From: Emmental, Bessarabia
15 August 1924
Worthy Staats-Anzeiger!
With great joy I can report that since December 1923 we are regularly receiving the dear newspaper. The last editions, which I have received, were #104 through #1, but always when one received an edition then there are too few news items. To fulfill this wish one has to reach for the pen more often and submit more reports. If all readers would do that then there certainly would be enough news appearing in the paper. Of course we have to be patient for the next two or three months, that’s when the farmers are done with their fieldwork. Then during the long winter evenings one will find enough time to write down all happenings. For the time being, the readers have to be satisfied with what there is. Most unfortunately, there are only a few new events here.
That we have had a totally failed harvest this year, you probably already know. I too reported about it in my last report. At that time we had put our hopes on the corn, but now it has become evident, that there also will be very little corn, because of the long lasting drought. To top it all off, a severe hailstorm hit our area and with it our last hope for a good Welsh corn harvest was lost.
At first, I was hoping to harvest enough grapes for 10,240 liters of wine, but I had to lower my estimate to 6,500 liters. It is quite possible that I may have to lower my estimate even further. In my next report I will be able to give a more accurate figure, because in about 2 weeks we can start here with the vintage.
As already mentioned our harvest was very bad. I harvested only 20 pud of wheat and 40 pud of barley and oats all together. That was the result after sowing 130 pud. Therefore, I did not even get the amount back that I had sown. One can estimate 2 to 3 pud on average per dessjatin.
Not so long ago, I received a letter from my brother in Elardee, Sask., Canada in which he wrote that they too were facing a meager harvest. I was hoping to take a trip to Canada and collect money for the construction of a new church, but the way things are it is of course better to stay here and save the travel expenses, which would amount to 30,000 lei.
This week I received a letter from a gentleman in Leader, Sask., Canada. He extended a friendly invitation to me and promised me good success. I don’t know if it really would turn out that way. I did present my plan to the readers in my last report, and I do expect some applicable advice from my friends over there.
Because of a shortage of money, we had to stop the construction of the church on 9 August. The small amount of purchased and fabricated material has all been used up and the money also will be gone soon. What little we have left we will need to bake bricks. Now we will have to look for further assistance. If we just could finish the building in 2 years, this means the walls and the roof. So far we have built to a height of only 3 meters and we want to build 5 meters higher.
The building is supposed to be 8 meters high up to the roof. The middle nave is supposed to reach a height of 15 meters. The length of the church is 44 meters. The steeple will be 36 meters. There will be 1,000 seats.
Our community Emmental has 600 inhabitants, but we believe that after 50 or 100 years the church will certainly not be too big anymore. It will be a very nice church according to the blueprint. Reach into your pockets right away and bring forth the money and donate it for such a good cause! His only wish is that he will live long enough until the church has been built so that he can admire its total splendor. The design conforms to the latest style. There was no comparison to be found in our bygone Russia. One can find churches, which had been built based on like architecture in the annexed regions of Greater Rumania, especially in Bukowina and Transylvania (Siebenbuergen.)
In the village of Bute in the old domain a church is also being built in accordance with our architectural plan. That church will have a length of 56 meters, which is a lot bigger than ours. Should I live long enough to see the completion of our church, then I will send a picture postcard of the church to every donor in America. All my words and wishes are well put, but best of all, the money, we do not have and we need it badly and a lot of it. People are in no position here to make donations toward the church, because of a totally failed harvest this year. Most likely in the following year it will be the same, regardless of how good the harvest will turn out. Whatever will be consumed this year will not be paid off until next year. There will be very little sowing done, because there is a shortage not only of seed but bread as well. These are sad outlooks for the construction of our church, but one should not despair, because the dear Lord knows how to make everything right in the end. Therefore dear friend happily lend a hand to this chore whenever you can. Your rewards in heaven will be big. If it is God’s will that this church be built, then He also will provide resources and ways to finish the same. There suddenly may be help arriving of which we have no idea about today!
On 12 July, the reverend Bishop Alexander T. Cisar from Jassy laid the cornerstone of our church. Besides the bishop the following were present: The bishop’s secretary Father Hartmann from Kischinev, Father Tschurek from Tighina (Bender) and Father Leibham from Krasna. Further, there were a large number of true believers. The dedication of the cornerstone was done in ceremonious manner. The bishop celebrated a High Mass on the new church grounds. A throne and an altar had been erected for him. He also conducted a heart-moving sermon. When he discovered a multitude of Moldavians among the crowd that had come from surrounding villages, the bishop continued his sermon in the Rumanian language. To this day the Moldavians still talk about the bishop’s wisdom and persuasiveness.
There is no other news to report from here. The health conditions leave nothing to be desired. The people really do not have time right now to be sick, because everyone is longing for the new wine and to completely forget about a sickness. As soon as the wine is in the barrels, then there will be “Kurcher”, joy and news again.
What do you think godfather Joseph if you could be here now for at least 2 months? How many dollars would you spend for the construction of the church? Certainly not less than 100 dollars! It would be worth it. Especially since your brother-in-law Johannes will get married. You surely would be happier than being with little Hannes, wouldn’t you?
There will only be a few weddings here this year as a result of the failed harvest. The poor fellows have neither money nor bread to celebrate weddings. Therefore they have to wait for better times.
Today the “Orphan Land” was auctioned off in our community. There seemed to be no indication of our failed harvest. The lease per dessjatin (2.5 acres) amounted to 1,000 to 3,200 lei. That is almost unbelievable! Just imagine what will happen if we should have another bad harvest next year. Even if the results will bring in 40 to 60 pud (1 pud = 16.38 kg) per dessjatin, then there still will not be a profit, because the price of wheat in a good year is not more than 60 lei per pud. So 60 times 60 equal 3,600 lei. But if you take into account the cost for seed at 1,000 lei, then of course there will be losses. That is how people are around here. When it comes to credit then they assume that it is for free. They will jump into the deepest well without thinking about how to get back out.
With a greeting,
Zachaeus Kopp