From: Emmental, Bessarabia
22 May 1927

Dear Staats-Anzeiger!

On 18 May, a horseman arrived from Balmas and asked us to pick up the bishop from there. Immediately, 24 horsemen, horses decorated with ribbons, banners and two carriages decorated with flowers and wreaths were prepared. The carriages, which were drawn by four horses each, were sent to Balmas.

In the afternoon at 5 o’clock, the whole community gathered by the “Kreuzgasse” at Karl Mueller’s to accompany the reverend Mr. Bishop upon his arrival through the village. Arches decorated with flowers and wreaths were set up in the street through which the bishop was guided.

After arriving at the church, the bishop made a touching speech. Four priests accompanied him. The following day the bishop confirmed the children. He stayed with us for two days.

At the time of the bishop’s departure, the men’s choir sang a nice song. He then suggested buying the house of Michael Gross to use as a parsonage; and, he would then send us a priest. The community is in favor of buying the house if the heirs agree to it. They want 300,000 lei for it. The house is across from the new church. It is constructed of baked bricks and has six spacious rooms. There is also a shed next to it; and, there is a nice stable on the property. The house would be very suitable for this purpose. If we agree on the purchase then I will report it later.

Alexander Nagel sends greetings to Philipp Seifert in America. He is asking Mr. Seifert to make him happy by sending him the Staats-Anzeiger. Hopefully, Mr. Seifert will now fulfill his promise.

I am greeting everyone.

Adam Seifert

From: Agua Linga, Brazil
8 June 1927

Dear Friends!

Before I go into something else today, I would like to take care of some orders and also answer some letters.

I am informing Wendelin Keller in Chutor Matischewka, Soviet Russia that on 8 May, I received his letter dated 18 March. I passed it on to his brother-in-law Anton and his sister Barbara Schell. Brother-in-law and your sister were sincerely happy to hear something again from their friends in America. They sent a letter to you on 15 May.

In case you, Mr. Keller, want to write your friends, then you may send the letters to my address. We have a post office here. Almost every Sunday I meet with your brother-in-law. He and your sister relay to you and family the very best in greetings and thank you for the letter.

A note to Mr. Nikolaus Harsche in Raleigh, N. D. that I know his brother Egidius Harsche well. A year ago we were neighbors on the Plantation Palmyra. Today, in comparison, we are about 1,000 kilometers apart. Still, we maintain a regular letter exchange. I am awaiting a letter from him this week yet.

Certainly your brother will be happy to have your address again. He will even be happier to become a reader of the world renowned Staats-Anzeiger. His address is listed in the Staats-Anzeiger.

I was very happy to find such a true friend with my first appeal. He responded immediately and promised to subscribe to the Staats-Anzeiger for his brother, if the latter lets him know his address.

I am hoping that all friends in North America will follow Nikolaus Harsche’s example and order the longed for Staats-Anzeiger for their local friends here. Thanks a lot and a greeting, Mr. Harsche, for your kindness.

Today I can also give the address of their friend Christoph Nagel to Mr. Michael Nagel in Shields, N. D. and Mathias Nagel in Strasburg, N. D. A week ago I received the first news from your friend. The letter that Cristoph Nagel sent me contained the following:

“My dear friend Joseph Föth!

First you should be informed that we too did not find things ideally in Ijuhy, as everything was already planted and we arrived too late. The wages were also very minimal. However, it is remarkably better here than in Sao Paulo. There are mostly German settlers residing here and everyone donated something to us. Here one also can obtain land.

Isidor Krenzel and my son-in-law Korbinian Winter moved from here to Porto Filiz. Supposedly they like it there. In Santa Rosa it is supposed to be okay too. For me to get there, it is only a day’s trip by wagon.

A German landowner resides there, who I wait for every day since I leased a farm from him for 250 milreis. At month’s end we will begin planting wheat. I have already bought a horse and a cow, also a sow with five piglets. Four of the piglets I got for free. The work here is not as hard as it is there. – Christoph Nagel.”

As far as I know, Mr. Christoph Nagel is an honest man. I am sorry that we live so far away from him. Hopefully, you will order the Staats-Anzeiger for your friend, because he is an eager reader. His address follows: Brazil, Ijuhy Linha, 5 Seste, Estado Rio Grande Do Sul, Phillip Nagel.

I am informing our grandmother, Maria Anna Föth, in Kandel, Soviet Russia that I received her letter and picture, which made us very happy. I thought that I would not recognize our grandmother any more, but I was wrong. We are sincerely grateful for the picture. Also the letter with the picture from our good friend Balthasar Rieger in Esmond, N. D. we received with great joy. We would also like to send you a picture, but there is not enough money as yet for this purpose. We will send you one at year’s end.

Hopefully, Mr. Rieger, you have received my letter, which I mailed to you in May. I can tell our friend Thomas Stefan in Tunbridge, N. D. that we, without our mother, are ten siblings - five brothers and five sisters. My sister Maria Eva and I are married. The youngest child is six years old. The others are all able to work. In reference to this I have given you information by letter, but up to now I have not received an answer. Many greetings to you and your family.

Information for Johannes Motzer in Mount Green, Saskatchewan, Canada - My letter to you was returned to me on 29 May. The address was probably not correct. Should you, in the meantime, have received the letter, which I mailed a second time, then please let me know. The blame rests with your friends who did not give me the correct address. Many thanks and greetings!

We are in the coffee harvest since 26 April. This year it went a bit more cheerfully with this work. In 24 workdays I harvested 66 sacks at 110 liter each. The prior year, in comparison, I harvested only 18 sacks in 6 months, for which I was paid 3,000 reis per sack. This year we were reimbursed with 2,500 reis per sack; however, in October we received 4,000 reis per sack.

Just as I was writing these lines I received Edition #80and #81. I was very happy about that.

In closing, I say hello to all readers, also to the editor Mr. Brandt.

Joseph Föth