100 years ago: Lawrence Turnverein celebrates anniversary

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Jan. 29, 1915:

  • “The Lawrence Turn Verein celebrated the forty-ninth anniversary of the organization in Lawrence last night in the Turners Hall. There was a large attendance of the members and a very interesting program was rendered…. Mr. Jacob Frohwerk, president of the state league, gave a short talk in the native tongue on the subject of the ‘justness of the war.’ Mr. Frohwerk is a newspaper man at Kansas City. He says that the present war was brought on by England and it was entirely for commercial reasons. They persuaded the Russians and French to make the attack while she stood back and watched and does very little letting the other countries do the fighting so far as possible. England realized that Germany was getting to be too strong a commercial competitor and it was necessary that something be done to stop the progress…. The Turn Verein was organized in Lawrence shortly after the Quantrell raid and has grown and thrived ever since. The building known as Turners Hall is fitted for the physical training of the boys and girls and is under the direction of an able instructor. The purpose of the club is to promote better citizenship yet to hold in memory the tradition of the Fatherland.”
  • “‘There is no need for men to loaf about town and say that they cannot find work to do so that they can buy groceries for their families,’ said Commissioner Cleland this morning. The city has a large rock pile and they pay 80 cents per yard for breaking rock. They are fixed so that they can work a large number of men and any who want employment may apply to Commissioner Cleland or to George Crispin. This will afford a means for men who do not have employment to earn enough to buy food and they need not complain that there is no work to do.”
  • “Captain Clarke is now recruiting Company H of the First Kansas regiment to its full strength in preparation for the possibility of two of the Kansas companies going to the Panama-Pacific Exposition. It has been announced that the two best Kansas companies will be sent and it is thought that the H company of the First regiment and the E Company of the Second regiment will be chosen as they are the prize companies of the state.”
  • “The anti-cigarette workers will meet again at the High school and block out some aggressive work. All those who were present at the former meeting, and all other interested persons, are urged to attend. It is significant to note that this movement to safeguard the boys of Lawrence against the blight of the cigarette has back of it representatives of practically every organization, club and society in the city.”