Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-12
WITH THE CENSUS MAN.
Glimpses OF Life Obtained Through
Mr.. Porter's Letters.

rHR COMIC AND rHK SERIOUS srps OF Az xx,>,ya,-
roBs SxrsrEScE-HABp TRIALS ron rHR cES-
sus NAN In TIE wILDERxEss--nkx wHo GAVE
ruP.
ORIf thousand men who have been en-
iESgaged in census work during the past
month have been practically mustered
out OF the service Here aud there are
few retained to do over work which
citizens in some sections OF the country feel
was not well done. This army was called
into existence to ascertain exactly the number
OF members in the thriving family of Uncle
Sam. For this purpose. during the month Of
June, they walked the streets Of the cities ring
ing the front door bells and going into the
basement entrances whom they could find no
other way. They have ridden across swamps
| and through forests, and they have seen all
conditions OF life and great variety Of people
II the experiences OF these men could be
written out what history they would furnish
OF the social condition Of the people Of the
United States in the year 1890. But no such
record record vas made As rule the enumerators
ditions. What they we're after were answers
70 certain questions in the census schedules
ana these answers they obtained with a won-
dertul degree OF success when the difficulties
~ eno way are 1alrly considered
SOME oLrMPsEs INTO REAL LIFE.
While this record, however valuable il would
be to the historian and the social philosopher,
is not in existence, still the little files of the
Census Office give tantalizing suggestions of
.ne aos9eolng interest such record would
have. In these files are letters from enumer-
stors and supervisors in all parts Of the coun-
try in which by slight almost incidental refer
enees and then again by blunt statement they
show something OF their personal surroundings.
and then again the difficulties which confront
an undertaking of such magnitude as the de-
oennal count Of the people of the United
States There were perils Of the food to con-
tend with, there we're long solitary distances to
traverse and there we're city slums to visit and
vast solitudes OF the plain and forest to pass
through. Some OF the enumerators in their
wrestling with these difficulties sat down aud
poured out their hearts on paper to the super
lntendent Of the census to the supervisors
Then again the supervisors took the superin-
tendent into their confidence, giving some in
teres ting details.
TOO MUCH TERRITORY.
Perhaps the most interesting Of the letters
giving incidents Of the census compaign. at
least to the patriotic citizens are the ones which
show what an enormous territory is COMPRISED
within the limits OF the national domain. Ii
Is evident that there are vast tracts which are
still unoccupied by man. An enumerator
whose field of work was in one of the terri
tories writes that the roads we're difficult to
travel and he was obliged to swim streams in
order to continue his journey. He tells Super
lntendent Porter that he rode on horseback 40
miles and in all that distance he found only
three families upon which to try his skill as
enumeration In his district there were still more
sparsely settled regions, and he states that ne
travelled with tent and camping outfit, as there
were no houses where he could spend the night.
The enumerators received from the head
quarters, where Superintendent Porter is the
presiding genius, decided limitations that they
must hustle.
THEY HAD HARD TDfE.
Realizing what was expected Of them some of
the enumerators endeavored to show the su-
perintendent that while he might consider he
was having pretty hard time yet their duties
were also exacting One Of this class writes of his
work: MY district is wholly in an island with
about half hundred or more bayous or slews
of water, which in most cases are impossible on
horseback and for stage. Families are widely
apart and water is approximately all over the
swamps."
Another writes: s'This beat is sparsely set
tied, and it works me nearly to death to make
ten families day, working from sun to sun.
L dislike to be behind any one and fall short
but do not want to break my neck or kill
my horse
Still another SAYS: 81 don't want to break
down with the work, but will be compelled to
fail il not assisted. When / applied for this
district I didn't know what 1 was doing, for
the work is double what anticipated. Let
me insist, even beg you to commission some
one else to take part Of il"
CASUALTIES AMONG ENUMERAToRs.
Other reasons than sparsely settled districts
induced enumerators to write to the Office for
assistance. One man informs the superin-
tendent that since his appointment be has
~ ha vrh IL III
him to have some help. He adds, however,
aparagraph which shows that even the whoop-
ing cough does not lessen his interest in the
work of the census. He inquiries, 'Should /
record whooping cough as an acute disease?''
His own experience with the disease had prob
ably given rise to the doubt as to its proper
classification.
The above is only one of the thousand and
one circumstances which seemed to separate
the enumeration from his work. One man was
kicked by a horse. Another was POLITICALLY de-
scribed as having climbed the golden stairs
aud gone to that country where ceususes are not
taken" In the case of one unfortunate his
house was burned and his right hand was SO
badly hurt that he could not write. Fire inter-
fered with the official career of another emu
merator, who writes that he was not only taken
sick, but over turned his lamp, setting IRE TO
the building. 1t was consumed and so were
all his census papers. He recovered. however
from his sickness and restored the papers
when an euuUerdtOr was not Oyertaken with
sickness some accident then something hap
pened to his family. Ii was reported to the
Office that the wife of an enumerator had met
with an accident which was likely to be fatal.
aud so he had been obliged to discontinue his
work.
TROUBLED By THEIR FEET.
One Of the chief enemies of the enumerator
was his feet. These useful members play an
important part in the correspondence with the
Census Office. They were continually becom-
ing unfit for use An enumerator patheticaiiy
writes: "Mr Superintendent: Dear Sir-I am
SO sore in my feet that i can hardly move" He
might have written more; but that sentence is
equal to a column. There is a pathos in it's
very simplicity that is really quite touching.
Whether it avaled to touch the official heart is
not known. A patriotic Ohio citizen writes:
Il was in the parade Decoration day to Gar
fields monument, and my several army dis
eases that l contracted in the army has become
worse, so that my health is a wreck and am
unit for any business at the present time what
ever. l have been confined TO bed since day
before yesterday suffering untold pain. The
doctor says / will be unable to attend to that
Office as enumerator."
A Pennsylvania supervisor says: 'One of nv
enumerators is laid up with swollen feet and is
unable to wear his shoes. / know he is anxious
to do the work and the above is no subterfuge.
have accordingly relieved him from duty"
Maine enumerator writes: Il have been at
work for the last three days, and find myself
incompetent to do the work. realize that the
longer work at this business the worse il will
ha fnr md