The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-04-17
TAKING THE CENSUS.
Some In formation of l interest to the
Prospective Victims of the Inquisi-
tive Gatkerer of Facts.

Some Information of l interest to the
Prospective Victims of the Inquisi-
tive Gatkerer of Facts.
Mr.. Madison Hawkins, supervisor of
the census for this (the SeconD district,
is busily engaged perfecting all his ar
rangements for perfect and speedy ex-
rcution of the work when active opera
tions shall begin. He is well qualified
for the duties required of him and we
believe he will faithfully discharge
them. AS yet the enumerators have
not been appointed, but there is no end
to the number of applicants we are
told, and still petitions are being sent
in. From an exchange we take the
following which will give some idea of
the work to be done in taking the cen
Sus:
The enumerator is to start out on his
inquiry On June 2. If he is to work in a
city OF 1O, nhabitants, he must finish
his canvass in two weeks Ii he has a
country subdivision, he will not be called
upon for return until the end of the
month. The list of questions drawn up
for him is given below. With this he must
go to each family and, if possible, get
answers from each member of it to all
questions which fit the case The first
list sent out for the use of the enumerators
contemplated thesecuring OF information
on these general points: Name, age, SEX
race, place of birth and residence, citizen
ship, occupation, education, health and
family ties. These are all questions more
or less OF social statistics, such as have
been asked in almost every census, and
answers to them ought to be easily OBJ
talnabe. Less success may be expected
with the last few questions which are po-
litico-economical in character. They try
to draw out some information on a sub
ject beset with difficulties-th relative
proportion of owners and lessees ofhouses
and farms, and the amount of incum-
brances on farms and homes occupied by
their owners. There seemed to be wide
spread demand, however, for such infor-
nation on these questions as could be
got through the census -taker, and Con-
gress at this session amended the census
lo " 81 W lcIu1t tue COHtCllOII Ol std
tistics about homes and farms. Most of
the prospective victims of the inquisitive
gatherer of facts who will be let loose, on
June End, will doubtless be interested to
know just what an ordeal they will have
to go through. Here is the list of ques-
tiOns:
l. Give Christian name in full, and
initial OF middle name, surname.
2. Whether soldier, sailor or marine
during the Civil War UNITED States or
Confederate) or widow OF such person.
3. Relationship to head of family.
4. Whether white or black, mulatto,
quadroon, octoroon, Chinese, Japanese or
Indian.
5. Sex.
6. Age at nearest birthday. If under
one year give age in months
Z. Whether single, married, widowed or
divorced.
8. Whether married during the census
year (June l, 1889, to May 81, 1S9O.
8. Mother of how many children, and
number OF these children living.
10. Place Of birth.
IL. Place of birth of father.
-. Place of birth of mother.
13. Number of years in the United
States
IA. Whether naturalized.
Is. Whether naturalization papers
have been taken out.
16. Profession, trade Or occupation.
II. Months unemployed during the
Census year Gune 1, 1889, to May, 81,
1S9O).
10. Able to read.
20. ASie to write
81. Able to speak English. If not, the
language or dialect spoken.
%. Whether suffering from acute or
chronic disease, with name OF disease and
length of time afflicted,
%. Whether detective in mind, sight,
hearing or speech, or whether crippled,
MANNED or deformed with name of defect.
24- Whether prisoner, convict home
less child or pauper.
% and 26. Is the house you live in
hired, or is it owned by the head or by
member of the family?
81. If owned by head or member of
family, is the home free from mortgage
incumbrance?
%. If the head OF the familyi is farmer,
is the farm which he cultivates hired, or
is it owned by him or by a member OF his
family?
20. Ii owned by head or member of
lhC ltii III itS IL olt llOl tSuSt
80. If the home or farm is owned by
head or member of family, and mort
gagged, give the post-otfice address of
owner.
Many of the questions, it will be seen,
are not intended to be put to all the men,
bers of the family visited. From their
general scope they are likely to furnish
the Bureau with all the information that
is needed in the treatment of population
and social statistics. With the exception
of the questions about mortgages, the
entire list will be pronounced inoffensive.
Possibly the few spinsters OF uncertain
age and the unlucky" grass" widows who
fall under the enumerator cross-fire may
regard the sixth and seventh questions
as inquisitorial But there is no law to
compel such witnesses to make admis-
sions damaging to themselves.
The work of the special agents who col
lect statistics of manufactures is not to
be limited to the month of June and the
facts they gather will not be put into
shape until after the tables OF population
are completed. 1t may be added that
Mr.. Porter hopes to have a rough esti-
mate of the population of the various
States and Territories ready early in
August. He will complete the tables
needed for the reapportionment OF Rep
resentatives in Congress in time for use
at the short session.