Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-07-25
A CITY DIRECTORY.
The Perplexing Labor Involved In
Its Compilation.
The Work OF the Canvasser-Gett1ng
the Names Down Correctly
Various Tricks and
Dodges.
tSt. Paul Pioneer Press. ]


city directory containing its tens or hundreds
OF thousands Of names, are aware Of the per-
picking labor involved in the compilation of
such n book. II is one of the misfortunes
of directory compiling that it cannot claim
the undivided attention of trained canvassers.
1t is necessary, to any degree of accuracy,
that the book shall be made up in the shortest
possible time.
WORK OF THE CANvAssER.
The first work which presents itself to the
publisher is to procure the services Of a num-
Der of competent men to do the canvassing.
The men once secured, they have 20 be drilled
into the form of writing names. Selection Is
also made 70 cover sections of the city where
there is preponderating German or other
foreign language speaking population. The
city is divided into districts, each district be
ing clearly defined on a map, and checked
when tie canvass has been completed. When
the canvasser has been sufficiently instructed
in his duties he is armed with a package Of
slips of paper about six inches long and a lit
tie more than inch wide. Then he
goes forth and commences his work.
He makes sure what street he is
on, writes the name Of the street at the ex-
IRENE right hand Of the slip of paper, steps up
to house, knocksSr rings the bell, and while
waiting for the response puts down the num-
Der of the house at the left, and then asks
who lives there, and what his occupation may
be, which, when given, is written at the left
OF what has been already written. If the
house is vacant, he 50 writes on the slip. If
he gets no response and the house is obviously
occupied, he adds to his memorandum al
.r tt.,c cv,J, ,bav
which indicates call back, and c. F.,
which indicates canvass fully. These slips are
turned in, and are the guide for other at
tempts to secure the desired information II
may cost one trip; it may cost half a dozen,
but these call hack slips have TO be filed up at
whatever cost
GATHERING THEM IN.
After the name Of head of family occu-
pying house is secured, the question is
asked, Are there any other males over Is
years of age living in the house or boarding
heret' The response may be yes or no-if in
the affirmative, the namesare added as the
one before. CapvaSers find with each sue.
ceeling yeai that the desired information is
secured with greater ease than the year be-
fore. People are coming to understand that
the directory does not mean the taxgatherer,
and to appreciate the advantages Of having
their names correctly presented in the book.
Errors will creep in, however, and the most
fruitful source of omission is the failure OF
the person encountered at each house TO say
that another family, as is possibly the case,
is living in the house, or to name boarders,
or dodgers. Servant girls, who respond to the
call of the canvasser, are also often badly in
formed and tell but little, and that little more
or less incorrect.
If the name pronounced, in a more or less
broken and indistinct English, defes the skill
of the canvasser to place on paper, a letter is
asked for bearing the name. The Scandina-
VANS always have them OF newspapers bear
ing the printed name at hand, and the ntri-
cacies OF the names of other foreigners are
mastered with such ingenuity as the canvasser
may possess. The boarding houses, too,
always present more or less trouble to the
canvassers. With few exceptions, no regis
ter of the names of boarders are kept, and t.
the proprietor even the guests are often
known only by their given name, II even by
50 much as that Sometimes the proprietor
will make point to procure the names, but
oftener the canvasser has to do his work
when the boarders come TO their meals. The
high-toned places usually offer even more
difficulties than the cheap ones, because the
boarclers are known simply as Mr.. So-and- So
and the occupation seldom inquired into II
the bill is promptly paid.
OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION.
But this class of people are usually OBJ
tanned for the book in another way. After a
canvass is made in the residence portion OF
the CITY il is made in the business section
Every store and every Office is visited, and
the occupants all recorded, names first, oc
cuDation. residence or boarding place after
ward. The upper stories of business blocks
are secured. The names Of all employees OF
prominent manufacturing institutions taken
and in this way two chances taken of procur
ing the fun and correct Information. Thi.
double assurance if often secured only at the
cost OF repeated visits either to residence OF
Office. and the result is a vast pile of the lit
tie narrow Sins of paper. Once completed
the work of compilation commences TIL,
slips are sorted alphabetically and then re
sorted alphabetically for three. four and five
letters In this process the duplicates secured
bx tho canvass in business houses and manu-
foc+n,;os orr. da.ec.ad and thrown ont II tn,
s;,v.,.o,,,o j., H. ,,,,. co..,
uul'i0''e' S"o'' u''A =, az
Nusser uaKes new hNeaIAeau"i " ue'ci in1ii'
which IS flght ana which Is wrong.
SCHEMES TO DEFEAT.