Early Days in the Forest Service Volume 3

A LIBRARIAN'S REPORT
By Eva Amen
(Retired 1933)

When my sister* and I came out to Missoula, Montana, in December 1908, having obtained jobs in District 1 of the U. S. Forest Service, everything was new and interesting to us. We had never been West before, and we were intrigued by the primitiveness of the town and the simplicity of conditions. The fact that the streets were mostly unpaved and, in the part of town where we were located, ran water ankle-deep in the spring, disturbed us not at all. The site of our location was just about where the Federal Building now stands.

When the Missoula River rose in its might and washed out the wobbly little footbridge connecting the north and south sections of the town, interest rose to a high pitch in "Silviculture," which overlooked the river, and the entire office force rushed to the windows to view the catastrophe - planks of the bridge turning over and over, driven downstream by the angry waters.

My sister, who was a good stenographer and typist, was well-placed at once, but I, who was a typist only, was sent to what was then called "Maintenance," where I was found not to have sufficient speed for an office receiving the overflow from all the other offices. So I was adrift. But shortly I went on trial to Silviculture where I remained until the District decided to establish a technical library. I was put in charge and as I had had a little experience in library work in my first job in the War Department, I was much pleased. I was accustomed to the handling of books and I enjoyed them.

There was a collection of books on forestry and allied subjects in a dark closet, and these I brought out into the light of day and went to work. Several of the books I found were the property of various forests of which District 1 was headquarters; these I segregated and returned where they belonged. For those left over there was already a catalogue, but in such a confused condition as to be practically useless. This I was able to remedy and I arranged the volumes on shelves available to me and, with the catalogue neatly disposed in cartons (temporarily), I surveyed my achievement with pride. Thus a library was started (a sub-office under Silviculture). From then on the library and I advanced together. I held the post until my retirement many years later. Indeed, we all advanced the town, for it now had a consultative body along forestry lines.

It was in those early years that the Savenac Nursery was established. In the course of time it developed, if I am not mistaken, into the largest nursery of its kind in the World.

Because of a slight knowledge of French possessed by me I was detailed, together with one of the Service men, to accompany to Savenac the Secretary of Agriculture of Brazil, a visitor to the District. It was a delightful detail. The Secretary understood English, but he told me that when he was called upon to speak it he became horribly confused and was hopelessly at sea. But between French and English we managed very comfortably.

During World War I we paraded for the honor of the flag and many members of the Service held rummage sales to raise money for the cause; one, notably, organized by my sister and her chief, realized the very substantial sum of a thousand dollars:

Years before, the District instituted annual get-togethers which never lacked originality. I shall record only one such occasion when, as usual, we were present. It was bruited about mysteriously some time before the date of the party that a very lovely lady - a stranger - would be with us. Of course, great curiosity was aroused, but nothing could be learned as to who the lady was nor where she was to come from.

When the long-expected evening arrived and we were all assembled waiting, the lady was escorted in to the elevator by an attentive bodyguard and ushered into our presence. A gleeful shout of welcome met her. The lady was a fine, upstanding young mare.

*Miss Mathilde Ammen (now deceased)

Members of 1913 District Office staff. 1. P.S. Gray; 2. C.L. Smith; 3. John J. Quinn; 4. R.J. Moore; 5. J.P. Boyd; 6. W.H. Henderson; 7. F.F. Plummer; 8. F.A. Silcox; 9. Henry Farquhar; 10. J.A. Urbanowitz; 11. R.H. Rutledge; 12. C.O. Wilhite; 13. Joe Streit; 14. Joe Halm; 15. Henry J. Weil; 16. Charles Skeels; 17. G.I. Porter; 18. George Lautz; 19. Elmer Johnson; 20. F.E. Thieme: 21. Myrtle Grace; 22. Mathilde Anunen; 23. L.I. Brower; 24. M.A. Hofstetter; 25. F.E. Paulsen; 26. Charles Farmer; 27. O.M. Wold; 28. Frank Cool; 29. J.F. Preston; 30. L. Padgett; 31. E. Byberg; 32. Vina Sadler; 33. Lucy Likes; 34. Dorothy Davis; 35. I.L. Lambrecht; 36. F.M. Watts; 37. Erma Davis; 38. B.M. Yates; 39. H.M. West; 40. Eva Arrunen