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Poul Jensen Grosbøl
Skrevet af Jens Petersen Grosbøl (11 jul 1869 - 21 maj 1954), Terp, til Hans Schmidt, Kollund.
Dateret 9 nov. 1946.

P.G.

Som du ved var han en dygtig landmand efter den tid, altid foran med arbejdet, som blev gjort godt og akkurat så han kunne opvise sine naboer og besøgende alt både i lade, stald og mark i fineste orden. Når man f.eks. så hans mark fra vejen, det være sig korn græs eller brakmark og man roste det, sagde han gerne: "Du skulle se det fra den anden ende, der er det bedre".
Han ville som sagt gerne være den første, både med sæd og høst og når det lakkede mod den tid, gik han altid omkring til naboerne for at orientere sig om når de ville begynde, men han frarådede dem altid at begynde for tidligt, "vi må vente endnu nogle dage", men vi var så klar over at han ville begynde enten den samme dag eller dagen efter og han begyndte altid et sted på marken, som ikke var alt for synligt for de nærmest boende og så gik det fra tidlig morgen til aften for fuld kraft og karlen måtte da være villig til at gøre dagen længere fra morgenstunden. Hestene som altid var kraftigt fodrede skulle nok holde. Når sæden var lagt gik han igen rundt og fortalte at han var færdig og animerede til at blive færdig da det var på høje tid. Han udtrykte sig sådan: "Her æ pinnede faae tille (her er pinedød færdigt tidligt)" eller: "de æ pinnede å æ høj tie (det er pinedød på høje tid)". Således var han hjemme i byen, men kom han til en anden by, sagde han altid: "Vi har pinnede vær læng færre i Terp (Vi har pinedød været færdig længe i Terp)".
Hans karle havde det godt og frit når bare de passede på at være foran med alt. Engang havde han en karl som var noget lad, (det var en bror til Niels Nielsen i Terp han hed Nis. Han rejste senere til Amerika) men meget stærk. For nu at illustrere både hans kræfter og hans ladhed fortalte han det således:" Jeg har en karl han er stærk, han gik en dag og pløjede langs vejen, han havde luffer på da det var koldt. Så kom der en mand langs vejen og spurgte efter Stenderup. Så tog Nis ploven op og pegede med den (han gad hverken tage lufferne af eller slippe ploven !).
Han var som sagt altid den første der var færdig, men det hændte jo også at han fik noget korn i hus, som ikke var helt tørt. "Det vil jeg hellere" sagde han "end at stå og strinte med en spand vand når det er for tørt, thi kornet skal bræmme (??) sådan at det bliver grøn i mønningen og helst så grøn man kan græs æ ronnevær (vædderen) til jul deroppe for så får man heller ikke for tidlig lam".
De unge mennesker han fik i sit brød blev godt oplærte til akkuratesse og flid, men som han sagde: "Enkelte skal have "pulver", men de fleste kan hjælpe sig med "piller", og disse sidste gav han ud af i rigt mål, både hjemme og ude.
P.G. var i det hele en god fortæller, han kunne mange historier, ikke lige salon brugelige alle, men han havde dem parat ved enhver lejlighed og alle ville gerne høre dem. Engang ved et bryllup, hvor både præst og degn var med, fortalte han livligt. Det var særlig præste- og degnehistorier og som regel blev præsten jo narret. Skønt de lo så tårerne randt, sagde præsten: "Jeg tror sandelig De overdriver og pynter selv ved historien P.G.". "Ja, hvis De ikke tror dem, så holder jeg op", sagde P.G. Men præsten næsten råbte: "Nej, fortæl, fortæl bare".
Samme præst sagde engang til P.G.: "Det er længe siden jeg har set Dem i kirken. De har vist kun været der fire gange sidste år P.G." Jo, jeg har været der fem. Den ene gang sad jeg bag en stolpe under loftet, da har De vist ikke set mig, Hr. Pastor. Desuden er det jo sådan, at om vinteren er det for koldt, og om sommeren for varmt, så der bliver kun en lille tid forår og efterår, man kan komme, foruden til højtiderne."
En anden gang præsten lod et ord falde om at han så ham så sjældent i kirken, sagde P.G: "Ja, hvor de har en dårlig præst, der er de jo næsten nødt til at gå i kirke hver søndag, men hvor der er en god præst og man får en god prædiken, kan man leve længe på den, og behøver ikke at komme så tit.
P.G. ville gerne have en lille kaffepunch i selskab - han drak ikke til daglig. Men der kom mange fremmede - især kom der mange, som gerne ville nyde kaffepunch, thi de vidste at hos P.G. blev de altid budt en sådan. "Æ keel æ aalti varm (Kedlen er altid varm)", sagde P.G.
Men en del af disse gæster skænkede jo punchene for store og blev berusede, men som regel fik han dem pirret ud forinden de blev alt for fulde. De som kom der stadig (hele tiden) var Fred. Schrøder, Per Haugaard, Laust Thomsen og Hans Lytken. Der er mange morsomme småtræk fra disse besøg, hvor der jo altid vankede godt med kaffepunch, men også hvis tiden trak ud med brød og snaps eller anden mad. Der gik ingen, hverken hungrig eller tørstig derfra, særlig det sidste. Der var næsten altid en der skulle være lidt til nar for de andre, men kun til en vis grad, ellers blev der sagt stop, på en forståelig men gemytlig måde.
Disse fire som er nævnt ovenfor var fire vidt forskellige mennesker. Fred. Schrøder lo altid af de forskellige historier, men tog dem for det de var og morede sig. Per Haugaard var alvorlig og tog al P.G. sagde som noget der ikke kunne rokkes. Laust Thomsen var jo næsten altid i pengeforlegenhed og han var derfor altid i dårligt humør og blev da nærmest lempet ud på en pæn måde efter at de store kaffepuncher havde gjort deres virkning, så han kunde sendes til den næste med håb om et lille kontant lån. Hans Lytken var nærmest forarbejdet (forslidt ?) og ville gerne nyde en lille fri stund og lidt god mad og drikke. Engang da han havde fået en del puncher hos P.G. kom der en tallerken på bordet med kavringer (kager). Da han så dem begyndte tårerne at løbe, og han spurgte om han ikke måtte tage dem, der ikke blev spist, med i lommen hjem til børnene og det fik han lov til og blev glad og taknemlig og græd for alvor.
P.G. var en hjælpsom og godgørende mand på sin måde, men han var på en måde også vedholdende (nærig). Han lånte f. eks sjældent, måske aldrig, kontante penge ud, men derimod kunne småkårsfolk godt få både korn og andet som gave, men sjældent eller aldrig på borg (kredit). Således skete det engang han var kørende til Gram, at det blev aften før han kørte fra Gram og da han kom til VesterLindet blev det så mørkt at han ikke turde køre længere uden lys. Han holdt da ved et lille hus og fik manden til at ledsage sig med en lygte. Den næste dag sendte han karlen hen til manden med to skæpper rug, da han vidste der var mange børn.
Engang var han i ØsterLindet og han kørte da ind i Nørrekro, som sædvanlig og bestilte 3 kaffepuncher, en til sig selv, en til Niels og en til Chr. Lund, som sad ude ved vejen og slog sten, men han skulle komme ind og drikke og det gjorde han så. Han fik en til og skænkede den kraftigt til, så han begyndte at blive varm. Så sagde P.G. til ham at han skulle gå ud til sit arbejde, for han havde ikke budt ham ind for at svire, men for at varme ham. Niels og ham kan godt sidde og snakke lidt ved en punch mere, men skænker den ikke så stor.
P.G. var en stærk tobaksryger, men ingen har vist set ham ryge en cigar eller set ham byde en cigar hverken ude eller hjemme. Som regel købte han sin tobak af en omrejsende handelsmand fra Aabenraa, der leverede ham i løs vægt 50-100 pund af gangen. Pris 30-35 kroner. Han tændte piben om morgenen i sengen og røg så at sige hele dagen, kun ikke ved arbejdet, men han lagde piben fra sig hvor han begyndte arbejdet. Kom han ikke tilbage til udgangspunktet tog han en anden pibe eller fandt en anden han havde brugt og lagt fra sig et andet sted. Han havde en mængde piber, alle med træhoved og han vidste omtrent hvor de var og hvor han havde lagt eller hængt dem. Han brugte en masse tændstikker eller egentlig svovlstikker. Han er vist den som har brugt svovlstikker længst. Han yndede ikke disse nymodens tændstikker, som kun kunne tændes på æsken. Nej dem der kunne rives i den ene ende (hans buksebag) så de tændte i den anden brugte han, hvilket også hans bukser bar spor af. Han kunne en aften i godt selskab bruge flere bundter og han kunne når han fortalte historier godt have indtil en lille snes afbrændte svovlstikker siddende i pibehovedet, så han til sidst måtte fjerne dem for at få plads til nye. Så ved sådanne lejligheder led svovlstikkerne mere end tobakken. Når nogen sagde til ham, det er mærkeligt at du ikke skråer, så havde du da tobakssmagen i munden hele tiden, så svarede han, nej, for når jeg lægger min pibe når jeg arbejder, så kan jeg da finde den igen, men hvis jeg lagde en god skrå på marken, så kunne jeg ikke finde den igen, for under arbejdet må man ikke have andet at tænke på end dette (arbejdet) og skrås der ved arbejdet bliver man sort om munden og det er griseri og en spytter og sprutter rundtom, hvilket også er griseri.
Hermed lidt karakteristik af P.G. håbende at det er tilstrækkeligt. Der kunne måske, og det kan der, fortælles mere, men enkelte historier egner sig ikke til offentliggørelse og andre har du måske hørt som ikke er kommet til min kundskab.
Han var helt sikkert en begavelse, som hvis den var kommet under sikker ledelse, kunne have bragt ham vidt. Han kunne både spille violin og danse og begge dele var hans lyst. Han elskede god sang og brugte både sang, spil og dans i hjemmet. Alt havde han lært sig selv, men hans musik duede kun når der var sang eller dans til. Han var ligeledes en kyndig mand i dyresygdomme og vidste og gav mange gode råd f.eks. satte livmoder ind hos søer og køer, kastrerede m.m.. Slagte kunne han også og han slagtede altid hos os og Mads Feddersen og mange steder som nødslagter, når et sygt dyr skulle lindres.

Poul Jensen Grosbøl

Written by Jens Petersen Grosbøl (July 7th 1869 - May 21st 1954), Terp, to Hans Schmidt, Kollund.
Dated November 9th 1946.

Poul Jensen Grosbøl (P.G.)

As you know he was an excellent farmer for his time, always ahead with his work, which was done well and always in a way enabling him to present his neighbours and other visitors with everything from barn, stable, and field in prime condition. For example when you saw his field from the road, that being corn, grass, or fallow field, and if you praised it he usually replied: "You should see it from the other end, from there it looks much better."
As mentioned, he wanted to be first both with seed and crops and when it was around those times he used to wander around to his neighbours to keep himself informed as to when they intended to begin the harvest. But he always advised them not to start too soon, "I think we will have to wait a few days" he used to say and then we all knew that he would start that very same day or the following. He always started at a place in the field that could not be seen from the nearest farms, and went on all day from daybreak till sundown at full speed. From the early morning his farm hand then had to be willing to prolong the day. The horses, which were always well fed would manage the hard task. When the seed was sown he then went around again to tell everyone that he had finished and encouraged everyone to do the same, as it was at high time. He used to express himself in this way: "Her er pinnede faae tille" He has finished darned early or "de æ pinnede å æ høj tie" that was about bloody time (Danish dialect from the southern part of Jutland. To most Danes as hard to understand as Welsh by the English). This was how he behaved in his hometown, but when he came to another town he said: "Vi har pinnede vær læng færre i Terp" we have been done a bloody long time in Terp.
His farm hands were treated well and were reasonably free to do as they pleased as long as they saw to it that they were always ahead with everything. Once P.G. had a farm hand who was somewhat lazy but very strong (he was the son of Niels Nielsen in Terp and he was called Nis. Later on he went to America) To properly illustrate both his strength and his laziness he told a story going like this: I have a farm hand who is very strong. One day he was ploughing alongside the road. As it was very cold he was wearing gloves. Then a man came along and asked for directions to Stenderup and Nis then picked the plough up of the ground and pointed in the direction of the town with it, you see he was too lazy to neither take off the gloves nor let go of the plough!
P.G. was as said before always the first at everything and therefore it also happened from time to time that he brought in some grain that was not entirely dry. "Rather that than having to spend valuable time squirting water from a bucket when the grain is too dry. For as we all know the grain must sprout, so that it grows green in the threshing floor so green that you can graze the ram at Christmas time. Then you wont get lambs too soon either."
The young people who came to work for him were taught well in accuracy and diligence.
P.G. was an excellent storyteller. He knew many stories of which many were not exactly fit for gentle ears. But he was ready to tell them at any occasion and everybody loved hearing them. Once at a wedding he eagerly told them where both the priest and the parish clerk were present. It was priest and parish clerk stories in particular in which the priest is the one to be conned. And even though everybody laughed so hard that tears came to their eyes the priest said:" I do think that you are exaggerating and fixing up the stories P.G.". PG simply replied: "Well if you do not believe them I will stop." But the priest almost shouted: "No tell, do tell".
The very same priest once said to P.G. "It is a long time since I last saw you in church. I do believe that you have only been there four times this year" P.G. replied: "Oh yes I have been there five times. But the one time I was sitting behind a pole under the ceiling, I do not think you saw me that time Reverend. Besides it is a fact that in wintertime it is too cold and in summer it is too hot and thus there is only a short time in spring and autumn where you can come - apart from the church festivals."
Another time the priest let a remark slip that he saw P.G. so rarely in church, but to that P.G. simply said: "Yes, those who have to attend church every Sunday must have a sorry excuse for a priest. But here where we have a good priest who knows how to give a good sermon we can live a long time before having to hear a new one, and therefore we do not have to come as often.
When he had company P.G. loved having a cup of coffee laced with spirits called a "kaffepunch"- otherwise he usually never drank. And so many people came calling - especially those who liked a "kaffepunch", for they knew that at P.Gs they were almost always offered such a one. "Æ keel æ ålti warm" the kettle is always on, P.G used to say.
Some of these guests poured the liquor in too generously though and got tipsy but P.G usually sent them on their way home before they got drunk. The people who came on a regular basis were Fred Schroeder, Per Haugaard, Laust Thomsen and Hans Lytken. Many funny anecdotes can be told from these visits, where the kaffepunch was plenty or the food and schnaps kept coming. Nobody ever went hungry or thirsty and certainly not the latter. One of the guests usually got his leg pulled for the amusement of the others but only to a certain degree, if the joke went too far someone said stop in order for the evening to continue pleasantly.
The four men mentioned in the above were very different people. Fred always laughed at the funny stories told but never took them seriously he just enjoyed a good story. Per was a serious man and believed every word P.G said as if they were Gods honest truth. Laust was almost always in money trouble and was therefore almost always in a bad mood and when the large kaffepunches had had their effect he was almost always shipped off to another farmer in the hope that this man would loan him some money. Hans was almost worn down from hard labour and loved the break he got from the daily toil at P.Gs. He also loved the food and one day after one too many kaffepunches a plate of biscuits was set on the table. When he saw them tears came to his eyes and he asked if he could have the ones left over with him home to give to his children. He got permission to do so and was very happy and grateful and now he really started to cry.
P.G was a helpful and charitable man also tight-fisted in his own way. For instance he rarely or never lent out cash but people of limited means could get both seed and other things as a present never as a loan.
And so the story goes that he was once on his way home from Gram and the light was fading. When he came to Vester Lindet it was so dark that he dared not drive any further without lights. He stopped at a small house and got the man who lived there to accompany him with a light. The next day he sent his farm hand over with two bushels of corn as he knew the man had many children to feed.
Another time he was in Øster Lindet and he made a stop at the inn called Nørrekro. As usually he ordered 3 kaffepunches one for himself one for Niels and one for Christian Lund who was sitting by the road breaking stone. P.G. asked him in for the drink and in he came. After the first one he had another and poured it rather generously and he began to get tipsy. Then P.G told him to go back to his work for he had not invited him in to get drunk only to warm him up. Niels and he would perhaps have another punch but they would not pour it so generously.

P.G was a heavy smoker, but no one ever saw him smoke a cigar or offer one to a friend neither out nor home. He smoked the pipe and bought his tobacco from a pedlar from Aabenraa who sold him 50 to 100 pounds at a time. Price 30-35 D.kr. He lit his pipe in bed in the morning an practically smoked it all day except when he was working then he put the pipe down where he started to work. If he did not return to this starting point he simply took another pipe or found another, which he had left on another occasion. He had a lot of pipes all with wooden heads and he knew just about where he had put them. He used a lot of matches not the new kind which you light on the box but the kind which you light on just about anything (in his case on the back of his trousers and his trousers had plenty of marks from that use). He may very well be the one to use that type of matches longer than anyone in the world. On an evening in the company of good friends he could use several bunches of them. When he told his stories he could easily have about a dozen used matches sticking up of his pipe head. Sometimes it even came to a point when he had to empty the pipe to make room for new matches, On those occasions more matches and less tobacco was used.
People used to ask him why he did not chew tobacco in that way the taste of tobacco would stay in his mouth all day. To that he replied; No because when I work I put my pipe down and then I may find it again, but if I put some good chew tobacco in the field I would not be able to find it again. Besides when you work you have to concentrate on that not the tobacco chewing plus if you chew tobacco while working you get black around the mouth and you spit all over and that is a foul habit.

In the hope that it was sufficient this was a bit of characteristics of P.G. There might be and there certainly are more stories to be told but some are not fit for publication and you might have heard some that not even I am familiar with.
He most certainly was an intelligent man in his own way, an intelligence, which might have led him far if he had had proper guidance. He played the violin and danced and both were a great joy to him. He loved a good song and song, dance and music was used a lot in his house. Everything he knew he had learned himself, but his music was no good if not accompanied by singing and dancing. He was also experienced in animal diseases and gave much advice and helped out wherever he could. For instance he knew how to refit the uterus in a cow when it had calved and performed geldings on pigs and bulls. He also did the slaughtering of livestock at our place and at Mads Feddersen's as well and if an animal was sick and had to be put down.

Translated by Randi Kølner-Augustson