German Day in Manning, 1892

EGERMAYER, SHOOP, HARTHUN, BRUNNIER

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 12/26/2005 at 17:42:18

I translated the following article from Der Carroll Demokrat, a German-language newspaper published in Carroll, Iowa, between about 1874 and 1920. It was originally published on 14 October 1892. Any information in brackets or notes at the end are my own explanations. It reads as follows:

At the “German Day” Celebration in Manning
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As was already reported last week, we departed from Carroll at 8:00 in the morning. The mood was very lively, and was made even more so by the addition of several friends and acquaintances in Halbur, and by a few musical numbers performed by Egermayer’s Orchestra. Upon arrival in Manning, we received a musical reception from the local “Schützenverein” [Rifle Club]. A ladies committee received our ladies, and so we marched to the Schützenhalle [Rifle-Club Hall], accompanied by two bands, the Manning Schützenverein, and fluttering flags. Here we were hospitably and heartily welcomed. The magnificent decoration of the hall was worthy of note. One could see by observing the Manning residents and their great preparations that they appreciated German day and its great significance, and that they had done their utmost to make their guests’ stay in Manning as pleasant as possible. After some refreshment, the festival parade formed at about 9:30. At the front walked the Carroll “Northwestern Band,” then the ladies from Carroll and Manning, then the “Germania Verein” [German Club] of Carroll, then the bands from Manning, and at the end, came the club hosting the festival [probably the Manning Schützenverein]. The impressive festival parade, with its fluttering flags, moved through the main streets of the richly decorated town. Many people must have been moved by the sight of this first demonstration of German-American spirit. It is indeed a celebration that, even if it only involves German-Americans, manifests the most genuine patriotism for our adopted fatherland. The parade lasted nearly a full hour and, arriving again at the Schützenhalle, the President of the Manning Schützenverein, Mr. W. H. Shoop, gave a short but first-rate speech and welcomed once again their German brothers from Carroll. The President of the Carroll Germania Verein replied to this address with heartfelt words and thanked them for the warm reception. The [Manning] “Liederkranz” singing club, under direction of Mr. Harthun, an experienced singing instructor from Denison, then performed a song composed specially for this occasion, which earned great applause. Then followed the main part of the festival—the formal address. The official speaker, Mr. Brunnier, carried out his task quite masterfully. In the opening portion, he stated why the festival-goers were gathered, then related where the first stimulus for celebrating this day occurred and that, due to this, the consciousness of spiritual solidarity had spread out over the whole land and was therefore celebrated in every place where that the German tongue was heard. In the further course of his address, Mr. Brunnier explained the duties of the Germans in this country, and in closing, he also dealt briefly with their shortcomings and how these shortcomings should be prevented.