Morning journal and courier., 1893-12-23
wAKEmAN,s wANDERINGs.

Peeps at Norway-The EverlastiDg
Pine of ofNorway-ssEagle-N Farm
Houses, Bonders, Homes and An
eient Churches That Have Outlasted
the Famous Oak of Englend-The
Quaint ssStavekirker,, OF Central
Norway and Their Weird and Pic
turesque surroundings Bonders
and Udalmen and Their village
Like Homes.
LONDON, Dec. Z.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
Some of the architectural features of
Norway are exceedingly distinctive and
curious. when 1t is remembered that, con-
trasted with the age of civilization in
southern Europe, the Morse are compare
lively new comers in this Arctic land.
There are what might be termed three
zones of buildings and edifoes. each CIV
ing an almost universally different exam
pie of structural style and material. In
the remote and desolate north all ancient
structures are of stone. In southern Nor
way oak and beech have been utilized.
In the central districts everything has
been, and is still, built of pine.
If one has grown to believe that oak
represents all that is enduring and almost
everlasting among the nobler woods ser
viceable to man, his ideas must be modi-
fed when he has come to know the ancient
pine built structures of central Norway.
One gazes with admiration and wonder
when the strong, perfect beams In the old
Sir Walter Raleigh house at Youghsl, Ire
land, in the ancient houses of the gentry
in other portions of that country, and In
almost awed admiration upon the oaken
stalls, screens and timbers of English ca
thedrals, and particularly those in the
very ancient parish churches like those of
Stoke Poges, where Gray wrote his "Ele-
gy," of Grasmers and of Crossthwaite, at
Keswick. These have stood staunch and
true for two, three, four and perhaps Ave
hundred years. 1t is no uncommon thing
in Norway to find eagls-nest farm build
ings, city warehouses, bonders' or large
farmers store-houses, as we'll as homes.
and curious old pier-houses beside the
fords, built wholly of pine, still we'll pre-
served, which are quite as old; while the
strange, little old churches of central Nor
way, also entirely constructed of pine,
possess surprising number of their origi.
nal timbers placed where they stand to-
day long before the venerable Minister OF
York or the mellowed cathedral of Sails.
bury assumed anything like their present
forms.
In visiting an "esgle nest" farm above
the clouds beside the gloomy Nero ford
noticed that the oldest portion of the far.
mer's home-s long rambling structurt
which seemed to have had built upon 1t
new annex for each generation or century
was by far the stoutest. sturdiest anc
best. I questioned the farmer as to III
age. The family legendary memories ant
finally the family records agreed that 4
must have been built sometime in, the six
teenth century, or perhaps three hundred
and fifty years ago. In the ThelemsrkeI
district are many quaint old wooden mill
which found to be from one hundred snt
fifty to two hundred and fifty years old
In bonder's home visited In the Trondh
jem country, the low, wide living room
around which had been added other huge
modern apartments and two-story higl
halls, was over four hundred years old
, and as perfect from decay in any of Ii
! timbers as the day 1t wss built; and whe
among the sseters of Romsdal and Gld
, | brsnsdsl heights even found saeter hut.
! the habitations Of the saeter-girls VII