From: Krasna, Bessarabia
6 September 1912
On the 5 September, I received Issue #5 of the Staats-Anzeiger, which provided many segments from both sides. Among these was a funny chapter by a new correspondent from my colony. The segment was actually entertaining, and the new correspondent should have a mark of honor for the funny composition, although perhaps his trade signature may shed some suspicion on us correspondents. Well, I do not mind as long as his intentions are not to bring any personal offenses. (*Editor: Seems to pertain to the correspondence undersigned by: “A Farmer”. The same most likely does not contain anything offensive.)
The weather seems to be ideal for the farmer. The soil got soaked well by extensive rains, so that the farmer can expect good winter seeds.
Bessarabia, of all governed districts, up until now always has had the advantage in trade and business, but today all this is at a standstill as it never has been before.
Since today I do not have anything special to report, I want to submit a little story for the entertainment of the readers. So, a man rides home on a donkey and lets his boy walk. A wanderer happens along and says, “It isn’t right father that you are riding and let your son walk behind, because you have stronger limbs than he does.” That’s when the father gets off the donkey and lets the son ride. In a short while a second wanderer comes along and he remarks, “It isn’t right lad that you are riding and letting your father walk, because you have younger legs.”
So both get on the donkey and ride part of the way. Along comes a third wanderer, who says, “What kind of nonsense is this, two guys sitting on a weak animal! Shouldn’t one get a stick and chase you both down?” Hence, both dismounted and all three walked on foot, right and left father and son and the donkey in the middle. Along comes a. ………Text missing………not enough, when two are walking? Wouldn’t it be easier if one were riding?” That’s when the father tied the donkey’s front legs and the son the hind legs together and through them they pulled a sturdy pole, which was at hand, and in this manner they carried the donkey home on their shoulders. That’s what can happen if one wants to please all people.
In closing, a sincere greeting to all my friends here and over there and to all the readers of this newspaper.
Respectfully,
Romuald Dirk
From: Krasna, Bessarabia
10 September 1912
Patience, Patience. 1) Patience is a shrub so stout Full of thorns at all ends. He who nears it will find out, With his feet and his hands.
2) And yet I say: Let hardship be, Not evermore to frustrate thee. Be it tears at dusk or when early hours grow Submissively then over him will flow.
3) He suddenly will overnight Award you for your pain and fright When above all thorns with a smile it poses A bouquet of crowns filled with roses.
4) Everywhere to trod But not against God Time is here as I did bide To put all work aside And take a pen into hand And write a letter to my friend, Mr. Brandt
My previous report occurred in April. Since then a long time has passed. But it was impossible for me to write sooner, because all summer long I really was too busy with the construction of stables. Then I thought with Mr. Romuald Dirk living here, that he would report everything. With this in mind I was not wrong, yet there is a little left for me. From now on I shall write more diligently, because the most urgent work is done.
In spring, the winter wheat grew splendidly in the fields, but in May, rust spots set in and stunned the growth. In the end, the rust affected the summer wheat so that most of its ears were without seeds. Also the yield of barley was minimal and many farmers hardly broke even with the amount seeded. Barley on prime land, however, yielded 80 to 120 pud (One pud equals 36 lbs.) per desjatine (2.5 acres). The price of winter wheat runs from 1 ruble to 1 ruble and 10 kopecks (Russian currencies). Potatoes we have more than enough. Welsh corn grew splendidly, but it is still green and the weather is not favorable for its ripening. Wine is extremely minimal. Some people do not even have grapes to eat. The few that really grew are so sour that they are not appealing to the stomach. As bad as the wine is, the price is very good for it. The “Oken” or “Quart” (about 1.28 liters), as one says, costs 30 to 40 kopeks. Be happy with what God has given. During August and September, we had steady rainy weather, which spoiled almost everything for people who had not finished threshing. Our people in Krasna all had finished. They worked day and night as long as they had good weather.
By morning when cow herdsman moved the cattle to pasture, they already had threshed four “killen” (about 80 bushels) of barley using four horses. Our folks in Krasna do not want to hear much about sleeping during threshing time while in the mornings our neighbors slept-in and departed late for the fields. Now their crops stand in the fields and rot.
When your life does not bring blessings upon others, then it also will not bring you any because as the proverb goes: The early bird catches the worm. Note: Our God wishes us with joy that we should take pleasure in his goods and gifts, eating, drinking and being happy. He is an opulent God and does not want to hear us complain that he cannot provide nor feed us. Yes, just for this purpose he created heaven and earth with all kinds of birds in the air and various fish in the water that earth will bring forth many kinds of produce, which we should enjoy. He only wants that we fear him and acknowledge that they are his gifts, that we thank him deeply from our hearts and do not forget our fellow men.
In the Russian village, Alexandrowka, the resident Mikelojef quarreled with his 60-year-old neighbor lady and strangled her to death. Shortly thereafter he committed suicide by shooting himself. Whoever wants the very best, often must taste the bitterest.
I wish the dignified editor, Mr. F. L. Brandt, and the Staats-Anzeiger lots of luck in their new establishment. With my first correspondence to Bismarck, I am adding a new subscriber and I wish that every long time reader would recruit a new one for the Staats-Anzeiger. This way the number of readers would quickly double. For a bonus the new reader would like the scissors, if it were not available then he would like to have the new wonderful Atlas with the map of Russia on the fifth page. (*Editor: A sincere thank you for the new reader. The newspaper and the desired maps will leave here promptly. If every old reader would bring in a new one, then the circulation of the paper would increase rapidly.)
A greeting to all fellow readers and friends of this paper.
Anton Gedak
From: Emmental, Bessarabia
20 September 1912
Dear Publisher:
I read my correspondence and the publisher's remarks in #5 of the paper. I am just curious, since my brother writes that he subscribed to the paper for me and the paper says they did not get the payment. I am sure my brother read the paper too, and the whole thing will be resolved. (*Publisher: All is well and taken care of.)
Not much new here. I remarked in my last posting, that we had poor threshing weather. The rain let up three days ago and people started to thresh the rest of the grain today. It is the first time that people threshed so late in the season here.
We have almost no grapes. There is enough corn, but not ripened! It is still green because of all the rain we had. Should we get an early frost, we may give up on that crop too. May God grant us a better harvest next year! Our village is still fairly new and many people are in debt that has to be retired. I started sowing today.
I wanted to order the Alpine Herbs from America, but learned that Russia will not let it be imported, so I have to abstain from it. (*Publisher: Russia indeed forbids the shipment of such medicines.)
In closing, greetings to my cousin Peter Krenzel, to my mother and to my brothers in Canada and to all the readers of the Staats-Anzeiger!
Zachäus Kopp