Monday evening a gymnastic exhibition was given at the Turnhalle for the benefit of the refugees from Missouri and the wounded soldiers at Fort Donaldson. We have seen many demonstrations of gymnastic skill in America, but we must confess that the accomplishments of the local Turner are surpassed by those of no other Turngemeinde in our country, not even by those of the famous New York organization. The exercises performed on the horizontal bars, parallel bars, and trapeze, and especially the weight and jumping exhibitions, were most excellent. Turners like Heinrich Malzacher, Emil Giese, Julius Giese, August Ries, Louis Rosenberg, and Robert Lott have no equals in the United States. If these men had competed at the various national exhibitions, the local Turngemeinde would be famous in every part of the nation.

The plastic section which is tutored by Turner August Weidling deserves special commendation. The marble groups which we were privileged to see are among the best of their kind in America....

Viewing the exhibition as a whole, we have only one adverse criticism to make, and that is that the program was much too long, requiring four hours--from eight to twelve o'clock--for its execution. Two hours would have been sufficient. The Great Western Band which accompanied the performers contributed much to the success of the exhibition.

Owing to inclement weather, the attendance left much to be desired. Considering the noble purpose and the excellence of the performance, the committee had a right to expect a much larger turnout. We hear that the Turngemeind contemplates giving similar performances from time to time; and we are convinced that in the future the public will show a greater appreciation for this kind of entertainment. Certainly none of those who were present on Monday evening will be absent from future exhibitions.