St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-14
A DIRECTORY TALE.
Population Of st. Paul Placed
by a Close Census at
$4,000.
The Directory Increase Of
Names Over Last Year
Is 1000,
Showing Conelusively a Sub
stantial Gain Of POpu-
lation.
Facts and Figures Which Tell
Their Own Convincing
Story.

What is the population of st. Paul?
Is anything else guessed at with the
same eager persistency?
There are ways and ways of arriving
at the exact number of souls within
the people have most confidence is that
which is conducted by the Federal gov
eminent and known as the decennial
census. We have not had such boom
for nine years. and it will at least be
one more before we get Implications;
III the interim. every man is his own
guesser. But now comes the directory
for 1889, with its figures bearing on the
census. For yearS-the relation between
the number of directory names and the
census has been Systematically the
same. 1t was the same in 1880 and the
same in 1885; therefore the presumr-
ton is not wild one that it is IT,
same in 1889. r. L. Polk & c..
claim to have made CON-
plete census of the city and
they place the population at 1913, 247,
which will go. in round numbers, at
100000. The list of directory names is
"a, 1904, and if we used the multiple en-
ployed III Brooklyn. Chicago and other
cities, AZ, we would have population
of 315,992. If the Minneapolis multi
pier of 81 were used the population
would be 10000. The directory people
use %, which would indicate 1890.
OF course, all of these are merely az
proXimations. but the most important
fact is that the directory shows gain
of 1910 names over. last years, which
Il 1lNerfn i01 in of
ton over last year. The publishers of
the directory, in their Introduction will
have this to say on the
SUBJECT OF POPULATION:
AS the census is taken but once in
FIVE years, and growth in population
being regarded as other evidence of
prosperity, it seems to devolve upon the
directory company, as a duty, to supply
an estimate from the annual canvas tor
names. The deep interest taken in
these estimates, and desire to serve
those who literally patronize this pub
LEGATION and repay the courteous treat
ment extended, its representatives have
stimulated this company to produce
something more tangible than an eSti
mate, and make their volumes serve the
double purpose of directory and annual
census report. An actual count, there
fore, of every soul in every dwelling
has been made in addition to the usual
work. After the necessary information
for the directory was obtained, the
number of children and other
occupants of each house. such
as are not included in the directory
list were inquired for, and the total
number of souls thus enumerated is
S,943; the total number of names in
hn Airnntnru hainr ~ 2ll ian InnrlqCn
of 4,070 over the last edition), makes the
population of st. Paul 1921, without
any guess work or foundation for dis
pute, gain of $3.50 since the census
of 1885. 1t should he stated that trans
tents stopping at hotels and others
which might be included iii a United
States census report. are not included
here for the reason that twas necessary
to make the count upon, the same gen.
eral terms of directory canvass, which
includes only residents of the city, and
does not account for the floating pOpu
lation. The same degree of accuracy
with trained assistants and experienced
supervisors with the latitude allowed
United States enumeratOrs would make
a much larger count. 1t is with pride
and pleasure that the publishers an
nounce that they are the first to intro
duCe
THIS VALUABLE ADJUNCT
to city directory, the Importance of
which is inestimable. The extra labor
compensated for by the completeness of
a canvass, which requires all account of
every soul, and where no discretion is
allowed the canvaSSer as to what names
should or should not appear in the list.
1t is highly gratifying to the compilers
that their multiple of 215 is again
| proven SO nearly correct, for, if applied
to the number of names in the directory,
the population would indicate 1S6, $50
souls, which is practically the same.
During the publication of r. l.. Polk 81
Co. S directories of st. Paul, two census
years, 1880 and 1885, are included. On
both these occasions, although the can
vass for the directory and census began
about the same time, the directory eSti-
| mates were given to the public long be-
| fore the announcement of the census
reports, and the remarkably close APP
prOXimationS Of such estimate to the
| subsequently ascertained census figures
were the subject of very prevalent COM
ment. AS has been frequently re-
marked. the multiple used in st. Paul is
| the lowest employed anywhere in the
world, ami the estimates made upon it
| have always fallen below the census; if
| it were the intention to eXaggerate the
| size of this phenomenal city, a much
larger figure might be used. Our es-
| teemed contemporaries, the publishers
of the Brooklyn directory, with list of
,22S names, say: IF we desired to
make breezy Western boast we might
claim the population of Brooklyn over
900, but we take fair average ratio
of four and half and set the popula-
lion at 1885," This flair average
ratio would make the population of
st. Paul 315,792. The only purpose,
however, which is served by such in.
fated computations. is to secure tenn
porary credit for population at the cost
of utter collapse on the taking of an
official census, and the complete loss OF
confidence in the reliability of the au-