From: Krasna, Bessarabia
20 December 1920
Worthy Staats-Anzeiger!
Since I received the last edition of the paper, I have been very restless.
The woman from the Cherson region who is asking for help is really to be pitied, but I don’t think we can help. I call this haunted by God. At first our leader was taken. Secondly, women received the right to vote and third the devil was unleashed when the Russian military came to the Cherson region and to Bessarabia. If the people would have not been so blind and would not have gotten involved with the Russian military, then a lot of things would be different now. Now the innocent have to suffer along with the guilty.
I still remember when in 1915 we were in a Galician village by the name of Tereptsche. We saw how our Russian soldiers soon became friends with those women there. Naturally all the men were gone. We were speechless about things we had to observe.
Later on when we found out that the Russian military was also resettled into the Cherson region and Bessarabia, we had gloomy thoughts. We thought that because our German women did not understand the Russian language they would leave everything behind and flee through the windows when the Cossacks come into the house, but no one thought that such immoral things like we saw in Galicia would also go on here.
Then a letter arrived for a man from Kleinliebenthal, which had been given to W. J. Steiert to be delivered. The letter said that a woman had several Cossacks living with her and they had a fun time together. We were appalled that such a rich and clean woman could forget herself in such a way.
The first letter from our neighboring village contained similar stories. The man on the front was forgotten and intimate friendships with the Russians were formed. The women let themselves be undressed with pleasure and celebrated their “wedding” with the Russians. All chastity was gone. Who would have been able to help? The women could have helped themselves but they no longer thought about their men and let themselves be seduced willingly. Surely there were also steadfast women who did not let themselves be seduced by the “snake”. This is said in honor of them.
Not long ago, we heard that a woman in Akkerman gave birth to a child whose father was a black man. Another woman gave birth to a totally black child. The midwife ran away since she thought it was the devil himself.
The weather is still dry and cold. All of us are still healthy.
I send a greeting to my brother Max and also to the readers.
Joachim Both and Wife
From: Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada
11 January 1921
Worthy Staats-Anzeiger!
This is to inform my friends in Krasna that all of us are still healthy and that we would like to hear something from there. Perhaps Mr. Anton Gedak would be kind enough to send some information about my friends Klemens, H. Ihli, J. Wingenbach, Math. Volk, Michael Nagel, Michael and J. Hintz.
Our new railroad is now completed. Now we no longer have to go to Leader, since we can do our business in the new small town of Mendham. We hope that our mail soon will be arriving here. Then we won’t have to make the long trip to Leader anymore.
I send a greeting to Zachaeus Kopp and the “A Farmer”. I would like to know from “A Farmer” how the work at the forge is going which he is running.
Respectfully,
Stolanus Wingenbach
From: Colonsay, Saskatchewan, Canada
12 January 1921
Worthy Staats-Anzeiger!
I am asking Daniel Kopp from Emmental to write down his reports about the war and to send them to me. I am always anxiously waiting for information that several other people from Emmental might have decided to emigrate.
When I left in 1911, several of them were ready to follow as soon as I would let them know that everything here was just like others who had come here before me had reported. But now one hears anything about emigration anymore.
Dominik Brueckner is seriously ill.
I am greeting my parents and Zachaeus Kopp.
Yes Mr. Kopp, there is a lot of guessing going on about who the Mr. “A Farmer” is. It is not easy to find out about him since he is in Krasna, then in Emmental and now once again in Petrofskaja Datscha. I am not surprised. I believe that the old man still has his old white horse, and as long as he has that horse he will travel. Should he ever give up his white horse then he will give up his travels. I suggest instead of using the signature “A Farmer”, he should sign “A Traveler” below his correspondences.
(*Editor: The subscription for Jakob Moldenhauer expired on August 23, 1920. The calendar for you is on the way.)
Respectfully,
Adam Moldenhauer