From: Emmental, Bessarabia
1 June 1914

For once I too want to write a few lines from Bikus, and should this not end up in the wastepaper basket, then I will let myself be heard from once in a while again.

Last winter, it was on 1 February, the schoolteacher of Bikus went to the village administrator and asked for his salary. The administrator went to the bailiff and ordered him to call the people together and have them pay the schoolteacher’s salary. It took only fifteen minutes for them to gather. That is when the administrator paid his share of 1 ruble (A Russian currency, 1 ruble = 100 kopeks, also a Russian currency) and 70 kopeks. But nobody else paid, and the people left again. The administrator took the money and said, “Here teacher, take your money.” But the teacher replied, “You keep it until you have it all together, then you can give it all to me at one time.”

But the next morning the schoolteacher returned and asked for the 170 kopeks because he wanted to drive to Emmental to buy sugar and tobacco. However, he did not buy any sugar or tobacco there, but got drunk instead.

When he returned home, he had the bells rung to summon for church, although it was not a Sunday. It tolled once, twice, and finally continuously. He was a little hunched over, but still succeeded to get to the choir loft. Since there wasn’t a church elder present, he ordered the village administrator to light the candles, and so it was done. But he messed up the whole sequence of church services. The Gospel sounded as if a Russian wanted to speak German. The ending was at the beginning and the beginning at the end and in between there was nothing.

Now the schoolteacher is gone from Bikus, and we are without a teacher. He is hanging around Emmental at the time believing that he can become the verger there. However, the people from Emmental rehired their old sexton, and our schoolmaster is working for day’s wages to buy food and drink. Every fourteen days he helps out in a store in Kainari. There, however, he took paper roses without the knowledge of the cashier. The latter finally asked his wife and children if they sold any of them. The oldest daughter had observed the schoolteacher taking them, and that is how it became known. Now he is not allowed to enter the store again. The Staats-Anzeiger, which Phillip Seifert has ordered for me, always arrives here on time. Phillip, I thank you very much for this present. Greetings to everyone.

Alexander Nagel

From: Schaller, Morton County, ND
27 June 1914

I have to complain about the newspaper. I have only received one edition and none since. Now I don’t know if the editor’s office or the local post office is to blame. Every week I wait for the paper and for a report from my brother, but all is in vain. (*Editor: The newspaper is always sent to you on time from here. Raise a stink at the post office. The blame lies there and not with us.) Today at my friend’s, Phillip Kahl, I got a hold of the paper in which I saw a report from my brother, whom I asked to please write often.

The weather has been splendid and all the grain fields look well. But already twice we were hit by hailstorms. Now not much can be said any more about a good harvest. Whatever we will get, if anything at all, only God alone knows.

I thank my brother very much for the greeting. I am happy that he receives the paper regularly.

Wendelin Kopp,
Son of Simon

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From: Brisbane, North Dakota
30 June 1914

The weather is favorable and we have rain in excess. Should the Dear Lord bestow his blessings then we should have a good harvest.

On 24 June, we all went to the pre-elections. We had to cross the Cannon Ball River, which as a result of the rains, had risen pretty much. When my two neighbors, Phil Erker and Raphael Ruscheinsky and I crossed the river at eight o’clock in the morning, the water was at four feet deep. When we returned for home around eleven o’clock however, it was six feet deep. At about three o’clock in the afternoon when the last ones crossed the river, the water was even deeper, so that a Norwegian by the name of Anderson lost his life by drowning. Together with two comrades in a light horse drawn buggy they attempted to cross. The buggy turned over and he drowned. His two friends threw him a rope, but it was too short. Horse and buggy were washed away for about half a mile. Three days later everything was found.

I perceive that Mr. William Langer wanted to give Mr. Joseph Hinz, the candidate for State Attorney, $100, should the latter advance to the point where the people around here would vote for him. Well, if this is true then Mr. Langer seems to have ample money. But I believe that my informant had forgotten to put on his glasses and mistook $1.00 for $100.00.

I send a greeting to Romuald Gross in Sask., Canada. In February, I had sent him a photo of myself through Merzelinus Ruscheinsky, but until now I have not heard from him. I don’t know if he is a reader of this paper or not. If not, then he should soon order the Staats-Anzeiger. My brother-in-law, Daniel Dirk, surely has to be a reader of the paper and should present this to him (Romuald Gross).

I send a greeting to Uncle Phillip Winter and also to Michael, Johannes, and Joseph Winter.

Maximilian Winter,
Son of Mathias