From: Raleigh, Morton County, ND
25 January 1914
On 28 December, five horses ran away from me. They were a mold mare, a dark brown mare, a black gelding with a white hind foot, a brown gelding with a white mark on his forehead, and a black mare with a white hind foot. This last mare could only see with the left eye. Whoever knows anything about these animals should please let me know. My address is Raleigh, N.D.
Hello to my brothers and their families in Russia. Elias Nagel visited in Morton County and told me that brother Joseph got married, otherwise I would not have known about it. Unfortunately I have to report that brother Thomas has died. He too had gotten married to the daughter of Karl Mass.
There was an auction at Merzelinus Ruscheinsky’s. Everything was pretty much sold. Over $1,800 was taken in. Unfortunately however, our good friend received very little of that, because the bankers always pocket everything.
Most people are deep in debt, still one writes to Russia, bragging about things to make the impression that one is rich. As long as one has debts on one’s belongings, then one cannot say it belongs to me. In reality it belongs to the moneylenders. I therefore ask the people in Russia not to believe everything that is written relative to this. I, for my part, advise the people in Russia to stay where they are. No one, as yet, has died of hunger there. The farmer here has enough debts to pay off as a result of miserable crops. There are very few farmers here with financial resources.
Greetings to everyone,
Romanus Blotzki