The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-03
COUNTING NOSES.
The Work of Taking the Census
Progressing FavOrably.
Estimated Gains in San Francisco-Results
Expected From Special Inquiries.
Tabulating the Returns.

The big count has finally begun. Yesterday
the 35s enumerators in San Francisco proceeded
with their work in a manner that was highly
satisfactory to the Supervisor. A few seemed
TO become a little logged. For Instance. one
man asked the SUPERVISOR " III we git The head
of the family, we can let the rest 60 TO smash,
can't we?" while another asked: "Do We take
chidren?"
But such Instances were few, and tho reports
from the enumerators yesterday afternoon were
encouraging. Some had little difficulty with
the inmates OF houses on Dupont and kindred
streets, but upon interpreters being sent for who
could talk the Spanish. French, Japanese or
German language. as the case might be, the
difficulty was overcome.
Chinatown was a surprise. The enumerators
there seem 10 have had less trouble than the
most sangune expected. Each enumeialor had
with him an Interpreter, and that, with the
official circular issued by the Chinese Consulate,
seems to have smOoIhed away all dfncultle5. AT
l O'Clock yesterday one enumerator had taken
400 Chinese names.
1t is, of course, impossible 10 make an esti.
mate at this time of the Chinese population. In
1880 the census returns showed l,T90. Consul
Bee thinks that tue census this year will show
10 900 Chinese in San Frsnci-eo. but other men
who ought to know affirm that there are $4,000.
T. s. Milton, who had charge of the 1880 emu
meration, thinks that there are now 10000
people in Chinatown.
The census of 1880 showed 233, $50 people in
San Francisco. Since then the increase has been
mostly IN the Western Addition aud The Mission.
Conservative estimates place the Increase at
100000, but there are other men, well posted,
who think that ngure excessive
OBJECTIONABLE QUESTIONS.
The six questions against which the most OBJ
jections are made are The following:
Whether suffering from acute or chronic disease,
with OF disease and length of time affi cted.
whether defective in mind sight, hearing or
speech, or whether crippled, MANNED or deformed,
with name of defect.
whether a prisoner, convict homeless child or
pauper.
head member of the family?
If owned 10y the head or member OF family, Is
the house free from mortgage incumbrance?
If the house is owned by head or member OF
family, and mortgaged. what Is the postohice ad-
dress or owner?
nation has been raised against these questions
but so far the San Francisco enumeratUls have
had little trouble, although 1t is not believed that
many Of Tie answers given to them are correct.
supervisor Davis Is particularly We'll pleased
with the selection OF enumerators so far. Tie
San Francisco district Is the largest In tile State,
and ii was no small task to select proper men.
The number of enuneTators in tile State In
each district is as follows: First District 3oS,
Second District III, Third District 2O9, Fourth
District 121, Fifth District 100, making total
OF 974 IN the Stale,
Tie number Of special subjects inquired into is
greater this year than before. aud much more
attention Is paid 10 them. Those relating TO
manufactures and industries are handled by spe-
cial agents in the cities of San Francisco, san
jose Oakland. Sacramento, Stockton, Marys-
Vile, Napa City, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Vallejo,
santa Cruz and Los Angeles. ln all other places
The usual enumerators VIII do the work
One OF the subjects of special inquiry is that OF
food fishes. Superintendent Porter has Issued
bulletin 10 the special agents having charge OF
this inquiry in which lie names every food fish
found IN any of The waters of the United States.
The list is a very long one, containing many
names ot fishes that The general public has never
heard.
HOME AND FARM OWNERSHIP.
From the inquiry into homes, farms and mort
cages Superintendent Porter expects many good
results. III bulletin on the subject he says:
1t is The intention OF this Office to the
suits with some OF the important facts obtained
through the population schedule. The division Of
farm and home ownership between the sexes and
the extent 10 which wives are owners Will be aseer-
tanned II Will be known wbetssss-it24ls anu home
with youth OF eli ag 1id the general beginning OF
the ho9iaaJwning period of a mans life may be de-
red who are owners may possibly be established;
whether those of foreign birth generally ten
ants or demonstrate an ability 10 own Will be
shown.
Tie Alaskan census is under the charge OF
Ivan Petro1f. he has eight men under him, aud
the work will occupy all summer There Is an
allowance OF 81 per day for each mans eX-
penses besides the salaries. The Alaskan ln-
Quiry viii be extended to many special subjects
and will furnish valuable Information about that
Territory.
Perhaps the thing least understood about the
census wofk is the system Of tabulatlng The Ie-
tuIns after they have all been sent 10 Washing
ton. IL Will be done by an electrical device
called the HolIorith system 1t Is difficult TO OBJ
tain any reliable Information about this system,
the department at " ashingtOn Tor some reason
refusing to explain its workings. CALL repre-
sentative had talk with mau who has seen It
work, and by whom lie mOdus operaudi is ex-
planned TO be AS follows:
TABULATING THE RETURNS.
First, the clerks take the returns as they come
from the enumeTators and classify tile questions.
They have pecullar-looklng card about Inches
lOug aud inches wide, covered Win little cir
cular dols, and In these dots aGe marks indicat-
Ing the various answers that may be returned 10
the questions. a CLERK takes the return from
John jones' for instance, and punches three
holes in q card, which correspond to the an
swers, male" "wHite." "Datiye." Then lie
takes another card and punches three more
hules, male" while" English" The last
SO he goes TIL ough the list until lie has num-
ber OF cards, each with three holes punched In
them, representing the characteristics of John
jones In every possible combination.
These cards placed on earlier, and are
run along TO an electrical machine before which
q clerk sits. Briefly, aside from its internal
ma clInlsn ii CONSISTS OF II row OF buttons CORE
spoudlug 10 the different combinations on the
cards with row OF dlais corresponding 10 the
buttons, and also with Que biz dial which sums
up the result of all the other dials. There are
hity-siX of these dials and buttons In every ma
chine. AS The card passes before the clerk, his
trained eye sees what combination ii represents
and lie pushes the proper tuition. number OF
electrical wires pass through the holes In the
card, form circuit, aud register on the dial
above what holes tney have passed through. AS
the work goes on, tie big dial sums The whole
thing w.
These machines are said 10 work with wonder
ful rapidly. 1t is understood that tue Govern
ment pays $4,000 for the OF the system
during this census. There were three systems
presented for the approval of the Census Com
miSsOners, and after must exhaustive tests, the
hooruh system was adopted. II IL WORKS as