New Ulm review., 1901-01-30
Large Attendance From
Neighboring Cities.

| wv S'S'J uoJ uooo q Sioy uSuAS1to g
new ard magnificent theatre In fact
not more than once in half century
may any city no larger than New Ulm
reasonably expect to participate in the
opening ceremonies of such modern
and beautiful play house as the new hall
the doors of which were first thrown
open to the public by the New Ulm
Turnvereln Saturday evening.
| Away back in 1856, on the 11th day
of November, a little party of Turner's
but fourteen in number, met at the farm
house of Col. William Pfaender and
made the first organization of the socie-
ty known as the Turnverein in the state
of Minnesota. Since then various other
branches of the order have sprung up in
other cities of the state but to New Ulm
belongs the credit of the pioneer work
in this section Of the country.
The original me enbership of the New
Ulm Turnverein consisted of the follow
ing: William Pfaender, Charles Koehne,
Adolph Setter, George Geutlich, Henry
Haub, Henry Knief, Eugene Gersten-'
hauer, William Hummel, Ernst Brandt,
j. G. Toberer, George Fein, August
Schell, x. Stolfer and William Peter
mann. The first officers of the society
were William Pfaender, president; Eu-
gene Gerstenhauer, secretary; John G..
Toberer, treasurer.
Of the original membership but Eve
are now living: Col. William Pfaender,
John G. Toberer, Ernst Brandt, William
Hummel, still residents of this city, and
Eugene Gerstenhauer, now engaged in
the newspaper business at Winona.
EARLY in 1868 the society erected
hall upon the site now occupied by the
new theatre but this was destroyed dur
| ing the Indian outbreak of 1862. On
! the ruins of the first hall was erected
substantial building which until tue
past summer was found sufficient to meet
the demands made upon 1t and which
has been the scene of many pleasant
gatherings during the years which it
| served as the home of the local organi-
! zatiou.
But with the growth of the city came
| added need Of a suitable place of amuse-
| ment and to this need the Turnverein
rose with most commendable enterprise
| and public spirit, and the result of which
| is the new theatre which has during the
past fall been erected at cost of some
$25,0O0.
Preparations had been made by the
| members of New Ulm Turnverein for
the accommodation of large number of
people but when the doors of the thea
tire were opened at Z 80 Saturday even
ing there came such wave of expectant
spectators as to almost drive the manage
| ment and waiting attendants off theirs
| feet. The actual comfortable seating
capacity of the house is not less than
800 but long before the hour for the
| commencement of the dedicatory cere-
monies every available seat was occu-
pied, standing room was at premium,
and it is safe to say that no less than
1000 people we'e in attendance.
The program opened with stirring
overture by the Turner orchestra follow
ed by very pleasing recitation by Mrs.
L. G. Bell and song by the male choir.
Then came an address in the German
language by Col. William Pfaender,
a synopsis of which appears elsewhere
i'll this paper, giving many historical
details of interest to Turner's and the
public generally. Following Col. Pfan-
der's address came duet by Mr.. and
Mrs. Fred Spoerhase, an address in Eng
lish by A. j. Alvin and a song by the
ladies qEartette.
One of the most striking features.
however, of the entire evening was the
banquet which was served in the base
ment underneath the theatre. Here ta-
bles were spread for the accommodation
of over three hundred, in fact to be |
exact $50 were in place at the first sit
ting, and when il is stated that these
tables We're cleared and laid no less
than four times before the gathering
had been served :he lumber Of people
actually in attendance may be readily |
estimated.