1927: On The Way Again

It was spring – May – I gave notice and went to Riga to register at the milk factory authority. The manager there was Kersela, who had been a manager himself for many years. He was like a father to me – very friendly and helpful. He suggested that I take a few weeks holiday until a good job comes along as a manager’s assistant. I went home to Digaini, my oldest brother now respected me as an equal. I caught up on sleep and helped with some jobs.

After two weeks I got a telephone call at Base town hall, which was the closest telephone, that I had a job waiting at Prauliena factory. I packed my things, still not much to pack in the wooden box: two sheets, a blanket, a small cushion, work clothes, and a good suit. It was a long way to go, first to Aizpute then a narrow-guage rail to Liepaja. From Liepaja, in an ordinary train, to Riga, which at the time went through Lithuania (Mozekiem). In Riga I went to the employment authority to get a written confirmation of my appointment and stayed the night. The next morning I went on the first train to Madona, the closest station. I arrived there in the afternoon and decided to walk to Prauliena, about seven kilometres away, leaving my things at the station.

While walking, I caught up with an elderly man. We started talking and he asked, “Where are you going, son? I can see you are a stranger.” “I am from Kurzeme and have been poster to Prauliena milk factory as the manager’s assistant.” I replied. He said that means we are already acquainted and we got quite friendly. His name was Turss and we had been in the same course for the manager’s training. He was working as a milk supply coordinator. He told me that the manager was a woman – Marija Berkis. I was very happy that I had met him and that I at least knew someone. After about an hour we got to Prauliena manor. It consisted of the district hall, at the bottom of the hill were the milk factory, alcohol distillery, and farther up the hill was the school in the old manor building. Next to the factory there was a small lake; the water from it was used for the distillery and in the milk factory for cleaning and steam generation. The water for washing the butter was pumped from a well. I went into the factory to meet the manager M. Berkis, she was surprised that Turss and I already knew each other.

The building of the factory was not complete, it was changing from manual to fully steam-driven. The large milk churn and the steam generator were in place. There was a great hurry to connect all of the other machines; pumps and basins to be ready for the official opening a few days away when all the milk suppliers would be present. We, the workers, did not see the celebrations; as soon as the milk was through we had to disassemble the machinery and clean up. My special responsibility was for the steam generator and the butter churn because they were in rooms close together.