The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-06-27
IRurnOrS of the CenSuS.

In a lively article on the census, the New
York Times says:
For the next few weeks the city vii he
al the mercy OF Il whole legion of OH ial
Paul PryS armed with huge portfolios and
black lead pencils, who will invade tac
Sanctity of the private household, intern
gate the inmates on all sorts of impertineut
subjects by authority of the United States,
and ccmport themselves generally in avery
inquisitive way. These persons will no
even stop at tritlng queries in the pursuit
OF information, but will compel the OLE
maid. who still t1atters herself with bein!
possessed of some traces OF beauty anC
youth. TO disclose her correct are 10y cate
goric;tl quizzing i'll lawyer-likc style; will
torment the newly-wedded wife until slit
gives over all her little secrets about hel
birth, nationality, and educational advan'
tages, together with other facts which con
Germ nobody but herself, TO the custody O
her interlocutor, who will claim his right tt
procure the knowledge under commission
from the Federal Government.
The quiZZing will not be confined to the
gentle sex alone, for men will also have
their full share OF it. These inQuisitors, Sc
to speak, into domestic affairs are nothins
less than assistant United States marshals
temporarily appointed to take the census
of this city, to be published in time in
large book for the purpose of showing the
growth of our metropolis and of the coun
try ut large in the past decade. About ont
hundred and twenty-five respectable anc
intelligent men have already been sworn
into office, and have commenced the per.
Torrance of their duties. A few of them
have met with slight obstacles in the faith
ful execution of their mission, such as the
refusal of the obstinate and of the ignorant tt
answer the questions put to them. In ever.
instance where this opposition to the law il
exhibited District Attorney Pierrepont an(
Marshal Sharp have determined to prose
cute the offenders for misdemeanOrs under
the Federal statutes.
Several ludicrous incidents have occurred
Mt some Of the houses which the enumera
| tors have visited. For instance, a stalwart
| nationaliZed German, in one of the mos
denSely populated districts in the Seven
teenth ward, displayed L most protoun(
ignorance in regard to geographical matters
| asked if he was of American birth, he sait
"Nein, nein, beese p Pennsylvania Dutch
man." Another sovereign Of the soil alst
answered negatively the question Us to hi
American birthright, saying that he wa
born in Connecticut. This latter individual
was found in the Thirteenth ward. A mu.
latto asserted that he was bred in jamaica
West Indies, in the State of Long Island.
4 shoemaker up town alleged that he wa
able to write, and presented the census
taker with specimen of his chirography
which was too cabalistic, however, for tina
official to decIpher. One pater .fanslhas
residing in broWn-stone mansion on Muir
ray Hill, was so blissfully ignorant of hi
family affairs as to be incapable Of telling
the ages Of his different children. Anothel
man of outwardly comfortable and refined
circumstances seemed to have led such
Wandcring-Jew sort of life rs to have for
gotten the date Of his birth. Several OLE
married couples found it impossible t
state when they became husbands ant
wives, and were not able to furnish infor
nation about how many sons and daughter
they had who were alive, and how man.
who were dead, until after good deal o
reckoning, in which they made their finger
represent children.
One Irish washerwOman became quit
wrothy when the unoffending enumerato
who called on her wanted to know II SIN
had been so blessed as to have had secont
husband. Numerous attempts were mad
to deceive the assistants, and to escape iron
their rigid examination by pretending tina
persons had already called and obtained tht
information which they sought. A femal
who resorted to this subterfuge exposed
herself by stating that her visitor was
deputy sheriff. THE entire force of emu
merators, numbering about two hundred
and fifty, will be commissioned during LII
present week.