Montana labor news., 1936-07-16
MONTANA GUIDE Is
AT LAST COMPLETED

STATE UNIVERSITY, Missoula-
(SpeciaD-The Montana State Guide is
practically finished, but il will be
some time before the book, a survey OF
all phases Of Montana life, history and
tours, is published.
The purpose OF the book is to pro-
vide an accurate, interesting review OF
the entire state, its history and re-
sources, its educational facilities, its
ethnic backgrounds and social customs.
It will be published as soon as the final
script has been approved by the federal
government and a publisher selected.
Compilation OF the Montana Guide
has been under the direction of Prof.
H. G. Merriam, chairman Of the Eng
lish department at Montana State Uni
versity, and editor of the regional
quarterly literary magazine, Frontier
and Midland, published at the institu-
ton. Professor Merriam left for the
University Of Oregon On June Is to
teach at the summer session there.
Final details Of the project are being
worked out by the new director,
Horace Chadbourne, Of Kalspell, and
the acting director, Richard Lake,
State University Alumnus who has
been with the Caxton Printers, Cald-
well, Idaho, for several years.
Characteristic OF the material in
Guided in the survey are its frankness
and accuracy. There is no attempt to
paint rosy pictures or to sell the state
to visitors. The Guide is an effort to
tell faithfully the story Of Montana and
its resources.
1t was in January that the staff be-
gan to be amazed at the magnitude OF
its task. Before that the work had
been largely one Of personnel selec-
ton.
By May IS, although the staff
thought that the deadline would never
be met, a first copy OF the Guide had
been sent to Washington, D. c., where
it received the commentator Of fed
eral officials.
The staff of the Guide faced enor-
nous difficulties during the winter
months, when little could be done be-
cause of the extreme cold in all parts
of the state. But as spring approached,
the staff was able to make up for lost
time, with the result that the May Is
deadline was met.
One Of the writer's who worked in
the Billings region wrote during the
spring that he and his-co-worker would
like to make a projected tour through
the Powder river region if no m else
had been assigned there.
I'VE really would like to make a tour
for about three days, stopping over at
the county seat a day or SO and taking
pictures Of the interesting places as we
went along, and taking notes also. We
would camp out and our only expense
would be for eats and gas. We believe
that the way we have mapped it that it
would be a very picturesque tour-out
of the ordinary run Of tourist trails.
Both OF us would like to go even if
we are not paid for it."
Early in the year Director Merriam
established the custom Of sending two
workers to a county, where they
worked together until they had com
piled the necessary information. In a
few counties, however, only one writer
was stationed.
After his writer's had compiled in
formation and had written a first copy
Of it, Director Merriam's Missoula
staff gathered it in the proper form
and then it was sent to authorities and
consultants in the regions it described.
After it had been criticized by Cham
bers of Commerce and local individuals,
the material was revised. The final re-
vision Of this matchmaking one
complete first copy - was then shipped
to Washington, d. c., before the dead
line, May Is,
A second revision is now half COM
pleted.
Here and there workers we're able
to obtain little-known information on
sidelights of Montana history. Much
of this material is being incorporated
in the Guide. Other items have been
sent to the national publicity director
of this project, Howard f. Greene.