Headline: Letters from Russia
Norka, January 1, 1924
To: Heinrich and Johannes Kaiser
Hastings, Nebraska
Dear brothers and your families:
We received and understood your letter of 18 December. You complain about how little we write. On the 24th of June we wrote you an insured letter and we are still waiting for an answer. You need not worry, the clothing that you sent to us arrived safely and was still packed exactly as you had sent it, of this we are certain. However we had to pay 173 million Ruble in fees (Here he is probably referring to postal fees...editor).
The 3 Poweske (commercial money orders) arrived on the 22nd of April, but because there was no money they had to lay in Beideck until 5 June, before we could get them.
If you know who it was who sent me the eye glasses, brother-in-law and my old friend or "Jonathan," do not forget to write them that they have done me a great favor and that the glasses work wonderfully for me. I would like to write a letter to Oregon myself, but the truth be told, I cannot: I do not know exactly how much, one and a half billion or two billion, it would cost to mail it, and that is the reason we do not write more often.
We still have enough supplies of paper and envelopes; the boys counted the sheets of paper and found 77. We could write much but we must forego writing because of the unaffordably high postal fees.
Today I must also tell you how we are clothed. I will not write about the whole family, but only myself: I have one shirt and it is in bad condition. I have no underwear at all. You sent us a black woolen thing which our mother took and made for me a pair of trousers. As far as a jacket, I am well provided and perhaps you were thinking of me when you sent the clothing; it fits beautifully, my best thanks. I have an overcoat that is still good. How things will be in the future with clothing I do not know.
I want to submit a plan to you and see whether you will accept or reject it.
Presently no more clothing is being shipped from America, the people are receiving aid from their friends in America who are sending dollars. For a dollar you get four million Ruble. You could say that for a dollar one receives enough for a shirt. Now if a lot of friends in America got together and contributed it would be hard on anyone individually. We have no bread but we are still in good hearth. I have made you aware of my plan, now do what you will.
I reach out my hand in greeting,
Georg Kaiser
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The recipient of the above letter wrote from Hastings, Nebraska, as follows:
"I ordered Die Welt-Post for myself last fall because it carries so many reports from the old fatherland. I read a good paper before Die Welt-Post, the sister paper of Die Welt-Post, the Tribune, which I also still read because it brings me something new every day. I am forwarding a letter from Russia from my brother Georg, for publication.
With greetings, Heinrich Kaiser"
Hastings, Nebraska
Dear brothers and your families:
We received and understood your letter of 18 December. You complain about how little we write. On the 24th of June we wrote you an insured letter and we are still waiting for an answer. You need not worry, the clothing that you sent to us arrived safely and was still packed exactly as you had sent it, of this we are certain. However we had to pay 173 million Ruble in fees (Here he is probably referring to postal fees...editor).
The 3 Poweske (commercial money orders) arrived on the 22nd of April, but because there was no money they had to lay in Beideck until 5 June, before we could get them.
If you know who it was who sent me the eye glasses, brother-in-law and my old friend or "Jonathan," do not forget to write them that they have done me a great favor and that the glasses work wonderfully for me. I would like to write a letter to Oregon myself, but the truth be told, I cannot: I do not know exactly how much, one and a half billion or two billion, it would cost to mail it, and that is the reason we do not write more often.
We still have enough supplies of paper and envelopes; the boys counted the sheets of paper and found 77. We could write much but we must forego writing because of the unaffordably high postal fees.
Today I must also tell you how we are clothed. I will not write about the whole family, but only myself: I have one shirt and it is in bad condition. I have no underwear at all. You sent us a black woolen thing which our mother took and made for me a pair of trousers. As far as a jacket, I am well provided and perhaps you were thinking of me when you sent the clothing; it fits beautifully, my best thanks. I have an overcoat that is still good. How things will be in the future with clothing I do not know.
I want to submit a plan to you and see whether you will accept or reject it.
Presently no more clothing is being shipped from America, the people are receiving aid from their friends in America who are sending dollars. For a dollar you get four million Ruble. You could say that for a dollar one receives enough for a shirt. Now if a lot of friends in America got together and contributed it would be hard on anyone individually. We have no bread but we are still in good hearth. I have made you aware of my plan, now do what you will.
I reach out my hand in greeting,
Georg Kaiser
---------------------------------------
The recipient of the above letter wrote from Hastings, Nebraska, as follows:
"I ordered Die Welt-Post for myself last fall because it carries so many reports from the old fatherland. I read a good paper before Die Welt-Post, the sister paper of Die Welt-Post, the Tribune, which I also still read because it brings me something new every day. I am forwarding a letter from Russia from my brother Georg, for publication.
With greetings, Heinrich Kaiser"
Sources
Die Welt-Post, April 3, 1924, page 2.
This translation provided courtesy of Hugh Lichtenwald.
This translation provided courtesy of Hugh Lichtenwald.
Last updated March 7, 2016.