MAKE A CONTRIBUTION

"A little's a lot,
A lot, O Lord,
When nothing's what you've got."

To date, none of the grant-making agencies and foundation to which I've applied has seen fit to support this Vagabond exploration of what makes us middle western. Indeed - from their perspective - there is probably more pressing business than mine.

Yet we endure, we carry on.

Any contribution you might make to help defray the costs of travel and accommodations and other expenses for my project will certainly be appreciated. Unfortunately, as we do not have non-profit status, you can't take a tax deduction if you help out. We hope you'll help anyway.

Make checks payable to:
Tom Montag
PO Box 8
Fairwater, WI 53931.

Those contributing $20 or more will receive at least 100 pages an occasional newsletter reporting on status of the project, usually starting with the current issue.

And I'll list on this page the names of all contributors to this Vagabond expedition, unless you request otherwise, both for monetary contributions and for offers of housing. See below.

A VAGABOND EDITORIAL: THANK YOU
-------------Tom Montag-------------

From Vagabond #5, July 2003
This spring I received notification for the third time from a prestigious private foundation that it wouldn't be funding any of my Vagabond work. In recent years I have also received similar responses twice each from the state and federal agencies to which I've applied for funding; they, too, have better things to do with their money.

Perhaps my friend John has finally convinced me to give up such supplication. He is concerned that a writer spends time and energy writing grant proposals when that same time and energy should be devoted to a fellow's life work, writing the real stuff. Well, how do I argue with him - I'm already behind in my work. As many of you know, I have instead taken to appealing to my readers for help.

And look how you've responded! I think we are making history.

It's like "listener-supported radio," but I'm not NPR. Yet look at what you've done.
As of May 15, 2003, forty-two readers have made contributions, eight of whom made multiple contributions. Twenty-eight of you have sent $20-30 each. Seven have sent $31-50. Four have contributed $51-100. And three private benefactors have each provided $1000 for the continuation of my work; one of these contributions was given as a "memorial." Excluding the wonderful and unexpected $1000 surprises, the average size of contributions has been about $33.

How will the money be spent? Well, as an example, my credit card charges for Vagabond expenses from April 16-May 10 came to $853.83. Of this, office supplies for the newsletter (toner cartridges, paper, envelopes) cost $342. Postage was $175.17; motel, $283; and gasoline for my travels, $53.18. I estimate my total expenses for the Vagabond project over the next five years as follows:

Newsletter & postage - $14,910
Travel/mileage - $12,260
Travel/food - $4,500
Travel/motels - $2,750
GRAND TOTAL - $34,420

How did I derive these estimates?

A 14-page newsletter costs $362 to print; postage to my current mailing list is $135. If I send out six issues per year times five years, total newsletter costs (with postage) come to $14,910.

Total combined mileage driving to my focus communities is 5,449 miles. If I get to each community an average of 7.5 times in the course of the project, as expected, total miles will be 40,867.5. At a conservative 30 cents per mile, travel costs will come to: $12,260.25.

If I spend $10/day for food (which, if you know me, you might think is a little on the low side) and average five days per visit to each focus community on the 7.5 visits I'll make, food will cost $4500.

Thus far I've paid for eleven nights of motel rooms in the course of my visits when other accommodations haven't been provided, at an average cost of about $50 a night. Should I average eleven nights per year in motel rooms over the course of the project, the total cost will be $2,750.

I haven't included some expenses here, such as books. Such as the audio tapes I use for recording interviews (and I expect to use 720 of these by the end of the project).

I cannot tell you how grateful I am for the contributions you've made. You, my readers, are making this project possible. You send me money, you write me letters of encouragement, you make suggestions. I know that I have a special responsibility to the many people in my focus communities who open their lives to me, who grant me long and probing interviews; I must do the right thing with the material I'm gathering. And I know I have a special responsibility to you, my readers; I must do the right thing with the money you send, and I intend to. I fully expect by the time I've finished, you and I will know as much about what makes us middle western as it is possible to know.

So, friends, THANK YOU. If my appreciation were coffee, your cup would overflow.


MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS

Elaine Cavanaugh
Hartford, WI
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Marshall Cook
Madison, WI
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Anonymous #1
Wisconsin
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Dave Engel
Rudolph, WI
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Anonymous #2
Wisconsin
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Phyllis Walsh
Richland Center, WI
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P.F. Allen
O'Fallon, IL
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Larry & Pat Allen
Curlew, IA
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Mike & Marjorie Gowdy
Ames, IA
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David Pichaske
Marshall, MN
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Lynne Burgess
Holmen, WI
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Justin Isherwood
Plover, WI
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Emmett Johns
Albuquerque, NM
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Bob & Kathy Schuster
Monona, WI
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Anonymous #3
Kansas
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Tim Lyke
Ripon, WI
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Janice Simon
Berthoud, CO
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Mike Abel
Weatherby, MO
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Carol Ordal
Urbana, IL
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Hansa Pistotnik
Westfield, WI
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Sue Czarnionka
York, ME
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David Clewell
St. Louis, MO
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M.J. Hatfield
Ames, IA
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Ripon Senior Center
Ripon, WI
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B.G. Wright
Vandalia, IL
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Gladys Giedd
Rugby, ND
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Marge Van Gorp
Alexandria, MN
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Minnie Osterholt
Alexandria, MN
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Philip & Oma Montag
Hampton, IA
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Peggy Burgard
Rugby, ND
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Mary Montag
Fairwater, WI
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Kathryn Whitford
Fairwater, WI
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Diane Wachdorf
Eldorado, WI
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Phyllis Rames
Vandalia, IL
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Special Collections, Murphy Library
UW-La Crosse
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Linda Hanabarger
Vandalia, IL
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Phil Hey
Sioux City, IA
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Beulah Brown
Vandaila, IL
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Ruth Koerner
Hampton, IA
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Blythe Edge
Humboldt, IA
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Fr. Verne Stapenhorst
West Bend, IA
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IN MEMORY OF
Meredith Ackley
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Barbara Presley
Oskaloosa, IA
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Paul & Diane Hommerding
Alexandria, MN
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David Guthridge
Fowler, IN
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Benton County Historical Society
Fowler, IN
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Julie Treiber
Fond du Lac, WI
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Josie Shatz Opitz
Redfield, SD
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Richard Boudreau
La Crosse, WI
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Dale Braunschweig
Osakis, MN
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Joe Hatcher
Ripon, WI
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Fuller McBride
Fond du Lac, WI
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Hazel Jones
Vandalia, IL
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Nancy Gehrke
North Mankato, MN
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Lockwood Library, Univ. at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY
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Richard Angle
Fowler, IN
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Geri Burk
Ripon, WI
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John Murphy
Maysville, MO
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David Brostrom
Waukesha, WI
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Nancy Rafal
Baileys Harbor, WI
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Marilyn Quist
Manawa, IA
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Myram Tunnicliff
Emmetsburg, IA
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Shirley Sanger
Zell, SD
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Mike Ognacevic
Appleton, WI
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Rose Robacker
Newfoundland, PA
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Clarence Bourland
Fond du Lac, WI
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Michael Goc
Friendship, WI
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Kathy Keilen
Faribault, MN
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Roger & Margot Brockmeyer
San Jose, CA
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Sally Jordan
Emmetsburg, IA
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Anonymous #4
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Anonymous #5
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An Anonymous Admirer from New York
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ACCOMMODATIONS &
OFFERS OF HOUSING
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Sally Jordan
Emmetsburg, IA
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Dave & Judy Nixon
Emmetsburg, IA
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Bob Ascheman
Des Moines, IA
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Bobbi Miles
Smith Center, KS
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Paul & Carolyn Peterson
Alexandria, MN
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Mike Abel
Weatherby, MO
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J.J. Wikle
Eaton, OH
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OAKWOOD INN & CAMPGROUND
601 Hwy. 2 SW
Rugby, ND 58368
701-776-5272
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RUGBY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
224 Hwy. 2 SW
Rugby, ND 58368
701-776-5846
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THE VANDALIA MAIN STREET PROGRAM
219 South Fifth Street - Second Floor
Vandalia, Illinois 62471
618-283-8751
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FAYETTE CO. GENEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PO Box 177, Vandalia, IL 62471
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BRAZLE HAUS BED & BREAKFAST
Brazle Lane, RR 1, Box 50A, Brownstown, IL 62418
618-347-2207
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JAY'S INN
720 W, Gochenour St.
Vandalia, IL 62471
618-283-1200
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DAYS INN
1920 Kennedy Blvd.
Vandalia, IL 62471
618-283-4400
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RAMADA INN
Rt. 40 West
Vandalia, IL 62471
618-283-1400
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Marlin Flint
Redfield, SD
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Dale & Linda Hanabarger
Vandalia, IL
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Dick & Gwen Lindberg
West Point, NE
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Don & Phyllis Rames
Vandalia, IL
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Stan and Charlene Forbes
Vandalia, IL
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Thelma & Bob Glaspie
Oxford, IN
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Tish & Ken Ringle
Fowler, IN

Vagabond Home Page
Vagabond Newsletter
Vagabond Statement of Intent
Contributions to Vagabond
The Vagabond Schedule
Middlewestern Characteristics Questionaire
Contact Tom Montag
Page Revised: October 1, 2004