Maine, A Guide 'Down East,'. PREFACE AS THE perspective broadens on the picture of the American scene, past and present, being portrayed by the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration in the American Guide Series, the State by State development of this vast panorama now brings into focus the Nations northeast corner. How strong a Iight Maines contribution can stand depends to a great extent upon ones point of view. Whatever the point of view, it should be remembered that the presentation of the many diverse eIements embodied in a State the size of Maine in a single volume is necessarily of a general nature, under the rather rigid requirements of a guidebook therefore certain phases may not seem to be treated in this book as thoroughly as they merit. An attempt has been made, however, to capture the spirit of Maine life and to high light the Maine scene for the visitor, without being either romantic or encyclopedic. The Maine staff of the Writers Project, like those of other States, has had its own particular trials and tribulations in preparing a Guide.
In presenting facts about Maine, the staff supreme effort at accuracy often bogged down before several accepted authorities who were at variance . on a given point. Items accepted as fact were wcasionalIy found to be legendary.