Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-07-29
Experience or a Census Man.

Lexington avenues and Eightieth and
Eighty-fouTth streets, which he found
to contain a population of 2,27l. He
began his task every morning at eight
O'Clock and ended it generally at six,
but sometimes seven in the evening.
taking lunch and siesta at noon. He Is
a tall, dark, wiry, determined sort OF
man, of about thirty-tive, who. rs he
says himself, started out with his mind
made up to be rs polite as possible under
ali circumstances, but resolved to stand
mo shenanigans" if the law was not
complied with, and he kept the afore-
said law before him like lantern to
guide him all along in the path of his
duty: -,
when I'd ask a lady" said he, "for
her age, she might say, is it necessary
to give the exact figuresp and I'd an
swer, mo, ma'am; can't compel you,
and must only draw my own conclu.
siors.' Ar American lady of the middle
class, well-dressed and lively, gave me
her age one day rs thirty-seven. but
when she came to tell me her sons age
was twenty-six, said, Madam, you
must have made mistake oh,
then,' said she, little put out, but
very cheerful, make il forty-seven; it
will he.all the same in n hundred years
That was class of ladies | used to like
to meet with, but some of them would
get their backs up if doubted their
word and give me look as good as n
subpoena. Another lady gave me her
daughters age as twenty-one, and rs /
was leaving the daughter called me back,
and said she wanted that made nineteen.
as she was afraid the people next door
might see the entry twenty-one in my
book and sneer at her. Young ladies, /
found, seldom knew their own ages, and
would always call their mothers and
say, Mamma, what ace ought | to be
now?' and the mamma, | used to notice,
always had to think awhile before she
fired off an answer"
The census man then went on to re-
late how lady refused him admission
to her house three times in succession,
and would only sreak to him from an
upper window, telling him that her hus-
band told her 10 give no countenance to
book agents, insurance agents, light
ming rod men and such. She believed
he was one OF these. At last he grew
impatient and somewhat angry, and
told her that if she didn't open the door
and give him the information he would
read the riot act. She bid him to read
away, so he pulled the law out of his
pocket, and, taking a position in the
middle of the street, read the penalties
out loud enough to be heard a block
away.
Tell that to your husband when he
comes home tonight and be ready with
your answer in the morning" cried the
census man as he walked frowningly
away.
Hewas around next day, and the re-
ception he met with will be something
he thinks that he can never possibly for
get. The lady, he says, was in full dress,
and welcomed him inside with profuse
apologies, and her hospitality was so
pre-: sing that at the rate of two cents
name he believed his earnings that day
hardly exceeded twelve cents.
In his district Browne found Ameri-
cans, Irish. English, Scotch, Welsh,
French, Swedes, Canadians, negroes and
one Russian. He had more annoyances
from youEg married women than from
any other class, rs on account of their
babies, they always wanted him to call
st their own convenience. He reasoned
with one of these young women by say
ing that ifhe had to call two, three or
four times at every place there was n
baby the census would not be taken till
Christmas, and the young woman saw
the point and surrendered. One day,
Browne. who was also engaged in TAX
ing the census of 1875, called at n dwell
ing and met the housekeeper, who told
him she did not think she was bound to
give him the information he wanted.
Why" said he, 81 took the census of
this house before" "Oh, well, that will
do" said she; "just refer back to your
books and you'll have the whole of it
without ang trouble"
Another thing" continued the GEN.
sus man, "made nm amusing expert
ence In nineteen cases out of twenty
the men would be absent at business
when l called, and l had to depend on
the women for all my information. 1t
was necessary to ask the women what
business their husbands followed, and
though many were never slow about
telling the real truth others would hesi-
tate and try to think of something more
dienified than the actual calling. A
bartender would be in the wine busi-
ness driver of beer wagon lin the
brewery business n bTicklayer in the
building business and clerks in the
dry goods and in the grocery busi-
mss One colored woman WAS crazy to
have all her eight children took in the
census Come up here, Jemima !;
come I'D here, LUKE; come up here,
Lappy,' she cried, until she had the
whole crowd around"
well, on the WHOLE" asked the re-
porter, was the work severe9"
did not feel co." answered the Gen.
sus man, because perhaps l went
methodically to work. began at the
beginning and made 1t point to finish
with every house in row as faras pos
sible. failed 10 get information In the
morning, pass on 10 the next one. but
in the afternoon | was bound to return
and I'd pick up such as were omitted.
This would Sc metimes take me past my
regular hour for quitting work, but
had the satisfaction of knowing that /
had every day so much work covered
without break. There were no tene-
ment houses beyond half dozen, con-
tanning four or five families, in my dis
trict, and the majority were private
dwellings,"