From: Balmas, Bessarabia
18 November 1920
Worthy Staats-Anzeiger!
Today it is raining for the first time after a long, long time of no rain. God willing, the rain will last for several more days, since we have warm weather and hopefully the winter wheat will start rooting. Our farmers here in Bessarabia already looked very discouraged, but now their faces are smiling again.
There is little news from our area. I found out today that on 25 November, Joseph Keiler and his family are going to leave Larga to go to America. Perhaps we will do the same next summer. The way one notices in #26 of the paper, there are already disagreements among the correspondents. Right now it would be better to let the World War come to an end first.
Michael Glass from Balmas is greeting his brother-in-law Joseph Mack and family. His sister-in-law Therese was looking for him a while ago in the paper. He would be happy to receive the Staats-Anzeiger as a gift.
I am also greeting my children Ignatz and Amalia Gross, and I am asking them to write soon.
Romuald Dirk
From: Emmental, Bessarabia
26 November 1920
Worthy Staats-Anzeiger!
The readers of the Staats-Anzeiger are just like “Eulenspiegel” said when he walked through a field of flax, “Many heads, many intellects!” One person praises me this way, another one praises you another way, and a third one despises both of us.
Mr. Cyrillus Haag agrees with the stupid reports by “A Farmer” one after another by saying, that the reports by “A Farmer” are interesting and that he has never attacked anyone personally. But still the coat has to fit many a person. (*Editor: You are the first person who finds the reports by “A Farmer” stupid. There are hundreds of other readers, who are just like Mr. Haag, are interested in the reports by “A Farmer.)
Dear Cyrillus, the coat has not yet fit me, but he has already personally attacked many people. His reports are only pleasant to the people who have never endured any misery, and you are that kind of person. (*Editor: We believe that Mr. Cyrillus Haag is not going to be too upset about this reproach.)
If you would have been true to your homeland and if you would have gone to war and would have experienced everything we went through, then you certainly would have said, “As long as I live, I will stay away from foolishness and amusement.” The reports by “A Farmer” wouldn’t be so pleasing to you today. (*Editor: It is not nice to blame every emigrant who went to America for not taking part in the war on the Russian side.) You took off with full pockets right at the start of the war, while many a poor soldier had to suffer. For my part I really don’t mind and it is none of my business, but many people still remember you. Why don’t you come back to Bessarabia some time? Those people are going to find you.
If perhaps you want to know what I am getting at with my writing, then just ask me. I will answer right away. I read in #26 about the two farmers who defended themselves against Mr. Strohmaier. I do not want to have such a conversation with you.
I was in Krasna recently and found out that your father passed away. I can tell Mr. Hyronimus Paul in Richardton, North Dakota that his mother could not find an apartment in Emmental. She moved to Cebanofka. I will try and report everything to her.
Tomorrow Joseph Keller will depart from Larga to go to Canada. Then he will travel to Brisbane, North Dakota where his son Johannes lives. Whoever wants to hear news first hand from Bessarabia can find out very soon. He will also visit his daughter in Elardee, Canada for a few weeks. She is married to Christian Randler. He will also visit his friend Gabriel Rifel. There, dear brother Joseph, you can also talk to him and find out a lot. An hour ago he was visiting with me. He also knows the “A Farmer” very well.
Elias Maas has already sent lots of letters to his in-laws and is helpless since he has not received a single answer. Elias Nagel is being asked by his brother Jakob Nagel to send his address.
I am sending a greeting to my old mother.
Zachaeus Kopp
From: Brisbane, Grant County, ND
19 December 1920
Worthy Staats-Anzeiger!
We still have not had any snow but very pleasant weather.
I was very happy about the reports from Mr. A. Gedak and I wish the newlyweds Mariana Ruehl and her husband lots of luck and blessings!
I would really like to hear from my school friend Kaspar Gedak. Did Johannes Soehn get married yet?
Perhaps the four visitors from Canada will bring several people along to the New World. I would like to pay for the trip for someone if he would spend one summer working for me in return.
I am wishing my nephews Alexander and Lambert Ruehl [Riehl] a blessed New Year.
Eugenius Ruehl [Riehl]
From: Strasburg, Emmons County, ND
23 December 1920
Worthy Staats-Anzeiger!
I was very happy to read something about my Uncle Viktor Nagel from Krasna in the paper. As a thank you from now on I will have the Staats-Anzeiger sent to him as a present. (*Editor: We received the money.)
I am heartily greeting everyone!
All of us are still healthy. Our father lives in Rubicon, Wisconsin.
Mathias Nagel also says hello. His brothers-in-law and sisters are asked to write to him.
The weather is nice. No frost and snow as yet.
Michael J. Nagel
Son of Johannes
From: Linton, Emmons County, ND
23 December 1920
Worthy Staats-Anzeiger!
For a week now we have had severely cold weather with a little snow. Hopefully, the winter won’t get too bad.
We had several fires in our city. First, the farm elevator burned down, then the telephone both and after that the furniture store. Then the hospital burned down, and on top of that flames consumed the hotel. The hardware store is no longer there either. Hopefully, we will get new brick buildings in place of the old buildings so that the city will look nicer.
My neighbor Friedrich Orner auctioned off his belongings and moved to Linton.
The health conditions are not the best. Everywhere one hears complaints about a cough.
The harvest around here was not exactly the best. Wheat yielded 3 to 20 bushels per acre. Oats and barley yielded 10 to 30 bushels. Actually one could be happy with that if the wheat prices weren’t so low.
In closing, I am greeting my friends in Emmental, Bessarabia and in Canada, as well as my brother-in-law in Raleigh, North Dakota. I wish them a happy New Year.
Rochus Nagel
From: Petrel, Adams County, ND
27 December 1920
Worthy Staats-Anzeiger!
With great sadness I found out that my mother-in-law Luzia Kuss had passed away on 20 October 1920, and that my father-in-law had already died 2 years ago. This information was very hard on my wife and me.
With this letter I am letting my Uncle Anton Gedak and his family know that all of us are still alive. We were happy to hear about the parents in the paper through him.
Please inform my siblings Emma, Joseph, Alexander and Adam that we have not been able to find out the address of my brother Hyronimus who lives here in America.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Kosmos and Anna Kuntz