From: Emmental, Bessarabia
22 November 1920
Worthy Staats-Anzeiger!
I read the dear newspaper at my friends R. Loeb and J. Molden. I am taking the liberty to also send in a few lines.
After such a long drought it had rained here for two days. It would have been a lot better, had it rained even more. Now the sky is nice and clear, and that is good also giving us courage for the spring seeding. We did not seed much during the drought. Now we can’t do it again until next spring, because the ground is frozen solid. Now that we have moisture we at least have hope for the spring seeding.
Last night my friend Zachaeus Moldenhauer returned from military duty. He said that the service with the Rumanians was difficult. The food too did not agree with him very well. They were mostly served mamolik [mámlik] (a pudding-like meal prepared with coarsely ground corn) and beans. We Germans in Bessarabia are more used to sausage and bread, of which you don’t see any in the service. Many a soldier had to go hungry until he was used to that diet.
I send a nice greeting to all readers of this paper.
Respectfully,
Aloisius D. Deichert
From: Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada
13 December 1920
Dear Staats-Anzeiger!
Up to now winter really has not made its’ appearance. One only notices by the long evenings and the short days that Christmas is approaching, around which time the shortest day occurs. During those nice long winter evenings for sheer boredom you preferably reach for the Staats-Anzeiger and in spirit place yourself into the old world and homeland again, which now belongs to Rumania. You think about how things now are different from what they used to be in May before the war. Many things that now are happening there we would hardly find out about, if it were not for the Staats-Anzeiger’s reports, because the postal service is still unreliable.
I am thanking Mr. J. Boot for his report in issue (unclear print - could be one or the other) #33 or #39. Everything else I would like to find out about I most likely will get to know from the gentlemen Romuald Gross, Simon Riehl and Jakob Steinke upon their return, who probably have already arrived at your place.
The health conditions around here are fairly good as far as I know. The gentlemen correspondents J. Boot, Anton Gedak and Zachaeus Kopp are being implored to possibly report more often.
I have a brother-in-law by the name of Jakob Miller, son of Romuald who used to live near Dickinson, North Dakota. Should he by chance get to read these lines, then he would do me a favor by sending me his address.
I wish the editorship, as well as all friends and readers joyous holidays and a Happy New Year.
Respectfully,
Joseph Hittel