Oct. 6th, 1922

Basel, Oct. 6th 1922.

Mr. L.L. Bunnell.

Dear Father:- It is nine months ago today, since I said goodbye to you all at home, and I celebrated by saying goodbye to my companion, who left this morning for home, sick. We have been living here together now over four months, and we sure loved each other. He left home May 6th. His boat doesn't sail until Nov. 15th, but has relatives he wants to visit in Ger. so hehas gone now. Look for him down to see you about Dec. 1st are maybe the 10th anyhow, sometime in December.

I am left again without a companion, but I think in a few days I will have another. Pres. Ballif told me he was going to bring another good one in here to help me. He told me right out that I had had one of the hardest rows to hoe in the whole mission field, and said I had earned a change, but he like my work and wanted to keep me here.

Anyhow, now I am not so anxious to leave Basel. I never knew there was so many good people here until Elder Plewe left today, and since i have seen what they done for him. If I would leave now, it would be just like leaving home, because lately, I certainly have learned to love the Saints. There is a possibility now, that I will fill my whole mission in Basel.

Before I forget, will you please get the song for me, "Out Where the West Begins." and send to me, as soon as you can. One of my Mothers here plays the piano fine, and I sure love that piece.

I got two letters from home this week and I was sure glad to hear from you again. I got one Oct. 2nd from Momma and Elvin, and one Oct. 5th from Papa, then the Variwood News from Din. I read the newspaper article that Momma sent me first, and saw how Papa was praised for Commissioner, and got all worked up then I read in the letterthat he lost, and I almost fell over backwards with discouragement. I enjoyed those newspapers very much. Keep them coming. Also the "White and Blue" when you can spare one. The kids here surelaugh at those funnies. This country hasn't woke up to that fact yet.

Mr. Skinny (Elvin) Bunnell: Well Old top did you at last get up courage to write your buddy a letter. I thank you a thousand times, and hope next time you won't wait so long to write. I sure hope you enjoy the school and your teacher. You know here the children go to school from 6 to 14 years old, and go the whole year round, that is a short vacation here and there. They have about 2 weeks off for Easter, 5 weeks for summer, I think 2 weeks for Christmas. Here they sure teach the children to write good. I am ashamed to let anyone here see my writing.

So Happy is dead. The poor old fellow. Who preached the funeral sermon? I'll bet you hated to see him die. I hope the other one lives alright. Did you pull the tail off the other one when you caught it? Well Elvin that you very much for your letter, and I hope you will write again soon.

I wish to thank you all for your best wishes for my birthday. As far as my buying a birthday present, I think I already have one, and that is the field glasses. I wouldn't lose them for anything. The other night I was looking at the moon through them, and I'll tell you there was some difference. On one of the stations here there is a large clock, a little larger than that one on the Schwab our Metropolitan building. I was at least a mile away from it, and I could tell what time it was to the minute. One fellow took a pair from here and they was going to charge tariff on them, but they couldn't or didn't. This pair that he had was no. 8x40 and they told him, they doubted if he could buy those there for $150.00. Mine are 16x40, so what do you think of them? I paid about $22.50 and I have priced them here in Basel and they are $65 or more. But I think as far as buying a present goes, that is enough, but I would hate to part with them now.

I think probably I will go to Bern in the morning to conference. It is a general conference for Schwiz, especially for missionaries. Pres. Ballif wants me to go up. It is about 50 miles from here I also want to see Elder Hirschi , my former companion. Another thing I am all alone now and I think I would feel better by going up. I don't think the trip will cost $5.

Don't worry about me getting enough to eat. I am just cutting the breakfast down some because I am eating too much. Then I can't eat all the Saints want me to. I will not endanger my health, because I have saw several Elders on their way home on account of sickness, and I don't want to go that way. As far as that goes, I never felt better in my life than in the last two months, since the hives left me. I want to be as economical as possible, but not to ruin my health - I will care for the eats.

Do you still get 90 cents for the cream? How much do you make now? How many cows are milking? How are Jersey and Blackie doing? Does Lady still kick your hat off?

Say Din don't you make fun of my German. They can understand me when they want to, and especially if I get a little mad. They all call me a liar when I tell them eight months ago I couldn't talk any German. Many here now take me as a German - because I don't talk Swiss dialect. You just wait till I come home, you won't be able to understand me talk English, let alone German. - But I will be to blame, because I can't talk English.

It has been raining like sixty again this afternoon. Here it is true that a wise man takes his coat when the sun shines. This morning and up until 2 bells it was as clear as a crystal, then at four it began pouring down, and has done ever since. It isn't very cold at present.

I am sending you one of the program's for the program we are going to have. They made a mistake andput Duet (do-quit) for Elder Holmes and myself, but you know how good I can sing, so more than likely we will go through with it ___(NIX). I hope you understand it all.

Last Wednesday evening the branch gave a farewell for Elder Plewe. The saints sure hated to see him go. They certainly gave a fine program. He has teased all the saints so much, on one hand, then again, he was sincere, but he sure got the love of the people, partly through teasing. Have the girls of the branch wanted him to take them back with him, but he has left one over there in S.L.C.

Well I have my room all to myself now for awhile, also companionship all to myself, so I suppose during that time, I will turn Basel upside down - tracting so much. That is my hobby- work-work-work-work, but I have been hindered the last few weeks on account of this missionary trouble, then also Elder Plewe going away too. But when I come back from Bern, here's one that will keep busy.

Say you remember that record you have "Traumerie", on the opposite side of "Hearts and Flowers,"is a German piece. The translation in English is "Dreaming, My Mother" Anna Stocklin, played it for me last night on the piano. She has several American pieces there, and I sure like to hear them. The German's also have "Asleep in the Deep," and many of those songs. There are also many stories in both languages. Believe me I am sure glad I had the chance to learn the German language. In many ways, you are helped out, just in leaving the world. I wish now I could learn French. I could learn French easy now because there is so many of their words, either like English or German.

I suppose bu the time you get this letter you will be in the beets hot and heavy. I sure hope they turn out good. At least better than what I have seen over here. They are all little bits of scrubs, and I don't believe would go 15 tons to the acre. Not that much if they hadn't transplanted so many and made almost perfect a stand. I think all of our crops at home are better than these here. They grow celery here and use just the root, and throw the stock away. You would probably think it was celerac, but they have both.

I wish I was there to drive the tractor, but I suppose that time will come later. Just the same what mission I have already had, has been worth more than a college education to me, let alone what I will get later on. I sure am glad that I can remain longer to preach repentance unto this people - which they need very bad.

Today there is 2,165 Marks for $1.00, and in Germany they are kicking hundreds of foreigners out, because they haven't enough for them. You see everything has been so cheap in Germany, thousands of foreigners, have went in, bought stuff, and went back out again, that Germany is overworked, to manufacture stuff, and to have food enough for all, that would like to go in. Prices there now are clean out of sight -- for certain things. Railroad fare is till cheap for Americans, but for Germans I don't see how they make it. It cost Elder Plewe 95 cents to ride six hours on a through train 2nd class, which is doubled since Oct. first. One pound of butter there is now 300 marks, shoes 10 to $5,000 marks, suit 25-30,000 etc. I myself look for trouble there before long, at least before spring, because I don't see how they can hold out.

It is time now, that I go over to Mother Stocklin's for supper so I will close for this time, thanking you for all, and praying the Lord to bless you.

Lovingly,

Elder LeRoy Bunnell.

Klybeckstrasse 78.

Basel. Switzerland.

p.s. The saints told me to send you all their best regards.

Oct. 7th Well I am just ready to hit for Bern, and it is raining like sixty. There is quite a number going in from Basel, and also the missionaries are coming together from all over Switzerland. Bern, you know is the capitol from the Schweiz (Switz.). They say it is very pretty. Well I must go, so, Good bye.