Letter to Editor: Krasna, Bessarabia
20 September 1928

Dear Editor:

It still has not rained. We held a Vitus procession yesterday. The entire village participated, young and old. All prayed that God have mercy and send rain.

A body was found September 8 between Paris and Arzis on the postal route. He had no identification and nobody knows who or where he is from. The coroner stated that he is a 36-year-old male with two knife wounds to the sides and one to the head. Death occurred 10 to 12 days ago. On September 10, a Russian woman was found dead near a bar in Traction. I don't know her name.

A Jewish butcher, Jankel Schulz, of Tarutino left at three in the morning for Krasna on September 11 to buy cattle or sheep to butcher. When he approached the newly built bridge, he noticed a commotion on the road. As he approached, three men sprang at him. He took his whip and beat on his horse, making a get away.

At a community meeting to discuss the purchase of wheat, nothing could be done, as there is no money. We received help through our bank, the Banca Populari Concordia. The administration appointed two men, Adalbert Gulewitsch and Johannes, son of Jakob Bachmeier. They went to the Dobrudscha and purchased 212 wagonloads of wheat. It arrived here and was distributed. It cost 144 Lei per Pud, which is steep, but still cheaper than the asking price of the Jews.

The bank officers are: President: Sebastian Koch, salary 125 Lei/month; Bookkeeper: (Contabil) Eduard Ruscheinsky, salary 150 Lei/month; Cashier: Isidor Leinz, salary 125 Lei/month.

The board consists of Michael Riehl, Eusebius Herman, Johannes Bachmeier, and Respizius Krams. Comptrollers: Teacher Adalbert Gulewitsch, Viktor Nagel, and Maximilian Hein. Administration and comptrollers' fees are 100 Lei/day/job.

The cooperative is a branch of the bank. The following serve there: As cashier, Joseph, son of Peter Hilsendeger from Baden, 2,800 Lei/month salary; salesperson: Joseph Michael Braun from Strassburg, salary 2,500 Lei/month; Johannes Josef Müller from Krasna, 2,500 Lei per month; purchaser, Markus Ternes, 100 Lei/day while buying. This is our cooperative called Cooperativa Concordia Com. Krasna. The bank has 420 cooperative members.

Corn did not do well. The stalks are only three quarters of an Arschin tall. One can imagine how bad that is. Grapes are also doing poorly, but the farmers are already harvesting them. A Pud of grapes sells for 40 Lei.

Greetings to all the readers here and there, as well as to the editor and staff.

Josef Michael Braun