The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-18
Bright Young Men to Pilot Visitors
Through the Maze Of
Attractions.
They Are to Come Almost En-
tirely From the Colleges
and Universities.
WIN He Thoroughly Drilled In Their Due
tiss-Distinct From the Guards
What They VIII DO.

CHICAGO, Feb. lI-Elve hunoreo OF moro
college or high school graduates OF students
will form the Columbian guide corps at the
worlds fair grounds next summer. These
guides will not be paid . large salary. but
they will bs given the opportunity Of a
lifetime 70 learn more Of what Is going on
in tho world in six montAs than a college
training of four years would accomplish.
The Columbian guiaos will form an an
mex to the Columbian guards of the expo
siticu compxny. The Columbian guards
ara an organized military body under the
command of Col. Edmund Rioe. u. 8. A.
Col. Rice has now nearly 600 mon under
his command, and by the time
the exposition opens he expects 10
have 1000. These men are trained 10 fight
fires and insubordinate persons who visit
jackson park. Their frst duties may be
considered those of discovering accidents
and inosptivs nres. s~eoondarily up to this
date their duties have been to answer qaes-
lions, direct visitors. and restrain them
from entering buildings whore they are for
hidden.
The Columbian guides are to be an on
tirsly different class Of msn from the Col
umbian guards. The guides are to be high
school or college mon. II will make little
differences about their size and weight SO
long as they are intelliRent and are stud
iously enough inclined to master all the
features of Jackson park. They must be
men capable Of fixing in their memory
the exact location Of each building
on the grounds and it, dimensions. This
In itself will require q weeks patient study
ON the part Of the Colur .bian kuide. After
he has mastered the plat OF the grounds,
the location of the seventy-ive or more
buildings, he must then DO able to tell the
visitor Who employs him where are the
striking exhibits of the nations of the
earth, 40 we'll rs the various states. In
fact, these Columbian guides must %
walking encyclopaedia. Il 10 expected that
they will be called to Chicago, that il.
those whose applications have been favor
ably acted upon, by April Is. This will
give them two weeks in which to wander
about the 600 acres of exhibits in Jackson
park; including tho midway p!''''n's'
To be an acceptable guide tbs applicant
must NOT be uadsr II nor over 40 years old.
He must pass in addition to this a physical
examination, but the main requirements
will be q good manner. q clear eve. and an
intelligence satisfying to the visitors who
employ the services Of . guide. The greater
the number Of languages he can speak the
more certain will be his promotion and ad-
ysuoement of pay. Next summer 1t IL ex-
pected there will be visitors from the vari-
Gus ends of the earth. II will require a
polyelot guide 70 be valuable and accommo-
date all those who may apply for his ser
are desired. They are expected to be in
telligent. honest, and the masters. in
a measure. OF one or two languages.
As indicated, their pay will not BE- large.
but the educational f%eatures OF their
employment arc expected to compensate
for low wages. Indeed, there is reason to
believe that this is thoroughly appreciated
BY the yonns men in the colleges from Cor
nell to the university OF California. At
least, applications from students At uni
versities betwesn these points have been re-
ceivsd. Capt. Farnham. who has charge of
applications for positions on the corps OF
guides, has received $40 letters. He had to
read through seventy yesterday, seventy
Saturday q like number Thursday and
Friday, and he estimates that there are at
least seventy letters moro on his desk wait
ing to be filed.
The guides will be expected to 30 through
military drill. 1t will include the salute
and like features. The guides will mot be
expected to take oognizance Of persons who
commit misdemeanors or engage in
thievery or brawls. That will be loft to tbs
guards, but the guides will be obliged to 90
bu1OuR0 y ITO uTlAs l1c A1o oklAk IN II
tended to acquaint them with the location
of all the hose reels In the various build
ings, the Babcock extinRuishsrs, the water
buckets, etc. They are to be hremsn in q
sense as we'll as guides.
1t will not be an extremely easy matter TO
become q member Of the corps of guides.
The applicant must satisfactorily answer
the questions on . large three-paRs fixed
form. The questions he mrst answer will
include his full name, place of birth, abil-
ity to read and write the English language
understandingly. whether or not he ia .
graduate or student Of any school, college
or university, and a statement of his de-
scriptive powers. He will nlso DO required
TO indicate whether he is married and has =
family. According to the. physical exam
ination TO be undergone he must have good
hearing. perfect vision, absence Of color
blindness, and must be vsocinated. When
he gets before the medical examiner he
must DO found to BIS in good health. The
guides will probably be given q uniform By
the exposition company.