LeMars Globe-Post
November 14, 1938
DEINE MUTTER
Wenn du noch eine Mutter hast,
So danke
Gott und sei zufrieden;
Nicht allen suf dem Erdenrund
Ist dieses hobs Gluck beschieden.
~From an old copybook author not shown.
-o. p.-
Barring possible interference on the part of propagandists, the column goes a bit German today.
-o. p.-
Last summer, I spent a hot afternoon in the attic of the old home looking over school books; pictures and letters; and a lot of other things—an accumulation of years.
-o. p.-
From the lot, I selected a number of articles and packed them for the return trip to Los Angeles.
-o. p.-
During the long trek back to California, the cargo was pretty much of a nuisance, but came through it all right, and I am enjoying it now.
-o. p.-
Fanning the leaves of an old copybook, I find, what I consider, a pretty fine specimen of German script. It was written when I was about 16, and I have no record of having done any more of it since.
-o. p.-
I am told German script is no longer taught; that it is almost a lost art, --and I am wondering if there are any readers of Olla Podrida who can write in that fashion.
-o. p.-
As a test—I’m offering a valuable prize!
-o. p.-
To the one sending me, what I consider, the prettiest sample of German script, I’ll send an autographed photo of Olla Podrida—a duplicate of the photo from which the cut at the top of this column was made.
-o. p.-
And to make it still more desirable, I’ll also autograph it in German.
-o. p.-
Your sample need be only a few lines; about as much as show in the fragment above. You make even copy that, if you like.
Time limit will be two weeks from the date of this paper.
-o. p.-
My address is: 193 South Alvarado street, Los Angeles; but if you like, you may leave your sample of “schreiben” at Der Globe-Post . . . there I go, the thing’s got me—now.
-o. p.-
As a youngster, I attended St. Joseph’s parochial school, and in those days a knowledge of German was considered of the utmost importance if one intended entering business in LeMars.
-o. p.-
I never had any luck carrying on an extended conversation in the German language, but could understand when spoken to, and did learn to do a pretty slick job of writing the script.
-o. p.-
I account for this letter because of the many helpful assists along the way in the form of “spare the rod and spoil the child” business. I got enough “chlege” to learn Chinese.
-o. p.-
But, back to our contest!
-o. p.-
There is only one prize, so there may be disappointed ones. But take it in fun.
-o. p.-
I got a first prize, once. But only once,--and what a lot of times I failed.
