Nov. 1924

Kjære Kramer!

Ja jeg har nettop modtaget dit telegramsvar

paa vor forespörgsel, om vi skùlde forsöke at

kjöpe noget næver. Dit svartelegram lyder slig: 

"Pr. Vaag eller 4 Vaager pr. kilo 60 öre. Afgjör

fordelagtigst kjöb." – Ja det var heldig, at dù 

adresserede telegrammet til mig; – Knùt Pedersen 

vilde nemlig, at dù skulde sende dem (ham og svigersön)

et telegram, om de skùlde kjobe næver; – havde de faaet

dit telegram, havde de öieblikkelig kjobt næver et

eller andet steds og opfört paa ^din regning (ifölge 60 öre

pr. kg.): 4 vaager næver a 60 öre pr. kg. = 39,20 Kr. – 

Jeg antager vi skal faa det et eller andet steds

for ca. 5 kr. eller 5,50; – jeg maatte betale 6 Kr. 

pr. vaag ^{til mit atteliere-tak} (lidt forskjellig de forskjellige steder – men höiest

40 öre pr kg. i kilovis); men nù er jo de fleste priser gaaet

lidt ned, – endskjont veed og melk er steget betydelig nù. 

I fölge din opgave: 60 öre pr. kg. blir det jo 9,80 pr. 

vaag – altsaa næsten dobbel pris. – Nù ja, nok om prisen, 

hovedsaken var, at de herrer talte med Fond og mig

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og vilde faa os til at sende Kramer et telegram, og 

give dem fuldmagt at kjöbe den nödvendige næver, 

som trængtes; – her er vanskeligt om næver i bygden, 

og det vilde tage tid at skaffe, – derfor telegram. 

Jeg fik ikke konferere med Fond, da de fùlgte mig

de to herrer, – men jeg forstod, at de muligens vilde

have en extrafortjeneste og spùrgte dem derfor i 

en uvedkommende persons paahör, om hvad næver-

prisen var for öieblikket, – ja den blev sikkert dyr

mente de, men den – uvedkommende person mente, 

at næver kanske kùnde skaffes for godt 5 kr., og 

jeg greb da anledningen og sa, at nù telegraferer 

jeg slig til Kramer: 4 vaager næves trænges – skal det

sökes kjöbt her? (Fond Astrup) –

ca. 20 Kr. (det blev altsaa beregnet efter en pris af 5 kr. pr. vaag)

Jeg vilde derved afskjære dem fra optrækkeri, men kan 

hænde næveren blir lidt dyrere end 5 kr. pr. vaag = 32 öre pr. ^kg. 

Kan vi faa den for 32 öre pr. kg. er det jo billigt, men 

det er jo ùvist, om vi ikke maa op i mod 40 öre pr. kg. da

her er slig mangel paa den vare i bygden. –––

Men naar jeg stilede telegrammet, som jeg gjorde – (det

vaar ù-undgaaeligt, at de herrer maatte se de), – saa var det

med en baktanke paa, om dù egentlig var forpligtet til 

at skaffe nogen næver overhovedet, – jeg havde ikke

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"kontrakten;" men de herrer forsikrede, at de havde

reserveret sig med hensyn til næver, – (da det paa

forhaand var ùmùligt at vide noget om brùgbarheden 

af den gamle næver, – saa vilde de intet erstatte, af, 

hvad der maatte medgaa til fornyelse o.s.v.) – Nù 

brùgte jeg "rùssenæver" til hùset, og den er, som dù

veed, gjevn og stor, – ja saa gjevn og stor, at den har

let for at "glide" paa et tak, – hvorfor vi – dengang

jeg byggede – spigrede hver eneste næver med smaa

emaljerede stifter; – – da næveren nù skùlde tages ned, 

maatte den derfor sjæres af, nedenfor hver spiger-

eller stifte-rad, og den formindskede jo derved lidt, 

 – den var ellers like god; – men da der til et slikt tak

vil medgaa ca. 30 vaager = 540 kg. næver (beregnet efter

norsk næver – lidt mindre rùssenæver ^{da den er lettere.}), – saa maatte 

der jo blive for lidet næver; – jeg tror ogsaa, jeg talte

med dig om det, – vi antog at 4 vaager maatte

udfylde det resterende (at altsaa en ottende part var

gaaet væk af det gamle), og da det hele kùn vilde

dreie sig om en ca. 20 Kr. (eller en smùle mere), saa troede

vi dù vilde foretrække at faa et godt tak fremfor at ^{krangle med D, Hr.r. eller}

at lade det tække daarligt. De ^{arbeid karerne} nævnte noget om, at dù 

troede den gamle næver skulde være nok, naar dù 

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sendte noget tjærepap; – men tjærepap erstatter nù 

aldrig næver, da den ^tjærepappen raadner ùnder torven ved

direkte beröring med denne; – derimod viste det

sig nù, at tjærepap ùnder næver er mere holdbart

endog end tjærepap mellem panelinger, den var 

nemlig like god ùnder næveren, medens den mellem 

panelingerne var bleven lidt stiv og mör. Nù, ja

til sommerbolig var jo igrùnden all papping over-

flödig, men det skader jo ikke at alt blir godt

forsynt (som til vinterbolig), – og da kommer din 

til sendte pap vel med til panelingerne, hvor en del 

ù-undgaaelig maatte blive ödelagt ùnder nedrivningen. 

Jeg gav derfor de herrer fuldmagt at kjöbe ^{4 vaager} næver til 

ca 5 kr. pr Vaag paa din regning (altsa ca. 32 öre pr kg.)

De kùnde kanske klaret at faae et tak, som var tæt

nogle aar med det gamle, men jeg troede ikke dù 

var fornöiet med nogle faa aars tæthed, – det kùnde jo 

begynde at dryppe om vinteren, naar dù ikke var

der, og hvis jeg ikke da passede paa til enhver tid, saa 

kùnde jo alt blive mùggent og raadne, og naar

det altsaa kanske bare gjaldt ca. 20 kr., troede jeg

ikke, dù vilde se saa nöie paa det. – Derfor altsaa et

sligt telegram; – (for at undgaa svar direkte til de

herrer, sa jeg, at jeg vilde samtidig sende en hilsen fra Fond og mig)

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Imidlertid er nù altsaa "Gamlestùen", kjökkenet

og det överste (sydlige "soverùm") kommet op – (dog bare

med tömmeret ùden panelinger og papping.) – Jeg 

har talt med de herrer om ovnsröret til kjökkenet

og mit maal var rigtigt, siger de, men de er ogsaa

enige i, at dù bör have to rör at sætte indeni 

hinanden (efter brandt-assùrance loven skal det

ùnderste rör gaa ind i det överste, – er det mig fortalt). 

Jeg spùrgte de herrer, om de ikke kùnde före op peis og

skorstens piperne nù ivinter, – saa det var i orden, om dù 

vilde pröve dem til vaaren ^{(om dù kom hid i paasken)}, og de mente, at det kanske

kùnde gaa an, ifald dù sendte komfùren, saa vilde de

forsöke at mùre, medens de fyrede svagt i ovnen og samtidig

dækkede skorstenerne ùdvendig med sækker og klæder eller

filler af forsjelligt slags. – Jeg sa, at ifald dit komfùr-

rör ikke blev færdigt, kùnde de tage min "kisteovn" og fyre

med til samme brùg. – Med hensyn til den brede vin-

dùspost i gamlestùen, viser det sig vanskeligt at formind-

ske den, ùden at lave "knæk" i fasade væggen, – dù maa

skrive, om dù absolùt fastholder en formindskelse, da der

i-saafald maa foretages en afskæring af – (formindskelse)

af det nederste (nordlige) rùm mod nordvest ogsaa – (hvis fasaden 

skal holdes flad – ùden ^{vinkel skisse} "knæk") skisse _"knæk" – ja der blir jo altid

vanskeligheder med et sligt "knæk" og det er jo ogsaa stygt;

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saavidt jeg hùsker, likte ogsa frù Aagot særlig godt det

dybe vindù ("anretnings bordet"), og hvis det blir hvid-

lakeret eller hvidmalet, tror jeg ikke det vil hindre

lyset særlig. Men man kan jo ogsaa gaa en anden vei: 

man kan lave en "nische" utvendig, og saaledes faa den 

ydr indre vindùspost mindre, – men det er jo imod

arkitekt Landmarks regler, – han vil jo have den 

indre vindùsfordybning stor, – og saa, – ingen fordybning ùden-

for! (lyset blir det samme i begge tilfælder). –––

Ja, saa maa jeg plage dig igjen: skal jeg lave en ny "soleie-

mark"? (gjerne til 200 istedenfor 300). ^{og kanske en "juninat" til "pendanten" (150)} Ja, og så er det vor lille

gùt Dagfin, ^{opkaldt efter Engels broder som hængte sig,} som er elendig, – da Engel ikke har nok melk, – 

vi har faaet barnemel fra apotheket, – men jeg har en 

mistanke om, at sligt mel har ligget længe paa apo-

theket og har trùkket til sig baade jod og andre mediciner, 

(som er paa vandring). Jeg har hört, at der skal være en slags

havremel, – enten det nù er "Knorr`s" eller "Friggs" (helst

det sidste), som skal være datostemplet, saa man 

kan ùndgaa, at faa det for gammelt til ^spæd-smaabarn. 

Vil dù være saa venlig at sende os noget saaadant pr. opkrav

og samtidig nogle röde og ^mörke grönne æpler til et stilleben. –––

Vi har havt en del sne, – men i dag er den "strokken" – som 

heldig er for din bygning. Din lille "elv" eller "grov" har disse

"Øia folkene" bygget for med sten i elven, men jeg stod der

hele söndagen og vadede ùde og dæmmede den tilbage,

og nù render den friskt igjen paa din grùnd. Den maa holdes

vedlige. Bedste hilsen fra os alle til Eder alle! Din Astrup

Nov. 1924

Dear Kramer!

Well I have just received your telegram reply

to our question, about whether we should try to

purchase some birch bark. Your return telegram reads like this: 

“Per vaag or 4 Vaager per kilo 60 öre. Decide

which is the most advantageous buy.” – Well it was lucky, that you 

addressed the telegram to me; – Knùt Pedersen 

wanted you to send them (him and his son-in-law)

a telegram, if you were going to buy birch bark; – had they got

your telegram, they would have immediately bought birch bark any-

where at all and written on ^your receipt (as per 60 öre

per kg.): 4 vaager birch bark at 60 öre per kg. = 39.20 kr. – 

I assume we will get it somewhere or other

for approx. 5 kr. or 5.50; – I had to pay 6 kr. 

pr. vaag ^{for my studio roof} (a slight difference from place to place – but the highest

40 öre per kg. [when buying] by the kilo); but now most prices have gone

down a little, – although firewood and milk have risen significantly. 

Based on your commission: 60 öre per kg. would amount to 9.80 per 

vaag – that’s nearly double the price. – Well ok, enough about the price, 

the main issue is, that those gentlemen spoke to Fond and me

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and wanted us to send Kramer a telegram, and 

give them authorisation to purchase the amount of birch bark, 

that is required; – it is difficult to obtain birch bark in the village, 

and it would take time to get hold of it, – hence the telegram. 

I was not able to confer with Fond, as the two gentlemen

followed me, – but I understood, that they might want

to make a profit and therefore asked them in 

the presence of a disinterested person, what the going price of

birch bark was at the moment, – well it will surely be expensive

they thought, but – the disinterested person thought, 

that birch bark might perhaps be obtained for slightly more than 5 kr., and 

then I grabbed the opportunity to say, that now I will telegraph 

the following to Kramer: 4 vaager birch bark is required – shall we

attempt to buy it here? (Fond Astrup) –

approx. 20 kr. (this was calculated based on a price of 5 kr. per vaag)

I wished in this way to prevent them from jacking up the price, but it’s 

possible that the birch bark will be a little more expensive than 5 kr. per vaag = 32 öre per ^kg.

If we can get it for 32 öre per kg. that would be cheap, but 

it is unclear, whether we might have to pay closer to 40 öre per kg. since

there is such a shortage of this product in the village. –––

But when I formulated the telegram as I did – (it

was unavoidable, that the gentlemen should see it), – it was 

with the deliberate motive, of questioning whether you were actually obliged 

to obtain birch bark at all, – I did not have

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“the contract”; but the gentlemen assured me, that they had

reserved the right concerning the birch bark, – (as it was 

impossible ahead of time to know in what condition 

the old birch bark was, – so they did not want to have to replace, 

however much was necessary for renewal, etc.) – Now 

I used “Russian birch bark” for the house, and it is, as you

know, smooth and large, – in fact so smooth and large, that it has

a tendency to “slide” off the roof, – which is why we – back when

I built it – nailed every single piece of bark with small

enamelled tacks; – – when the bark was to be taken down now, 

it had to be cut off, before each tack

or row of tacks, and it was thus diminished a bit, 

 – it was just as good otherwise; – but since for such a roof

approx. 30 vaager is required = 540 kg. birch bark (calculated according to

Norwegian bark – a little less Russian bark ^{as it is lighter.}), – then there had 

to be too little bark; – I also believe, I spoke

to you about it, – we assumed that 4 vaager would

supplement the still usable bark (in other words one eighth of

the old bark would be lost), and when the whole matter would

amount to approx. 20 kr. (or a smidgen more), we thought

that you would prefer to have a good roof rather than ^{argue with the Gentlemen or}

lay an inferior roof. The ^workmen mentioned something about, how you 

thought the old birch bark would be enough, when you 

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sent some tarpaper; – but tarpaper will never 

replace birch bark, since ^tarpaper rots beneath the peat when

in direct contact with it; – on the other hand it now

turns out, that tarpaper underneath birch bark is more durable

even than tarpaper in between panelling, it was 

in fact in just as good condition under the birch bark, while the tarpaper between 

the panelling had become a bit stiff and crumbly. Well, 

for a summerhouse any kind of paper insulation would basically be super-

fluous, but it doesn’t hurt to be well-

equipped (as for a winter home), – and in that case the 

tarpaper you sent will be useful for the panelling, some of which

had unavoidably been destroyed during the dismantling. 

I therefore gave the gentlemen authorization to purchase ^{4 vaager} birch bark for 

approx. 5 kr. per Vaag at your expense (that is approx. 32 öre per kg.)

They might have managed to make a roof that was waterproof

for a few years with the old [bark], but I did not think you 

would be satisfied with a few years’ waterproofing, – it might  

begin to drip during winter, when you were not

there, and if I did not keep a constant eye on it, then 

everything might become mouldy and rotten, and when

it probably only cost approx. 20 kr., I didn’t

think, it would make such a difference to you. – Hence such

a telegram; – (in order to avoid a response directly to the

gentlemen, I said, that I would at the same time send a greeting from Fond and myself)

5

In the meantime “Gamlestùen”, the kitchen

and the two (south “bedrooms”) have now been erected – (though only

the timber without panelling or paper insulation.) – I 

have spoken with the gentlemen about the stovepipe for the kitchen

and my measurement was correct, they say, but they also

agree, that you should have two pipes to place one inside 

the other (according to the fire insurance law the

bottom pipe should fit into the top pipe, – I am told). 

I asked the gentlemen, if they might build the fireplace and

chimney pipes now this winter, – so that it was in working condition, if you 

wished to test them in the spring ^{(if you came here for Easter)}, and they thought, that it might

be possible, if you sent the stove, they would

attempt to build it, while they burned a weak fire in the stove and simultaneously

covered the chimney on the outside with sacks and clothes or

rags of different sorts. – I said, that in case your stove-

pipe was not completed, they might take my “box stove” and light

it for the same purpose. – Concerning the wide window

sill in gamlestùen, it seems it will be difficult to make it smal-

ler, without creating a “kink” in the facade, – you must

write, if you absolutely insist upon a reduction, because in that

case it will also require a cutting off – (a reduction)

in the lower (north) room facing northwest – (if the facade 

shall remain flat – without ^{an angle sketch} “kink”) sketch _“kink” – well there will always

be difficulties with such a “kink” and it is also unsightly; 

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as far as I remember, Mrs. Aagot also liked the deep

window a lot (“the serving table”), and if it is

varnished or painted white, I don’t believe it will block

the light especially. But one might also take another course: 

one can make a “niche” on the outside, and thereby make the 

inr inside windowsill smaller, – but that is against

architect Landmark’s rules, – he wants to have the 

depth of the indoor windowsill large, – and hence, – no depth on the out-

side! (the light will be the same in both cases). –––

Well, I must bother you again: shall I make a new “marigold-

field”? (preferably for 200 instead of 300). ^{and perhaps a “night in June” as a “complementary piece” (150)} Well, and then there’s our little

boy Dagfin, ^{named after Engel’s brother who hanged himself}, who is in a terrible state, – since Engel does not have enough milk, – 

we have obtained cereal for infants from the pharmacy, – but I have a 

suspicion that this cereal has been stored for a long time at the phar-

macy and has absorbed both iodine and other medications, 

(which migrate). I have heard, that there is a type of 

oatmeal, – either “Knorr`s” or “Friggs” (preferably

the latter), which is supposed to be stamped with a date, so that one 

can avoid expired products for ^infants-small children. 

Would you be so kind as to send us some of this [product] COD

and at the same time red and ^dark green apples for a still life. –––

We have had some snow, – but today it is “levelled” – which 

is fortunate for your building. Your little “river” or “stream” these

“Øia clan” have blocked with stones in the river, but I remained there

all day Sunday wading out and reconstructing the dam,

and now it runs briskly again on your property. It has to be

maintained regularly. Best wishes from all of us to all of You! Your Astrup