Letter from Ochsenbach, November 30, 1923 as translated by Ursula Rhodes.
They were written to Wilhelm Hausmann Sr. and Bertha Baker Hausmann.
Dear Uncle and Aunt!
Many thanks for the two letters received with contents. How can we thank
you? Now we can buy grain so that we will have bread. It is very sad. Up to
now we could buy one liter milk each day. But that now costs 1 million
(Marks) per liter and we can't buy any anymore and the worker does not have
anything to eat. Therefore there is the riot. There have been many deaths.
In Ochsenbach they want to form a farmers' union. They don't give anything
out either. No...flour, no milk, no potatoes. When I ask someone for 100 kg
wheat, the answer is: we keep the wheat, we need no money. On the Rechel's
farm near Haslach, we get wheat for Dollars. Tomorrow, father and I will go
there.
My brother Robert would also like to leave for America. What is your
opinion about that?
Dear Uncle and Aunt, we here don't know what it is like either. I would like
to write you something else for a change. We hope things will change soon.
Maybe by Christmas I will have a wedding. In these times one cannot say
anything for certain. Our best wishes to all of you from father, Lina, Robert
and Anna. P.S. How are Uncle and Aunt? Are you all well? Christian's
mother is ill. Once more, many thanks.
Now I and my brother have also been dismissed from the factory. It has been
closed. Father works in the quarry. Now father has grown children and has to
work for them. But we cannot find work anywhere. Everywhere closed
factories. You have possibly read how it really is over here. The farmers do
not give anything out (meaning don't sell anything.)
...I do not wish to send this letter without writing you a few lines. I would
like to give thanks for all the good you have done for us until now. In
Germany it really is not nice any more. No work or only part time. Many
businesses only work 3 or 2 days or they close altogether.
(There is a crease in the page here something about "the wages don't")
I am a skilled cigar maker and will still be dismissed with even more
(Kommandos?) Groups? Now I would like to ask a favor of you. I would have
written much sooner but I did not have the courage. Could you possibly help
me that I can come to America -- so many are leaving Germany. Many businesses
in America let Germans come and prepay the fare and when they are over there
they have to repay.
Possibly you could find something for me in a cigar factory or something else
for which I am already thankful. I could also make up for the many good
things you have already done for us. Write what the average workers' wages
are per week and what I should do. I am now 20 years old, and I would be old
enough to leave home.
Kindest regards to all, Robert
----Per Ursula - it appears several relatives wrote on each letter,
consequently the choppiness of them. Relatives are pieced together for the
sake of this geneology but may not be correctly identified. Ursula also felt
that the last signature on the letter was the writer, therefore Anna is
considered to be a sister to Robert. It may be that Christian mentioned is
her intended but this is confusing because there is also a Christian Hausmann.