I have urged the people to choose a chief officer from among themselves,
that there may be someone to issue orders, settle disputes, and keep the
parish united.
They have chosen Martin Grassteiger, and he is now called Judge.
At this same meeting the new Judge introduced the future schoolmaster of
the Winkelsteg parish, who had been acknowledged as such by the master
of the forest.
I then am this schoolmaster. The people declare that I might have known
it for a long time, but Grassteiger says that everything must be done
according to legal form.
A few days after the above occurrence the Judge ordered me to call a
parish meeting to elect a priest. Everyone laughed over this. "Shall we
choose him from among the pitch-makers and charcoal-burners? But there
is n't one that would be fit for it. There is just one man who is
learned enough for us Winklers, but our men have such foolish notions,
that they would be scandalised at the idea of a priest being his own
housekeeper."
So they make their jokes, knowing very well for whom they are meant.
And they have chosen him, too.
We must help ourselves, the owner of the forest has said; and that we
have done.
The hermit from the Felsenthal is the priest of Winkelsteg.