From: Krasna, Bessarabia
8 February 1930
Dear Staats-Anzeiger!
First of all, I want to report about an attempted suicide, which occurred in a Bulgarian village. 35-year old Johannes Volk, son of Johannes attempted to take his own life and had cut his throat with a knife. He was immediately taken to the hospital in Tarutino where doctors put him back together. He is now recuperating. He originates from Krasna and for years has strayed through the land.
Burglaries are also the order of the day here. Georg Schreiber had to hire help to work his farm, because his wife was sick and died. They had no children to help. He had to keep the help until after his wife’s funeral. A few days after his wife’s burial he noticed that someone had stolen his smoked meat. Two people were marked as suspects.
Taxes and the cost of living have increased tremendously, while the price for grain has fallen to an all time low. That is the reason why so many people want to immigrate to Brazil.
The following families in our village have decided to leave Krasna in March and immigrate to the praised Brazil.
Anton Wingenbach, son of Johannes, Kaspar Weber, son of Martin, Lukas Paul, son of Dominikus, Mathias Kuntz, son of Christoph, Maximilian Dirk, son of Rochus, Joseph Wingenbach, son of Albertus, Hiazent Fenrich, son of Simon, Mathias Wutschik, son of Lorenz, Georg Wutschik, son of Lorenz, Erasmus Becker, son of Sebastian, Maximilian Soehn, son of Anton, Simon Soehn, son of Anton, Johannes Ruscheinsky, son of Georg, Joseph Ternes, son of Rochus and Anton Kuss, son of Franz. These listed men are family men with wives and children. We wish them all bon voyage.
Based on the new regulation, the election for mayor was held on 1 February. According to the majority of votes Alexius Riehl, son of Michael was the winner. Mr. Riehl has a university level education and is fluent in the Rumanian language. He had been employed as a teacher here for several years. During the last three years, he performed the duties of bookkeeper at our credit bank. His assistant is Eustachius Wagner, son of Thomas. We hope that the elected officials fulfill their duties to the satisfaction of the voters.
Furthermore, I greet Anselmus Wagner, Heinrich Ternes and Alexius Fenrich in Brazil. As I can see from your letters you are still working for a day’s wages, and therefore have not obtained prosperity yet. Although by my estimation you have spent four years already over there.
Markus Soehn has gotten much further! He writes that he and his family earn the equivalent of 10,000 lei per week. He spends 3,000 lei for food and clothing per week for his family. That leaves him with 7,000 lei each week. Accordingly, he has earned 1,456,000 lei during the four years there. With that money he could have bought three times the amount of land here in Krasna that he had owned when he was living here, and still leaving him enough money to purchase all the required farm implements, horses and cattle. It is hard to say if all of this holds true. Maybe the gentleman mentioned above could let me know if it is true.
Where is Philipp Soehn located? Is he also as rich as Markus?
Jakob and Gertruda Gedak from here greet their children Alexander Steinert and his wife in Prelate, Saskatchewan, Canada and let them know that they are healthy. Your parents would be very happy if you would order the Staats-Anzeiger for them.
I want to inform my old neighbor Anton A. Soehn in Fox Valley, Saskatchewan, Canada that I have received his letter. I will respond by letter. You should absolutely order the Staats-Anzeiger for your brother-in-law Joseph Soehn and don’t give me any excuses.
Many greetings to you old neighbor!
Johannes Harsche is asking his brother Georg Harsche in Shields, North Dakota for the second time to please order the Staats-Anzeiger for him. He sends many greetings to his brother.
Anton Gedak