edifice from the hand Of
genius and creative skill and to reserve
and consecrate 1t to the edifcation OF
the community which surrounds it.
We are living in a city which from its
very birth took up an interesting path
and an even+ful course. As It's location
is beautiful, ideal and romantic, so was
its history to become fascinating and en-
gaging to posterity and descendants.
History is simply the record of the acts
and deeds and the results and consequen-
ces of the acts and deeds of man. In the
main, if not entirely, man is himself
shaping his own future and determining
his own destiny This is true individu-
ally and collectively.
Drawn hither by an inborn love for ma
ture's beauty and enchantments, prompt
ed by an adventurous mind and rov1ng
opposition, lmbued with an undving
love for freedom of conscience and con-
viction, and possessed with an indomita
bic courage and perseverance to main
tain these blessings for themselves and
loved ones, the pioneer settlers of our
city resolved to here anchor their bark
in which they had set adrift upon the
sea of life. In order to the better realize
their ideal of life they banded them
selves together and thus was formed and
no
1856.
The experiences, the activity, the eff
forts and endeavors, the accomplish
ments, the moral and material influences
of this association form in ali fairness
the most important as we'll as the most
interesting part of the history of New
Ulm. Young strong and rugged of ma
ture, courageous and vigorous of mind,
soulful and congenial of disposition,
Providence could not have selected an
organization better fitted and qualified
to hew out the path of civilization and
to hold aloft the torch of enlightenment
in this border life than this band of
young Germans.
To be sure their physical strength and
moral courage, their congenial tempera-
ment and gaiety were often and almost
constantly demanded to withstand and
surmount the many vicissitudes which
kept impeding the march of their ex-
istence. The perilous encounter with
the savage Sioux has already been re-
ferred TO. Let me but mention that
through it all the survivors came un-
scathed so far as their resolution and de-
termination of purpose was concerned.
The moral as we'll as the physical man
must be looked after at any cost and the
temple which had fallen prey to fire and
flames at the bloody hands of the savag-
es was as speedily as possible rebuilt,
and again the mind and soul of man ha0
found home. What high minded as
pirations were not manifested in its
stage. Schiller's "Raeubei" were played,
Schiller's "Glocke'' was sung, and thus
the classic as we'll as the popular drama
was paid full recognition.
It's treat indeed to listen to some Of
the senior members of this association as
they tell of the many and various means
OF mental and intellectual recreation
which they undertook. 1t is my
firm conviction that the marked and
undeniable spirit of fairness, of charita-
bleness and tolerance which has ever
char acterized the senior members of this
association is due to the logically result
ant culture that goes with compre-
hensive literary acquaintance and gen.
ereus understanding of man.
As narrowmindedness, bigotry, fana-
ticism and in tolerance is the inevitable
result of ignorance, so is leniency, con-