Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-25
UNCLE SANS FAMILY.
Completion of the Eleventh Census Gel.
ebrated by Dinner.
superintendent Porter Pays high Tribute to
His Female Accountants Congress-
ional Programme.
Superintendent. Por,er,s congratulations.


| Special to the Gazette
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24.-The chiefs OF
| the population division OF the census
| office celebrated the completion of the
| count of the population of the United
States by little dinner at ''Glen
Echo,' a suburban carayansery
Wednesday night. The "'Hollerith
electric tabulating sYstem'' has been in
use by the census Office for the tabula-
ton OF the schedules of the population
taken under the eleventh census.
Superintendent Porter, in extending his
congratulations upon the rapid and
accurate completion of this great work,
spoke as follows:
It may not have occurred to any of
this little band of-faithful workers con-
sisting of chiefs and section chiefs from
the population division of the census, ,
that you are celebrating a great event
here in this picturesque spot. For the
first time in the history of the world the
count of the population of great nation
has been made
BY THE AID OF ELECTRICITY.
The number of names on every one of
the Is, 900, 900 schedules has been regis
tered twice by the nlmble and expert
fingers of the counters and the Ga 900 900
people marched, as it were, under the
vision of the young men and women who
have done such remarkable work with
such extraordinary rapidity and preoi-
sion. What procession you have had
pass before you. The men who wrote
those names have had to find them
in every human habitation and existing
under every imaginable condition within
this vast domain of ours. In June these
blanks were distributed throughout the
country. In July and August they find
themselves back In the census office,
counted twice and ready for the next
statistical treatment. Allowing for the
time spent in teaching and fitting up the
machines, the count proper was not
commenced before July l and the night
force was not organized until some time
afterwards. We have actually counted
l2S, 900, 1000 in six weeks, or the
entire population of 81 900 900 twice
in that period. Beginning with
1000 and 5000 families, or 10,
the operatives progressed in dexterity,
until last Thursday no less than forty
three counted over 10 200 families or
80, 900 persons each, one young lady
reaching the astonishing total of I6, OH
families. or about 80 900 persons. On
that day not only the highest averages
were reached but the greatest number
counted, the report showing l, 342 ,3l8
families, or 6 III $50 persons. This rep
resents an average of 8l35 families, or
40 ,675 persons per clerk. In this conneo-
tion think it my duty to say that In the
general average the male clerks
oman like, hear some OF the young
women whisper) seek refuge behind the
PETTICoATs OF THE GENTLER SEX.
The average number counted by the
women clerks was $3.50 families, or
At 300 persons, and by the men
clerks, 65S7 families, or 80, 1886 persons.
Thus 1t will be seen that the women
average nearly one-half more than the
men. It is also worth noting that of the
forty-three who counted more than
10 900, thirty-eight were women and
only Eve men. These facts, and indeed
the record of the entire six weeks. show
that women are better adapted for this
particular work than men. They are
more exact in touch, more expeditions
in handling the schedules, more at home
in adjusting the delicate mechanism of
the machine and apparently more am
bilious to make good record.
While 1 congratulate you on the COM
pletion of the rough count, and thank
you sincerely for the great interest you
have taken in this work, for the many
extra hours you have freely given to
keep il moving, / must sympatize with
you in the sorrowful fact that you have
no more countries to count. Alexander
is said to have wept because he had no
more worlds to conquer, and Hun. and
in the midst of this gay fes-
tivity, look solemn and sad at the psltry |
total of 1913 900 900, and with a CHASTITY |
smile can hear them say, I'VE had to |
count the population twice in order to |
reach those figures. Distance is over |
come and 1essened when we can
FLASH OUR THOUGHTS THOUSANDS OF
MILES
IN few minutes, and cross the Atlantic /
in five days. So it is in census work |
With the force that left work Wednesday
afternoon, working night and day as we
have worked, we could, with these cleo |
trical machines, count the entire popula-
ton of the United States in ten days of |
seven working hours each.
Estimating the population of the civil
lied world at $50 900, 900, we could count |
it in 100 days; while the bright young
women and sturdy young men of our |
population division could run through |
the entire population of the earth,
which, including Aslatic and savages, is
estimated at 800 900, 900. in less than
200 days, providing places could be found |
to store the schedules. And while we |
thus glorify our own little achievement |
we must not forget that we have here |
with us the modest man who invented |
the wonderful machine with which we |
have accomplished such magical results. |
Let Mr.. Hollorith speak for himself. -