Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1889-07-05
COUNTING TIE PEOPLE.
the WORK OF TAKING THE GEN.
SuS OF THE UNITED STATES.

$, ,,i, and Remarkable Improvements
!;.air IN the Methods EmpIoyed-The
iu>r { c,~,,s Was Taken in I70o-The
-" r",.., Way 1t Is Now Done.
ln = il!; room in the attic of the inte-
,a.; department is one of the most inter-
-atl!..; :, H. cti'ns il, the possession Of the
.'rn..., at am, SO, there are not
m.,h l"'rau,,s IN this city who know
o. IA Al>lrrua. lntts;s room are thou
e..,n.- OF 'atiier tnniInl hooks Of all sizes
sea- the lacks uS the case may be-
Jar, .'ns,is. Second Census" etc
It' ST looks arc the original returns
,..'n'' ~ :!a "ii',lnerutors in taking ev-
-. ','..':~ fr.In the year 1880. when the
iirsl ''"nstls was taken. down to 1880, the
H.'ai ni the last census Prior to 1850
only the names Of the heads OF families
were ,akrl, but when the census of that
yes, was collected the name of every in
divilnal in the United States was emu
n.rrate,i. This room, consequently, con-
,nlns the name Of every man. woman
and child who has been born or who has
lived in this country since the first day
vi June. 1880
THE OLD WAY
d" not think many people know of
this. and at some timo it may be of the
greatest use to lawyers and others who
are engaged in tho search for missing
heirs. and who want to ascertain whether
a certain person was living at particular
time
II Is an interesting study to note the
evolution OF the census, SO to speak. For
instance, in turning to the first census
the first volume on which laid my hands
happened to be the returns for North
cumberland and Miftlin counties, Penn
syEvanin. 1t is book of about couple
Of hundred pages, 4xS inches. On the
fly leaf appears this inscription written
in fnir hand:
James pottes's return Northumberland and
Mifflln
Tho inside page facing the first leaf.
reads:
Tho number OF persons within my division,
consisting OF ., $50 appears In schedule here
unto annexed subscribed by mo this Goth day Of
April 1901 JAMES POTTER
Assistant to the Marshal Of Pennsylvania
There are no printed headings as are
found in later census returns, and at
the top Of every page the subdivisions
arc written. At that time all that the
enuncrator was required to do was to
take the names Of tho heads Of families,
the number Of males in each family
above and under 10 years Of age, the
number of females, without regard to
age, all other free persons and the
slaves. Apparently the government did
not provide books Of uniform size for
the use Of the enunlerators, for some of
them are big and others small
In the second census great stride was
made in the way Of obtaining a more
accurate and thorough enumeration
This year printed headings were used,
md the ages were divided as follows:
Under 10. Of 10 and under 16, of 1e and
under 90. Of 26 and under d, Of IS and
upwards. The same classification was
adopted for females
The third adopted the same age d.
visions. but in addition some slight atten-
ton was paid to manufactures
The changes made in the fourth were
the addition Of column for the ages of
males between l6 and 10, the enumera-
ton Of unnaturalized persons, the num-
Der OF people engaged in agriculture.
commerce and manufactures. Separate
volumes for the first time were devoted
to industrial statistics, and the occupa.
tons werc infinitely divided. An inves-
tigation was also instituted as to the
amount Of material used in manufactur-
ing establishments, the number OF per-
SONS employed, value of the plant. pro.
duction, revenue, etc.
The fifth made the enumeration still
more definite. The age schedule was di.
vided in this way: Under 8, from s to 10,
10 to IS. Is to go, and from 20 in 10 year
periols up to 100. The deaf. dumb and
blind were also enumerated
In the sixth for the first time the num-
Der Of pensioners "for revolutionary and
military services" was given The cdu.
cational. industrial and commercial stu
tistics arc very complete
The seventh was really the first
thorough census. as it gave for the first
time the name OF every person in the
United States at the time that the census
WIS taken. The occupation or profess
sion Of every male. the value of his real
estate, the school attendance. the num-
Mr Of illiterates. the insane INDECENT
aud criminal were oil counted Slaves
foi the first time were enumerated in
separate volumes, rs were also the NOR
tnlity statistics. The amount OF taxa
tion the number Of libraries, news
papers. the different religious denomina-
tinns. with the value of their property,
nnd the question Of wages all received
attention.
The eighth and ninth were on about
thu same scale, with some slight addi-
tio,s. noticeable feature of the latter
being the cause Of death Of every indi.
viL,,nl who had died during the census
year
When we come to the tenth, it would
be easier 10 tell Of the subjects which 1t
did not handle than those which it did.
Almost everything capable Of being put
into figures went into that work, and
the number OF volumes is almost without
limit y sight Of the returns of the
enua,crators conveys u better idea Of the
magnitude Of the work than any amount
Ut description can. Washington Letter