The following letter appeared in Issue 32 of the Logan Post. It appears that Karl sent a copy of his newspaper to the missionaries in Germany.
Lucerne, Feb. 10, 1905
Dear Brother Kowallis!
With great satisfaction I welcomed the news that Logan calls a German newspaper her own and thus sees a long-desired wish realized. - It is with great pleasure that I wish your company and you great success.
Your newspaper is read with interest by me and the members to whom I have given the paper, in Germany (Freiberg i. Saxony) and here in Switzerland.
As you well know, last year I was active in preaching the Word of the Lord in Germany. - There is a very dear congregation in Freiburg, which is always willing to remember the sacrifices of the elders, but also to cherish and live the gospel.
Freiberg i. Sa. is an old mining town and the treasures of the deep have been extracted from the mother earth there for 800 years. Yes, the entire area is mined there and the value of the silver extracted reaches into the millions. It goes without saying that the facilities have cost millions, considering that large canals had to be built miles underground to drain the water from the mines, on the one hand, and on the other hand, to bring in timber for the tunnels. These channels have a considerable width of about 20 to 25 feet and are 2-5 feet deep. The operation of the mines (pits) is now coming to an end, since the great depth of 1800 meters has been reached and no or little ore is discovered. With the year 1907 the excavation is to be stopped.
That the wage conditions are not very good is known to the world. For 10 hours or even longer work, the men earn 2-3 marks (50-75 cents) a day, from which, however, deductions are made for the state health and disability insurance. - In general, the wage conditions in Saxony are very poor. It is not uncommon for women to work diligently all day in silk weaving mills, embroideries, or other factories for 1-1-1/2 marks per day (25-37-1/2 cents) - For threshing with a flail, men receive 25c without meals.
Therefore, you see that we should be satisfied with our circumstances in the homeland (Zion) and thank our Heavenly Father that he has given us as free men our beautiful homelands and the right to worship the Almighty according to the dictates of our conscience.
Now, on this point, I would like to give you some more experiences.
The prejudice against the Mormons increases more and more. Stirred up and fomented by the so-called Christian preachers, who never find anything good in us, the people on the whole are turned against us; also pressure is exerted by the church leaders on the civil officials and state authorities. The result is a perpetual persecution of our missionaries, but also a deprivation of rights and privileges to the congregations of our faith.
In Dresden, the capital of Saxony, for example, no other church book may be taught or passages quoted except from the Bible. Also, children under the age of 14 are not allowed to attend any of our meetings there. In Freiberg, on the other hand, children of all ages are allowed to be present, but they are not allowed to pray or sing. - So you can see how differently the enforcement of the above-mentioned law is handled.
But one thing is certain, in spite of these hard regulations, persecution and expulsion of the elders, nevertheless, the word goes forward and spreads. It confirms here again the word that "danger is the best teacher".
Because the elders must always be ready to leave the city immediately in case of emergency, they keep everything in good order, but are also careful and prudent in their visits and dealings with all people.
These conditions also have a positive and beneficial effect on the members of the church. They learn to stand on their own feet, seek to keep the commandments and laws of the Lord more carefully, and become closer to one another.
Reluctantly I left my former field of labor, but I was called to Switzerland. On the journey here I spent one of the best Christmases, after 22 years of absence, once again in the home of my dear mother and brother. You have to know a German Christmas to appreciate it. Also in Freiberg, before I said goodbye, we had a tree and gift-giving [Bescherung], the first in the community. Everything was joyful and merry, a splendid program was carried out, which was a credit to all concerned.
It is a pleasure to be here and my testimony has only been strengthened, even though it has not always been sunshine for me.
Now, dear brother, I shall be pleased to continue to receive your esteemed newspaper "Logan Post", for I look forward to its arrival every time. Many greetings to your dear mother, as well as to all Germans in Logan, Providence, and all German readers from
Your brother in the Gospel.
Joseph L. Mair.