Source: Dakota Rundschau, 3 July 1931 · 📰

From: Krasna, Bessarabia
5 June 1931

Dear Editor Brendel:

Although we have not had any rain until today, the grain still looks good. It is standing tall, but is beginning to yellow. If we don’t get any rain within the next eight days, we will have a failed harvest. It rained to the north of us according to our creek level. Trade is moving again.

Death List: May 20, Mrs. Kornelius Koch nee Steiert, in her fifties. She left behind her husband and a blessed brood of children. – May 29, Theresa nee Fleckenstein, in the hospital at Tarutino. She was married to a Russian named Damur. She leaves behind her husband and three children. May the Lord grant them eternal peace!

There was much propaganda here concerning the state of elections. Election flyers cluttered the street, cars rumbled through the streets all day long. On May 29, a plane even showed up and dropped election leaflets. The children ran their hearts out to catch these papers fluttering down from such height. All went to Tarutino to vote on June 1 and all went well.

On the way back, a few young men looked too deep into their glass and got inebriated. They excelled in starting a brawl. It’s like you said, Editor Brendel, like father like son, like mother like daughter. Instead of a library, we have huge wine bars here, and instead of an orchestra, we have hollering in the streets at night.

Organization of musical events cost money, but a few fathers manage to spring 100 Lei so a son can buy an accordion, which the youngsters use to produce some weird music in the gardens on Sundays. Money can be found for such, but not for a library. Strife and envy reign.

Melchior Erker left his corn plow in the field over Sunday. When he went there on Monday, he found a wheel cut to pieces. It is understandable that the poor man is not laughing about it.

The village intellectuals are going to great lengths to do cultural work, but not many people pay attention to the effort. We were given many books from Germany. Now we only need folks to read them. I have read several of the works and found them interesting and informative. I am happy to see a variety of newspapers appearing in the village such as the Deutsche Zeitung Bessarabiens (German Newspaper of Bessarabia), other German papers, Russian, Rumanian and American publications.

In my May 15 report, I found a mistake regarding Nikolaus Harsche who was not dead on site, but was carried home half-dead, suffering from head wounds and blood loss. He is fine now.

Aloisius Ternes sends greetings to Emanuel Ternes in Raleigh, North Dakota. He asks Emanuel to send in a report from there. Please find out whether his parents are still alive. Send news via this paper.

Greetings to the editor and the readers here and there.

Joseph Braun