Letter
6 Pages
Transcription
Kjære Kramer! Sandal 2de Aùg, 21
Ja tùsend tak for Kari, – for brev og for pengene, – det
var jo forgalt, at dù skal sende mig Kr. 100, förend dù veed,
hvordan billedet blir. – Ja Kari har dù jo nù ogsaa
havt meget udlæg med, – jeg tænkte smaat paa at kommet
mig afsted i næste uge en tùr og hentet hende, – jeg vidste
ikke, at Engel havde sendt express bùd med datter til Fond.
Dù har jo betalt billet og meget andet for hende, som dù nù
maa före paa regning. Ja Engel har vel skrevet, at Kari
kom idag, og om, at hùn var begeistret over alt, hùn
havde oplevet og havde faaet. Engel vilde, jeg skùlde sætte
mig ned og skrive straks, men jeg har været saa frygtelig
plaget af asthmaen nù i en ùke, at jeg magtede ikke at
skrive för nù i nat, – der gaar desùden först post i morgen.
Asthmaen blir værre og værre med mig nù. – Münster raader
mig fra at bruke "adrenalinen", som jeg fik hos Brock Martens,
men doktor Bydal, som var her i gaar mener, den er ikke saa
farlig, – den hjælper, men flygtigt – bare for et par timer – og jeg tör
ikke brùke mere end et par spröiter pr. dögn. En opkvik-
kelse i min elendighed har det været i denne ùke, –
at vi har havt maleren Mons Breivik her, – han
er en prægtigere mand end jeg havde tænkt mig, – og
han er ogsaa bleven en meget bedre kùnstner, end han
var för, – han har virkelig arbeidet hardt paa sig selv;
han tegnede mig to gange, – to udmærkede tegninger, – han
var meget begeistret for Kalands portræt, som jeg
ogsaa altid har syntes godt om. Han tegnede ogsaa
gaarden her fra to kanter. Vi tok en motorbaat-tùr til
Berg en dag, da jeg var lidt bedre. – Breivik fik rent hjærte-
værk, tror jeg, da han fik se Bergs malerier, han sùkket
hele tiden – "ja det kommer inkje an paa klokskap" – sa
han – jeg mindtes dine ord; – "eg skùlde ynskja, eg kùnde ha
maala slek" sa han. Breivik har tydelig havt godt af
sit ùdenlands ophold, – han værdsatte ikke höit, det han
hadde gjort för, – det var nù han skulde begjynde, – sa han.
Jeg fik dit brev med copi af brev til N. Haùgen, men jeg har
været saa daarlig, at jeg ikke orket at gaa did og tale
med ham, – og han har heller ikke kommet hid, – jeg skal
skrive straks, jeg har talt med ham. Vi hörte i dag, at den
gùdelige man "med flekken" havde "trukket dig lidt op", – i det
han havde forlangt 45 öre pr. liter af dig, – konen hans
fortalte det, – meieriet tar 40, men han syntes vel, han maatte
ha 5 öre extra for at bære melken hjem. Med hensyn til hùs,
saa veed jeg intet ledigt til salgs her i bygden, – men i Nordfjord
skal der være flere, men det blir lang transport, – jeg undres paa,
om dù ikke skulde komme billigst til det med "standerværk eller
dobbel pap og krydsfiner med tælte raster – det blev iallefald den billigste
transport, og du kunde kanske faa kjöbt staver her i skogene. {...}
II
Da vilde dù spare en del transport paa det ogsaa. – Og saa
havde dù den fordel at kùnne bygge hùset slig, som dù
selv fandt for godt og ikke være afhængig af den störrelse,
et gammelt hùs havde havt; – jeg tænker mig det slik, hvad
væggene angaar (i gjennemsnit) vertikal skisse, snitt av vegg:
(De to tykke lod-
rette streker skal
være pap paa
begge sider af
rasterne – mellem-
rùmmene mellem
rasterne tænkes fyldt
med ener (ophakket)
tekst til skisse:
bordklænding
bordklædning
bordklædning
raster og enersaks
krydsfiner
Dette blev jo det simpleste, men
det kan hænde, det var bedst at
have en paneling mellem bord-
klædningen og rasterne, eller ogsaa bruke en grov krydsfiner
for exempel den saakaldte forskalningsfiner som brùges
ved cementering, – den er ganske billig. Et saadant
hùs vilde ogsaa være hùrtigt at opföre og saaledes spare
arbeidslön, – som hidtil har været det dyreste ved bygning.
Men dù vilde vel ikke finde det saa koseligt at have
vægger af krydsfiner istedenfor tömmerstokker, – men det blev
lige varmt som tömmer og kanske varmere, – jeg er tænkt at
gjöre min tilbygning til attelieret paa denne maade.
Jeg har et godt lidet tömmerhùs i "kikkerten" men manden,
som har eiet det, er endnù ikke död, – bor hos sin svigersön,
men önsker ikke, at det skal sælges, mens han lever: – De andre
tömmerhùs, som er ledige, er smaa eller daarlige, – og et hùs af
nyt tömmer blir jo lige stygt som en panelvæg eller krydsfinèr
Det kunde ogsaa lade sig gjöre at kjöbe flere gamle hùs
og tage det brugelige tömmer af hvert hùs og sætte sam-
men, – det var paa den maaden, jeg gjorde det med
den stùen, som Dere laa i, – men det blir den
dyreste af alle bygningsmaader, – da der gaar
en masse arbeidstid med at vrake og vælge
stokkene, – flere gange viste det sig, at en stok
maatte kaseres, efter at den var tilpasset og til-
hùgget paa den ene side, – og naar man skulde
hugge af stokken paa den anden side, var den helt eller
delvis raadden, og flere timers arbeide var spildt, –
og saa maatte der stadig hùgges nye "naaver", da de to
hùs ikke havde været like store – og saa var stokkene
i det ene hùs meget tykkere end stokken i det andet
hùs, og det maatte gjevnes og afhùgges, – saa brugte man i gamle
dage at gjævne af den ene stok efter den andens ùgjevnheder, – derved
blev der "glis", naar der kom stokker sammen af forskjellige hùs,
og saa maatte der lappes og "laskes" – eller hùgges af langs
hele stokken. Nei nù naa plager jeg dig. Dù faar ùndskylde min
skrift og stil, – jeg har anfaldet over mig nù, – saa jeg
maa slùtte. Saa maa jeg atter sige dig tak for alt. Haaber
Dere lever vel. Tak for telegram i anledning min födselsdag!
Kari fortæller om det, – her kom nemlig intet, – antagelig ligger
det paa Vasenden – og da bör man intet gjöre ved saken, da Nilsen
er god at have han har havt det travelt med hotellet (han er Sofies fætter). Ja, lev da vel og hils hele fami-
lien hjærteligst. Bedste hilsen fra Kari og os alle din hengivne Astrup
Kjære ven.
Ja nettop som jeg skulde gaa i "postkassen" med brevet
kom Nikolai Haùgen og Anders (broderen) og skùlde
paa tùr indover til Nordfjord. Nikolai kom op
til mig, da han saa mig i svingen og sa, at bùdet
var ùantageligt. – (ja han sa det med adskillige
"snirkler", som jeg springer over), – han nævnte at der
var en del værdi i beite o.s.v. – Jeg fùlgte ham ned
til veien for om mùligt at faa noget ud af hans
broder, som han "satte frem" som den, der ikke kun-
de gaa med paa tilbùdet, – imidlertid kom jeg til
det resultat, at Anders var rimeligere, – men han turde
vel intet at sige for broderen, – der jo endnù er eieren – jeg
sa da, at jeg troede, det var bedst, at han gik indom
dig, naar han nù reiste tilbage til östlandet, – saa dere
kùnde konferere mùndtlig. – Nikolai mente det var bedst
jeg skrev til dig; – jeg forstaar at Nikolai, da muligens
tænker at beholde parcellen selv, – og jeg sagde derfor, at jeg
troede det var bedst, at brödrene sig imellem afgjorde
handelen, og saa fik Anders (som er böieligere) afgjöre det
med Kramer. En ting forstod jeg imidlertid, at det er
meget om at gjöre for begge at faa noget mere penge
straks, – da Nikolai har havt store udgifter. Han nævnte
at han maatte ud med ca. 1000 Kr. nù i höst – og han sa, at
om Dere var kommen i handel nù i sommer, vilde han forlangt 1000 i den
nærmeste fremtid, – resten kunde da godt have staaet indtil
videre nogle aar. Jeg har talt med Fond om dit bùd, og
han synes, dù maa kunne faa det for den pris, – det er jo
altid vanskeligt her paa Jölster at faa en liden parcel, – da det
ansees som skam at sælge af brùget, – jeg havde gjerne givet 2000
da jeg ikke kunde faa mig en tomt nogen steder dengang jeg byggede paa
Myklebùst – men jeg synes dù bör tale med Anders för dù byr mere. – Nù i dette
öieblik fik jeg dit telegram (samt et par andre) tusend tak da for dette og alt
andet. Og bedste hilsener til Eder alle – Din hengivne Astrup
Translation
Dear Kramer! Sandal 2th August, 21
Well many thanks on behalf of Kari, – for the letters and for the money, – it
is too kind for words, that you shall send me kr. 100, before you know
how the picture will turn out. – And because of Kari you have also
had considerable expenses, – I had just thought of coming
down next week to fetch her, – not
knowing, that Engel had sent an express messenger with Fond’s daughter.
You have paid the ticket and much more for her, which you must
add to the account. Well Engel has probably written, that Kari
arrived today, and that she was excited about everything she
had experienced and been given. Engel wanted me to sit
down and write immediately, but I have been so terribly
afflicted by the asthma for a week now, that I did not have the strength
to write before this evening, – the post doesn’t leave until tomorrow anyway.
The asthma has been tormenting me more and more of late. – Münster advises
me not to use “the adrenaline”, which I got from Brock Martens,
but doctor Bydal, who was here yesterday does not think it is so
unsafe, – it helps me, but temporarily – only for a couple of hours – and I don’t
dare to use more than a couple of injections per 24 hours. It has been
uplifting in my misery this week, –
to have the painter Mons Breivik here, – he
is a better man than I had thought, – and
he is also a much better artist, than he
was before, – he has really worked hard to improve himself;
he drew me twice, – two excellent drawings, – he
was very enthusiastic about Kaland’s portrait, which I
have also always liked. He also drew
the farm here from two angles. We took a motorboat excursion to visit
Berg one day, when I was feeling a little better. – Breivik practically fell in
love, I believe, when he saw Berg’s paintings, he sighed
the entire time – “well it has nothing to do with cleverness” – he
said – I was reminded of your words; – “I wish, that I could
paint like that” he said. Breivik has clearly benefited from
his sojourn abroad, – he did not value highly what he
had done before, – it was now that he would begin, – he said.
I received your letter with copy of the letter to N. Haùgen, but I have
been so ill, that I did not have the strength to go there and talk
to him, – and he has not come here either, – I will
write as soon as I have spoken to him. We heard today, that the
pious man “with the mole”, had “raised you[r price] a little”, – in that
he had demanded 45 öre per litre from you, – his wife
said so, – the dairy charges 40, but he no doubt thinks, that he should
have 5 öre extra for carrying the milk home. With respect to a house,
I don’t know of any available for sale here in the village, – but in Nordfjord
there are evidently several, but that would require a long transport, – I wonder,
whether it might be cheapest for you to use “timber framing or
double cardboard and plywood with studs[.] that would at least require the cheapest
transport, and you might perhaps be able to get hold of logs from the forests here. {...}
II
Then you would save a bit on transport of that as well. – And then
you would have the advantage of being able to build the house, as you
pleased and not be dependent on the size,
an old house had had; – I envision it like this, when
it comes to the walls (in general) vertical sketch, section of wall:
(The two thick ver-
tical lines repre-
sent cardboard on
both sides of
the studs – the empty
spaces between
the studs and be filled
with juniper (chopped)
text accompanying the sketch:
wood cladding
wood cladding
wood cladding
studs and juniper branches
plywood
It would be simplest, however
it may be best to
have panelling between the wood
cladding and the studs or also use a rough plywood
for example the so-called fake plywood that is used
in formwork, – it is quite cheap. A house of this
type would also take little time to erect and thus save
workmen’s wages, – which up to now has been the greatest building expense.
But you would not find it so nice to have
walls made of plywood instead of timber, –but it would be
just as warm as timber and perhaps warmer, – I have planned to
make my annex to the studio in this manner.
I have a good little log cabin in “my sights” but the man,
who has owned it, is not yet dead, – lives with his son-in-law,
but does not wish for it to be sold, while he is alive: – The other
log cabins, which are available, are small and in poor condition, – and a house made of
new timber is just as ugly as a wall made of panelling or plywood
It might also be possible to purchase several old buildings
and use the suitable timber from each building and combine it to-
gether, – it was in that way, I did it with
the cabin, that You stayed in, – but it is the
most expensive of all the building methods, – since it takes
an excessive amount of time to pick and choose
the logs, – it happened several times, that a log
had to be discarded, after it had been measured and cut off
on the one end, – and when one was about
to cut off the log on the other end, it was totally or
partially rotten, and several hours of work had been wasted, –
and then one had to constantly cut new “joints”, since the two
houses had not been the same size – and then the logs
in the new house were much thicker than the logs in the other
houses, and it had to be evened out and cut off, – and then in the old
days it was customary to even out the irregularities, – in this way
there would be a “gap”, when logs from different houses were combined,
and then they had to be patched and “spliced” – or cut along the length
of the entire log. Well now I am annoying you. You must pardon my
handwriting style, – I am being overcome by a seizure now, – so I
have to end here. And then I must once again thank you for everything. Hope
You are living well. Thanks for the telegram on my birthday!
Kari told us about it, – nothing has arrived here, – it is probably
held up in Vasenden – and then one should not do anything about the matter, as Nilsen
is a good help he has been busy with the hotel (he is Sofie’s cousin). Well, live well then and relay my warmest greeting to the
entire family. Best wishes from Kari and all of us your devoted Astrup
P.S
Dear friend.
Well just as I was going to the “letterbox” with the letter
Nikolai Haùgen and Anders (his brother) came by on
their way into Nordfjord. Nikolai came up
here, when he saw me in the bend in the road and said, that the offer
was improbable. – (well he said it in a very
“roundabout” way, which I am jumping over), – he mentioned that there
was some value in pastures, etc. – I followed him down
to the road in order if possible to get something out of his
brother, whom he “presented” as the one, who could
not accept the offer, – in the meantime I came to
the conclusion, that Anders was more reasonable, – but he did
not dare to say anything because of his brother, – who is still the owner – I
therefore said, that I believed it was best, that he stopped by
your place, when he returned to East Norway, – so that you
might confer verbally. – Nikolai felt it was best
that I write to you; – I understand that Nikolai, possibly
intends to keep the allotment himself, – and I thus said, that I
thought it was best, if the brothers reached a conclusion between themselves
about the transaction, and then Anders (who is more malleable) could agree
with Kramer. One thing I understood immediately, was that it is of
great significance for both of them to get some more money
right away, – since Nikolai has had great expenses. He mentioned
that he had to spend around 1000 kr. now this autumn – and he said, that
if You had made the deal now this summer, he would have demanded 1000 in the
nearest future, – the rest might then have waited
further for a couple of years. I have spoken with Fond about your offer, and
he thinks, you should be able to get it for that price, – it is
always difficult here in Jölster to get a little allotment, – as it is
considered a disgrace to sell part of a farm, – I would have gladly given 2000
when I could not obtain a lot anywhere when I was building in
Myklebùst – but I think you should talk to Anders before you offer more. – Just this
second I received your telegram (and a few others) many thanks then for this and everything
else. And best wishes to all of You – Your devoted Astrup