The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-09-22
How they Take the Census The Surprising
story of Sidney L. Morse.


Sra copy Of your paper Of the 10th inst
has been put into hands, aud In Marshal Shapes
letter, in paragraph which OF your as, istants
has beaded "Falsehoods E1posed"I read as fol.
lows:
nd ALLEGING that no enumorator hnd visited his
house. Upon examining tio returns OF the district
wherein he resides, l find the names of Mr.. Sidney
Morse and his family together with the statistical
Information regarding them
In my letter in the Herald here referred to said
~ resided at est Finieh street from tie lst OF
June to tho 30th OF July, and was anxiously expect
ing all the while to be furnished by the census taker
with blanks 10 be dlled up with the names, &c, OF
the fourteen persons who were members OF my fam
ny on the LIST OF June cannot learn that any
member OF my family was spoken to on the subject
OF the census during that time"
To my letter census taker replied In the Herald
that he did call, and that be obtained the iniorma-
ton, which no deemed sufficient from Henry
Simons, my colored waiter l have questioned
Henry on the subject, and he says that he has q
vague recollection that one day in duly man met him
on the steps near my door, and asked who lived In the
house. the ages OF myself and Of my WIFE, and other
questions respecting some OF tho members OF the
family. lie recoocts telling him that was II years
old but to the ages, birthpaces &c, OF the rest
except bis own, and those OF or TWO OF the ser.
wants, he could not have told him, for he did not
know them. Henry did not know that the man v as
census taker, nor what his object was In asking
him such questions lie thinks the interview could
not have lasted tlIee minutes and the matter made
so little impression on hls mind that he never
thought OF speaking to mo about It,
On Saturday last went to the Z, 3. harshaNs
ONCE TO see what report had been made N him by
this census taker, and found that, instead of II
persons In my family, he had reported only u. OF
my servants he had the names Of only y, and Of
the other members Of the family he had tho names
OF only g. Against OF the namts reported tner ;
were errors which could have corrected II had
| been applied to and against my own name almost
| every entry was All error. l was put down as born
| In New York instead Of Massachusetts. My real
estate placed at lite more than oneenth Of
is market value, aud personal estate, " estimated
| by the rule adopted In assessing for taxation st
| more than ten times its real amount. one OF the
| six PERSONS reported as emher OF my faulty IL
pure myth no person Of that name and description
| having ever resided under my roof
lam happy to add that Marshal Sharpe assures
| me that correct report Of my family shall be IN.
terled In the census. He appears to be earnest
Gesrous that all errors arising from the Incidence
| and negligence of his deputies shall be corrected
This must be done on or before the 25th inst or Il
will be too late II is TO be hoped that all who have
been overlooked or incorrect reported will stir IL
ms matter. Tor full and accurate census Is OF in
estimnOle importance to the interests OF science AM
| OF our republican Institutions. Yours truly,
SIDNEY II. MORSE.