Stories

In the early 1820s, a new copper boiler was purchased for Pikiruukki from the Avesta pitch factory in Sweden. The copper boiler was brought in pieces from Stockholm, first to Kaarlela (Gamlakarleby), where a blacksmith riveted the pieces together. Thereafter, it was transported to Pikiruukki and masoned to its place of use. All the work phases took a long time; for example, the masonry work lasted for about two weeks. Some of the joint owners of Pikiruukki brought the issue to court because of not having been informed enough about the expensive purchase. Some of them did not want to participate in paying the invoice, probably because Pikiruukki was not very profitable at the time. Some of the owners no longer lived in Pietarsaari, which may also have reduced their willingness to pay. However, the court decided that all of them had to pay for the costs of the new boiler based on the amount of their shares. The disagreements were soon forgotten and pitch manufacture continued at Pikiruukki as before. (Björklund 1987, 8)