Evening star., 1938-10-24
WRITER'S IN W.P.A.
TO SET RECORD
Nations Biggest Research
Project Will Contain
400 Volumes.

4Qc NdCIOIl biggest uCeTary research
Job, the American Guide Series" of
the w. P. A. writers project, is unique
among Governments relief projects.
1t is the only thing Of its sort which
has had practically unanimous praise
1t contemplates now the publication
of around 400 volumes, and even the
book publishers are enthusiastic
That's because, says Henry G.. Ais
berg. national director, the job could
not have been done by anything less
than an army. The number OF work.
srs employed on it has varied from
5000 to 5000, and all have been
needed. No publisher could have
done it.
They will turn out around 20 million
words before they have finished the
work in sight now-guides for the 48
States. many city and district guides,
encyclopedias for the States, guides to
the important highways and all that.
No Real End In Sight.
But there is no real end in sight,
Mr. Alsberg adds The work began in
October, 1885. with the State guides
In view, and it's been a case of hold
ing down the possible by-products ever
since. As long as there are needy
writer's and Government money with
which to pay each his less than 500
monthly. valuable books can be pro-
duced.
Now under pressure, a complete
guide to any national highway could
be prepared in few days In addi-
ton, as long as the project exists, fu-
ture editions of books already pub
lished can be kept up to date-a staff
Is continually checking and recheck-
ing, and whole buildings are stuffed
with the raw material dug up
The American Guide Series" reminds
Mr.. Alsberg little of the packing in
dustry, because its by-products have
been so numerous and in some cases
80 important.
National! Guidebook.
The capsheaf, not strictly a by
product, is to be monumental ma
tlonal guidebook to the United States
in six volumes. one for each geographic
cal district. There are condensations
and Installations of the 4s State guides,
plus certain new material appropriate
to the idea
Minor by-products are incredibly
diverse. There is book on the
Armenians in Massachusetts,, for ex-
ample, and another on the Italians
in New York-both studies that would
occupy years if undertaken by one man.
Only one book has been signed by
an author-Jeremiah Digges' Cape
Cod Pilot"
There is guide to Death Valley
and book on trade jargons and an
other on place names. A book on the
Negro in the United States and an
other Of stories told by old Negroes
are on the list.
The project has records and pho
tographs of 10000 American build
tngs and six-volume book on Arneri-
can architecture will eventually
emerge.
Book on Architects.
A book of biographies OF American
architects is listed. Another is called
America Eats" There is another on
the signers of the Constitution.
New Jersey has used tens of thou
sands of set of 80 historical bulle-
tins prepared for her schools; the
history OF Cincinnati has been done
three times by the project-once for
primary classes, again for the grades
and finally for the high schools
A book on reptiles is planned, an
other on birds Who's Who in the
Zoo already has been successfully
published
A number of city almanacs COM
bine information and humor.
There will be volumes of folklore
and a number Of collections of tall
tales"
The big hurdle, according to Mr..
Alsberg, was not getting the material
or preparing 1t for publication. 1t
was getting it published where the
public could reach it.
The Washington Guide" an ex-
cellent job, was issued by the Gov-
eminent Printing Ofice-and nobody
bought it. Then technique of offer
ing the books to commercial publishers
was developed, in each case through
q sponsoring individual or group. since
the Government could not publish a
book commercially.
The system works. Governors, plan
ming commissions, groups of writer's.
historical societies and all such like
are officiating. The result will be
the greatest collection Of source mate
rial on the United States in existence
plus a living for some thousands of
writer's.