{envelope front}:

{Stamp: San Francisco California, May 16, 1923}

Thomas Gushul, Esq.
Box 209
Coleman, Alta
Canada

{envelope back}:
From: Apt. 5
828 Seventh St.,
Richmond,
Calif.

828-7th St. May 10, 1923
Dear Brother!
Thank you sincerely for Your letter and cards, which You made better than a local specialist does. I also thank You sincerely for the letters from the Consulate and from the parents in the Old Country. I am enclosing again a letter to the Consulate and asking You to attach a 3¢ postmark and post it at a Post Office, and when there is an answer send it to me. Do not register the letter, it’s a waste of money – if nobody steals it.
I wrote to Grapyna asking to ship all my belongings to You, since they wrote that they would be leaving for America, and they did not know what to do with my things; therefore, You will receive them, for they’ve agreed to do so.
They are writing from the Old Country and begging with tears to bring them to Canada, but I am unable to help them. You know yourself how much money is spent. I have spared

[2]

a couple of cents and got married, so now I cannot save money, since after paying for the rent, butcher, groceries and so on, we have little left. Secondly, a man cannot spend the last cent or get into debts, since in case of illness or something else he has to feed his wife and himself. I also have to save for medication, for the wife will have an expensive medical surgery. My father writes that if he felt well he would sell everything himself and leave for America or Canada. I advise against it, for all the good farms here have already been taken, but I advise him to go to Ukraine or to the South, to Brazil. There are enough farms over there and a nice Ukrainian community – around 100.000 Ukrainians in one province. I don’t know what to do, for not only do I not have money to bring them here but there is also nothing here for his occupation. San Francisco and its areas are industrial, there are no farms except for several gardens of oranges and lemons, and Europeans do not know how to tend those. I have no contacts among our farmers and I am unable to make any deal. Do You know anybody in Canada who would take Mykhas՛? I would give money if only someone would look after him till he learns Canadian ways. Secondly, if one brings Mykhas՛ one has to bring Fedir too, but to take both of them would be like

[3]

severing arms of the old father. He is already old, weakened, and he would have to be looked after together with children over there. I come to conclusion that either all of them should be brought or Mykhas՛ only.
I am glad that You get good news from Ukraine. Do You read Camera Craft? If yes, then You know that a movie’s camera costs a couple of dollars. For $100 You would buy a nice camera, and it would not be difficult for You, the photographer, to learn how to use it. Read Camera Craft, and You will find there hundreds of movie’s cameras.
Next, why didn’t You send me the photograph that Mykhas՛ sent for me, as well as a copy of his own photograph? By the way, I remember that You used to have a photograph of a Ukrainian Theatre group that staged «Oh, don’t go, Hryts՛, to the vechornytsi». Either in 1913 or 1914 they came from Edmonton, and there was that beautiful amateur actress, “Chichka” with them. Do You recall that? Could you give me a copy of her photograph (i.e. of the whole group), as well as any other photographs of Ukrainians in Ukrainian costumes. As You know, I have translated «Oh, don’t go, Hryts՛, to the vechornytsi» into English, and I need photographs of the Ukrainian costumes. I cannot draw them from my memory, but photographs would look even better in a brochure. For Your courtesy I will mention Your name in the foreword to my book thanking You. If You can give me something else for this project

[4]

I will be very grateful. You know what exactly the provincial Canadians and Americans would like. Since You are a photographer You probably have many photographs of the Ukrainian Theatrical groups and so on. Thanks in advance!
Don’t have anything else to write about, just can add that it is very hot now here. We already have cherries, we already ate them 2 weeks ago. There are lots of berries and so on, and we expect peaches these days. Plums are not yet ripe but the so-called “White Plums” will be ripe in several days.
Today’s evening newspapers inform that Italians fascists killed 3 members of the Russian delegation. Japan made some deal with the Bolsheviks about renting the forest wood in Siberia for 30 years or something like that; who knows what is going to happen tomorrow.
Write to me often, and don’t forget the photographs, mainly of Mykhas՛ and mother but also of others.
Congratulation on Ivan’s success in music; he will turn into a good Cossack since he plays kobza!
Shaking Your hand in the Cossack way, Your Brother
Dmyter
{a photo of a man in a suit is attached to the letter}