From: Krasna, Bessarabia
8 June 1931
Dear Staats-Anzeiger!
Writing reports could be a lot more pleasant if one could always write about delightful things. As little joy life has in comparison to gloom, that is how our reports end up.
On 15 May, Peter Alwinger died suddenly and unexpectedly of a stroke. He stood in the forge at the anvil and worked hard at it, when he collapsed suddenly. He was picked up immediately and resuscitation efforts were made. A little breathing was established, but it did not help any more. Without even regaining consciousness he passed away after a few hours. He left behind his deeply grieving wife Elisabetha nee Schulkowski, and several children and grandchildren. He was a bit over 70 years old.
Further, Bertha Koch nee Steiert, wife of Kornelius Steiert died on 21 May after suffering long and hard. She had reached an age of 45 years. She left behind her husband and a throng of children. The oldest children are boys and all are grown up. Among the children is a daughter who chose to become a nun. The youngest daughter will miss her mother very much. The mother’s funeral was on 22 May. On 24 May, the young girl made her first Holy Communion. Certainly there was no happiness on this day in the house of Kornelius. - May both rest in peace!
The price for grain rose a little recently. Along with that the trade with farming implements, horses and cattle improved quite a bit. Year old foals are sold now at a good price. Especially a lot of farm wagons are being built now and sold for a good price. The military government also buys horses around here and pays acceptable prices. The Department of Agriculture for our county has to be praised very much, because it exerts great efforts and does not shy away from expenses in order to ease the fate of the farmer. It provides us with better seeds and teaches us through oral and written instructions and through exhibitions of farm products. They make special attempts to improve our domestic animals through good breeding. They bring in thoroughbred breeding animals and give them to grazing companies at a reduced cost.
Not only Germans, but also other nationalities make use of these opportunities, and certainly to their benefit. Still many Germans act suspiciously, and that because they have been deceived many times. We have to pay the biggest share for this undertaking and concern ourselves less to get something back for these payments.
On the first of this month, we had Chamber elections in the country. As may be already known, the Germans went along with the government. So far it was determined that 90% of the German votes went in favor of the government. But there is strong doubt that the Jorga administration will deliver its promises. One believes that there will be hardly a difference between the current and the previous administration. Although Jorga intends to govern impartially, the citizens cannot muster the belief that there will be an improvement, because we were deceived too many times. Promises are made again and again, but none are kept.
The status of health among the people is satisfactory in every aspect. The outlook for the harvest leaves a lot to be desired. There is a lack of rain in all of the Akkerman County and also in parts of Ismail County. Now and then it will rain somewhere, but not enough. Caterpillars and beetles do damage to the rape plants. This year’s crop will be lost if we do not get rain during the next days. Winter wheat already cannot be counted on; only a little of it was planted, and now its growth is minimal. Barley, oats, and summer wheat are still doing fine. Should rain come soon, then everything will turn out fine. The Welsh corn has grown splendidly; the potatoes in comparison do not want to grow.
Greetings to everyone,
Isidor Leinz
From: Colonsay, Saskatchewan, Canada
18 June 1931
Esteemed Staats-Anzeiger!
Because quite some time has passed since our last report, we would like to let ourselves be heard from again. Once in a while something new happens around here, but nothing good.
In our capital city, Saskatoon, a banker was assaulted on a streetcar in broad daylight and robbed of $300. The robbers fled immediately. A policeman, who approached in a hurry, pursued them. Reaching their car, they wanted to get into it but couldn’t, because the policeman used his revolver. The gang, however, was armed also and a shootout ensued in which the thieves had the upper hand and escaped. So far there is no trace of them. The policeman could not pursue them because these fellows had punctured his car’s tires with bullets. Always something new, but nothing good.
Thieves here in Colonsay were active as well. They drilled holes in the gasoline tanks of the garage owner and tapped quite a bit of fuel. One assumes that this was the same gang, and we hope that these villains will be arrested soon.
Brother-in-law E. and Natalie Volk’s 9-year old son had to undergo surgery because of appendicitis. At first his condition was very serious, because his appendix had already ruptured. Right now little Emil is feeling better. We hope that he will soon be healthy again. May this serve the purpose of notifying relatives in Emmental, Bessarabia.
On 10 June, we had a little rain, which hardly soaked the ground, because it is just too dry. We have not had any good rain this spring. Therefore, the harvest expectations are bad, especially because the wind has done so much damage. At my brother Adam’s, it completely destroyed at least 65 acres. He then bought some flax and seeded the land with it. The flax germinated well, but if it does not rain soon, then this hope will not amount to anything.
In addition, worms have come about and work like crazy, especially in the garden where they eat up the vegetables as fast as they come out of the ground. A lot of it has not even sprouted because it is too dry. A soaking rain would right everything we hope; and as long as one hopes, then everything is not yet lost. We still built on the old God as it goes in the song: “God provides for me, why should I worry, he is my father, I am his child, etc.”
I want to mention that we have a priest again, but again he is not German.
We send a friendly hello to Joseph Müller and wife Zelestina in Emmental, Bessarabia. They request that we order the Staats-Anzeiger for them. Well dear friends, we will be happy to do that, if you promise to send a report to the Staats-Anzeiger every month.
Dear friends, if you have not already forgotten us, then you would also write; but perhaps it is almost like in that song, “Out of sight, out of mind.” However, not so with us. The little things from the old homeland mean a lot to us. Our friends do not know how happy we are when a report from the old homeland appears in the newspaper. Then we get the feeling as if you were among us. I ask Joseph to do us this favor, because he is a good writer and the Staats-Anzeiger is our only guest that brings us the news from around the world, only from Emmental it receives little for this cause. Most of all, one would like to know who married, who died, and the likes. This is of great value for us country folk.
Just now Joseph Wagner received a letter from Emmental stating among other things that they had good rain, and so the outlook for the harvest is satisfactory; for that we are happy.
It is also mentioned that Raymond Arnold has died. Johannes Lipp, a young fellow from Alan, Saskatchewan had an appendectomy and is well on his way to recovery. This should serve as a notification for his Uncle Linus Riehl; also, that Thomas is with his brother Martin who took him home from the hospital.
We thank Anselmus and Martha Wagner in Brazil very much for their greeting. They ask that we should write more often; yet, we write more often than those people in the old homeland.
Hello to Zelestinus and Eva Gramms. They should also let themselves be heard via the newspaper, because Eva is truly a good writer.
Anna Moldenhauer