From: Krasna, Bessarabia
28 December 1930

Honored Editor Brandt!

I have decided to send a story to the worthy newspaper and hope that it will be accepted.

About three weeks before Christmas, my wife and I went to Tarutino with some geese we wanted to sell. Unfortunately, we did not find any buyers, so we took the geese back home.

On our way home, not to far from Krasna, we arrived at a ditch with clean, clear water. Right there my better half said, “Why don’t we let the geese off so they can bathe.” “But will they come back home?” I asked her. “Sure,” was the answer. We untied them and put them into the water and drove off.

When evening and darkness set in, and the geese had not made it home yet, I took off walking to the spot where we let them into the water. The geese were gone when I got there. Finally, after an extensive search, I found them.

Now I hustled them toward home. I had barely moved them along for about 50 yards, when one fell to the ground. I picked her up and carried her. When I continued with them, the second one dropped, then the third, and in the end all of them lay helpless on the ground and wanted to be carried. But for that I was not strong enough, since there were nine of them.

Now it was hard to know what to do, for if I should leave the geese in place and walk home to get transportation, then a fox would certainly have his meal before I could return. I listened into the quiet night and heard a fox howling. Now I really was worried about my crippled geese. No way could I have urged them on. We had tied their feet too tight, resulting in injuries. I decided to carry three a certain distance, then return for the others. I struggled this way for a while. In the long run, the geese got so black from the dirt – it had rained hard a few days ago, and the ground was muddy – that I could not see them anymore in the dark. I had to leave the geese and head for home.

The next morning I picked them up with a wagon. The fox must not have found them. They all lay scattered on the ground and were just as black as the ground. While I was gone for so long that night, my wife thought that something had happened to me and started out on a search. She got to the bridge, and since she could not find me in the darkness, she returned home.

A friendly hello to my brother Magnus Müller in Canada. I would be very grateful, if he would get the Staats Anzeiger for me. I read this highly regarded newspaper often at Sebastian Koch’s. I would prefer however, if the newspaper would come to our house. Then I could peruse it and send news articles more often.

Information for Joseph Müller in Kingsford, Saskatchewan, Canada, Sebastian Koch received the money.

In closing, I am greeting brother Magnus, Vinzens Müller, Johannes Fenrich and Joseph Müller, and families. Dear friends, do not forget to pay the Staats Anzeiger for me.

Peter Müller

From: Fox Valley, Saskatchewan, Canada
13 January 1931

Dear Staats Anzeiger!

Up to now, the generally feared Canadian winter has shown itself from the good side. So far we have not had any severe cold weather and only a little snow, so that horses and cattle can still forage the fields. Because of this, it not only saves us work, but also a good many expenses for firewood. Money is scarce and times are miserably bad.

The state of health among the people is satisfactory. As far as I know, no one around here is down with a severe illness. Everything else is okay too.

My fondest wish was soon to own my own farm, but as a result of bad grain prices my plans were thwarted. One has to take comfort with the thought that it is not any better in other places. This becomes evident with the complaints that often appear in the Staats Anzeiger. Well, we do not want to lose courage, but hope that the year 1931 will bring better times.

I would like to ask Lazarus Volk in Krasna, Bessarabia to get in touch again through the Staats Anzeiger. Brother Reinhold is hereby notified that I was happy to receive his letter.

I also would like to get a sign of life from my brother-in-law Joseph Wingenbach, who recently migrated from Rumania to Brazil. Also, Joseph Ternes in Brazil could get in touch via the Staats Anzeiger. I recommend that he subscribe to the newspaper, and then he will be informed more often about news articles from his old country.

In conclusion, I greet my parents, Johannes and Gertruda Leinz and siblings in Krasna, Bessarabia, as well as all friends in America, especially my Uncle Peter Söhn and wife in Canada.

Anton A. Söhn