From: Taraklia, Bessarabia
27 April 1912
I was sitting here reading eagerly about what happened in F. with the old soldier and Mrs. H from S. during the prayers for her dead husband, when the mailman arrived and handed me a letter from America and #39 of the Staats-Anzeiger out of his leather pouch.
First, I took the letter which had come from my children Eduard and Eugenia Richter in Morton County, North Dakota. The letter told me that all of them are healthy which made me very happy. While I was scanning the contents of the letter, my eye was looking sideways to where the Staats-Anzeiger was laying. I am always very curious about what good things it will bring us. I was hardly finished with the last words in the letter, when my left hand already reached for the paper. The same was now quickly unfolded and first of all I scanned all signatures and headlines, and that is when I read a short article written by my daughter Eugenia, wife of Eduard Richter.
Then I studied the report from my friend Jakob Sommerfeld and when I came to the spot where Mr. Sommerfeld’s better half is saying, “When you have a few kopeks, then you have to write to the newspaper right away.” My wife immediately agreed with her “song”, and if both women were together, there certainly would have been a whole “concert”. But our dear wives are not totally correct. Yes, one really is in need of one or another kopek very much, but what does it help to use the few kopeks for some necessities, for example for the farm? It would really be insignificant and doesn’t matter. But on the other hand I would be sitting here without knowing what goes on in the world. There are many people who don’t spend a penny on newspapers and just exist in this world like a bug in the dung. At a wedding or a baptism it is not hard for some people to spend 10 rubles because it makes them happy. So why shouldn’t I make myself happy for a few rubles which will last a whole year, while the happiness at a wedding only lasts minutes or hours? To stay in contact with friends and acquaintances is the life for a human being on earth. Eating dung is the life for a bug. But I will stop with that, otherwise I’ll end up writing a whole epistle.
Now I am reminded of the honorable Mr. Correspondent Peter Gabriel in South Dakota. I am happy that my reports are read there with interest. A correspondent certainly has to make sure to deliver something to the paper that brings a good reputation and respect to it. You must not deliver correspondences to the paper that are more damaging than useful.
Dear colleagues and readers please think about that. Through such correspondences the wastepaper basket then will get so much “food” that it needs help to swallow it all. But dear friend Gabriel, we don’t know anything about the wastepaper basket and we don’t want to know what all it has to digest. Only the editor knows the secret of the wastepaper basket. But the newspaper brings us so much news and varieties, such interesting and important things that I hope to also hear from you Mr. Gabriel, and that they are essays similar in content as mine.
I also hope to get better known in my words and by my picture. Until these lines are published perhaps my picture and my biography have already appeared in the Staats-Anzeiger and thus you and the fellow readers can get an idea about my personality.
I will shorten my correspondence to leave room for the articles written by my old colleague Anton Jochim. I was already wondering, why suddenly nothing from him had been published.
There is something else I would like to ask Mr. Peter Gabriel, namely if friends and acquaintances of mine live in his area and to write to me about it soon. Since 25 April, the farmers here have weather just like they wished for. Since then up until today it has been raining and there is no end in sight. It was critical this year for the farmers with the seeding of the Welsh corn. The Welsh corn from the prior year did not fully ripen and older Welsh corn for seeding was not available for many farmers. That is why one is worried that the Welsh corn might grow only weak or not come up at all. It is still too early to pass judgment on this.
(*Editor: Received the change of address and took care of it right away.)
I am greeting my children in Morton County, all my friends and acquaintances and also the whole reader’s circle.
Respectfully,
Romuald Dirk
From: Tarutino, Bessarabia
10 May 1912
Today we were lucky and received Edition #39 of your newspaper. The story in it by sister Eugenia Richter made us very happy. She mentioned that we soon should receive a picture of her and her husband, and also that she received ours. We have waited a long time for your photo and hope to receive it within 30 to 40 days.
Also today, our dear parents paid us a pleasant visit. Since sister Amalia also reads this newspaper, we ask her to please write a little something too.
This newsletter must remain short because we are busy at work.
We ask to please send the pictures to the parents in Taraklia. (*Editor: Mr. Romuald Dirk, however, does not live in Taraklia any more. He asked us to please let his children know about the new address. The address now is: South Russia, Gouv.Bessarabia, Kreis Soroka, Post Office Sgurzia, Oekonomie Makaroska, Administrator Romuald Dirk. Pictures and letters should be sent to this address.)
With greetings to parents, siblings, and friends as well as to all readers of this newspaper.
Antonia, Korbinian,
and Bertha Dirk