Excerpts from the Polish chronicles in the magazine 'News from Poland'. This issue mentions Ludwik Szymański, a private who died a "heroic death" and whose remains are to be laid to rest in Arlington Cemetery. In addition, the Brazilian town of Ijuhy, where there was a thriving Polish colony, is mentioned. The schools operating in this town are recalled, as well as the school societies (Source: "Wieści z Polski", Warsaw 1930, R: 3, no. 2, pp. 56-57, after: Jagiellonian Digital Library).

A modernised reading of the text

Pole in the cemetery of the distinguished.

There are notes in Polish journals in America about the transport to America of 75 corpses of Uncle Sam's soldiers from the regiment of the so-called "Polar Bears" who had fallen on Murman. Among the corpses of the fallen are those of Private Ludwik Szymanski, who died a heroic death. Now the remains of the heroic Pole will rest in Arlington Cemetery near Washington, where the graves of the bravest are located.

Poles in Ijuhy.

The Curitiba 'People' reads: Ijuhy, a beautiful and charming town in Rio Grande do Sul, situated near the railway station of that name, was served for a number of years by Polish priests; first by lay priests, among whom Father Cuber distinguished himself by his zeal, - and later by Missionary priests (from 1916 to 1919). After their resignation, the present Monsignor Armando Teixeira, a very worthy and busy priest, took over the pastoral care of this extensive parish.

Thanks to his efforts, a magnificent Gothic-style church was erected and consecrated on 6 February 1927. Ijuhy, once almost a Polish parish and served by Polish priests, has lost this characteristic as a result of the emigration of a large number of Poles (largely to Guarana). Nevertheless, there are still a considerable number of compatriots there today. Most of them live in the line from Base to VII inclusive, i.e. two districts whose inspectors are Poles, Messrs Wład. Michalski and Ign. Wichrowski. The total number of Polish families in the Ijuha districts - including a dozen or so scattered families - is 320 families.

Their main occupation is farming; there are also a few better carpenters (Pitas y), small tradesmen, tailors, blacksmiths; mr. Władysław Kowalewski owns a water sawmill and a herva matte mill, Mr Stefan Mirecki a steam sawmill. There are currently 6 active Polish schools, namely: The first on line VI, next to the chapel, children 32, teacher Mr Wł. Czyżewski. The second on line VI, 6 kilometres further towards the border, over 20 children, teacher Mr Wł. Czyżewski. The third on line II, 25 children, teacher Hoffmann (a native German!) teaches in Polish and Brazilian. ("Couldn't a Polish volunteer take his place, as Hoffmann is already 60 years old").

Fourth on line V, children 62, teacher Mr Wacław Pawlak. Fifth on line I, children 64, teacher Mr Jan Specjalski (the only professional teacher). Sixth on line I, children 42, teacher Mr Piotr Kusiak. The last two are close together. Societies or other associations with a wider scope of activity Ijuhy does not have; only school societies exist at the schools. Their whole task is to maintain the school and the teacher, while the society existing in the town has no specific aim and cannot demonstrate anything extraordinary.

There is a shortage of prominent individuals, managers and activists who could keep the social life alive by organising national celebrations, meetings, lectures, etc. - this is likely to result in the Polish colony dissolving into a foreign sea, sharing the fate of so many other Polish settlements once the older generation has left the scene. Among our compatriots there is a sizeable handful of Ruthenians in Ijuhy, generally referred to there as "Galicians".