Harmon’s Histories: Vacations are for change, not rest, advises early UM prof

By Jim Harmon

“The last lesson has been assigned, the laboratory duties are over, the breakage settled, the first commencement of the University of Montana is upon us, and all will soon be a thing of the past.”

It was the end of the inaugural year of classes at the University of Montana. The students were about to take their first summer break from college, and one of their professors had some advice.

Morton J. Elrod wrote in the June 1, 1898 edition of the campus paper, The Kaimin, “The summer is before us. What is the best way to use it?”

Quoting from a favorite poem, he continued, “Rest is not quitting the busy career; Rest is the fitting of self for its sphere.”

“These words,” he said, “are not penned for those who do not yet see a serious side to life. We are not inclined to waste time or worry over those who have no ambition in life ... those who thankfully make up a decided minority of the student population. Such persons will soon drop out of the race.”

Vacation, he suggested, should not mean a time for rest, but a time for change. “We do not need rest. We are not fitted to stop work and lie idle. Indeed, no student can do so. What is needed is not a cessation from all work, but a change of work.”

Some background on Elrod, from an article I wrote a few years ago: In 1888, a decade before moving to Montana, he married Emma Hartshorn. According to data in Archives West, “They had two children; one died at birth in 1898. The other, Mary Elrod Ferguson, attended the University of Montana and became the assistant director of the university museum and Dean of Women.”

In those early years of the University, the campus closed down in summertime, giving Elrod the opportunity to explore Glacier Park and Flathead Lake for months at a time.

His first priority was establishing the Flathead Lake biological station, one of the first freshwater labs in the United States. Originally set up at the north end of the lake, Elrod moved it to Yellow Bay around 1910.

Meantime - back to exploring the contents of that first Kaimin newspaper: there was a fascinating opinion piece on vandals and vandalism by an anonymous letter writer, who simply signed his article with an “X”.

“The Vandal nation perished completely before the end of the seventh century; but some of the descendants have been recently discovered in Missoula and even among the University students.”

“Certain young persons in the University were observed to have a curious fondness for destroying and defacing books, furniture, and buildings.”

“The Vandals are undoubtedly with us as surely as the army worms; and self protection becomes a very important question.”

The writer’s first suggestion was to “clearly identify the person and then render him powerless. Of course modern humanity forbids killing and maiming him, or even of putting him in a straight jacket, or other restraint of that sort.”

“So there seems to be but one thing available for our protection, and that is to shut him up in some isolated and secure school or asylum. We have already schools for the blind, the feeble minded, and the vicious; and we must have another for the Vandals.”

Such a place would have to be “very large (since) probably very few will ever be cured and released. The institution should be placed in an isolated, easily guarded, healthful, cool, and airy situation. The summit of the Lo Lo has all these conditions and will be an ideal location for the Vandal asylum.”

But such things take time, so “X” suggested part of the basement of University Hall might be left with walls of brick and stone and fitted with furnishings of non-planed lumber as a temporary asylum until the state can furnish the needed accommodations for these unfortunates.”

“Other suggestions,” he wrote, “are invited and will be gladly received.”

Jim Harmon is a longtime Missoula news broadcaster, now retired, who writes a weekly history column for Missoula Current. You can contact Jim at fuzzyfossil187@gmail.com. His best-selling book, “The Sneakin’est Man That Ever Was,” a collection of 46 vignettes of Western Montana history, is available at harmonshistories.com.