Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1880-07-01
What a New York Censns Enumeraior
Sees.

A REPORTER OF the Ercginq Post re.
I Gently accompanied one Of the census
euumerators in his tour through mum.
I her OF huuses in Baxtef and Bavnrd
streets, As al illustration Of the dense
I population it this part III tie city, Ii
may be said that nj noon yesterday the
ehumerator had completed his work IN
twenty-thrce houses, aud had secured
eleven hundred and tgenty-seyen
/ names, an average Of feri nine names
ia each house, ani eTcG sfiE s. ni,f .f
fair estimate "a in two OF three OF the
7 honscs families who could not speak a
word Of English, aud who had recently
moved in, were found who could not
give any information concerning them.
selves. nor could any of the nGighbors
give It for them, Ia Baxter street, be-
tween Leonard street and "Bottle Al
ley" number Of dilapidated wooden
and brick novels were found, inhabited
by .he very poorest and most degraded
class Of Italians and negroes. Ia the
basement OF one OF these novels
an Italian kept what he styled n
"hotelo Here in dirt and
smoke beVrimed room four or i've feet
below the level OF the sidewalk dozen
or fifteen men and women were seated
or standing drinking stale beer. The
proprietor OF the hoteln said that
these men and women were his board
ers" In another house colony OF
Maltese were fonnd who could not
speak word of English, and no inter-
prefer could be found TO make known
the errand OF the census-taker. In a
rear house on BAyard street, near the
corner Of Baxter, a large number of
Polish jews were assembled. and in
each family were from four 10 eight
children. Abraham, Sarah and Rachel
were the names most frequently record
ed i'm this ueighborhood At first some
OF the women, who We're generally at
home, were inclined 10 refuse informa-
ton, but when the purpose for which
this information was desired WAS fully
explained to them, generally through
the agency Of one of their children
they answered all questions readily. In
several cases only young girls were
found at home, and they answered the
Z questions OF the enumeratOr IN bold
I manner and ioked with him about his
/ work one asked him if ne would mar.
~ her or procure her a nice-looking
I husband II she would tell her age truly.
One woman who was 10 charge Of a
small grocery store in tie basement of
Bayard street tenement said in reply
10 the request OF the eaumerator for
her name, % don't know my name nor
my husbands name" The threat Of
the enumerator 10 call in an officer and
arrest her, however. had the effect of
stirring up her memory, and she gave
all the Information desired On the
upper lioor Of the same house family
of Polish Jews were found Here, in a
room measuring about twelve feet
square, four grown persons and six chill
dren were sitting about n table eating
their dinner. A pan of fish was cook
ing on the stove, and the floor was
covered with dirt, and a child about Il
year and ha,f old sat on q bundle Of
dirty rags in cradle gnawing piece
Of " schwartz brodn The child's face
was covered with dirt and sores, and
the whole appearance OF the room indi-
Gated the most abject poverty, The
enumerntor received the names of
Abraham and Sarah his wife, their
seven children and a boarder and left
the room.
On one lot about eighteen feet in
width in Bayard street there were
found three hOuses---a wratched dilap-
idated frame building on the front Of
the lot, four-story brick building in
the rear aud threo-story brick build
ing midway between them. In these
four houses nineteen families, number
ing seyonty-seyen persons, are accom-
moda,ed. In two Of them the reporter
saw the motto "God Bless our Homen
displayed, and in almost every other
room were Hebrew pictures, symbols
and placards. In one room a middle
aged man was found on his knees with
his face to the east and Hebrew Bible
spread out ON a chair before him.
Without changing his position he an
swered all the questions asked him by
the enumerator, and was again engaged
in his deyotions, when the enumerator
and the reporter left the room. N T.
ECeHtltq Post.