The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-03-26
YOU nusT AnswrR.
What the Census luausitors will
Compel you 90 Tell Them.


On the second day Of June there wiIl b
inaagarsted all over the unilesi States an in
QUESTION that will be more or less uDpleas
ant. The census inqlisitors viii be turnes
loose On that day. who viii invade every
home, workshop, ofsice and store in the land
and they will ask ali sorts Of irapuslent qssss
tions, which yoa must answer or run shs
risk OF being Ened. They will strike irrrel
TO the hearts Of many spinsters BY demand
ing them 20 tell their correct age or 70 te
Jail The righteous indignation OF the Ia.
dies will have no effect on the man. for cen
sus enumerators are heartiess and shameless.
They viii meet you in your own house and
ask Won bow much money You owe. why
don't yen pay your debtz, Is your house
nortgased, can you read or write, are you
married. were you ever divorced. are you
deformed are you an idiot, are you pauper,
how many Of your family are idiots, paupers
ar criminals, and various other. questions
that viii tend TO unearth any skeleton that
you may have had concealed in your closet
for years.
In the hands of the census inqHisitor you
viii be defenseless. He will make YOU an
swer truthfully all his impudent questions.
aud your family skeleton will have to be ex-
hibited to him that he can properly classify
Il, you will be liable TO a possible fine Of
500. This Is what You msy expect after
June Ist.
For the benedt of those who do not know
the questions TO which they will be expected
to give correct answers the following list is
published
/. Give Christian name in fall. and initial
OF middle name, surname
, Whether a soldier. sailor or marine du-
ring the civil war (United States or Confed-
ate Or widow OF such person.
J. Relationship to head OF family.
4. Whether white or black. mula Ito,
quedroon, octoroon, Chinese, japanese or
INDIAN
5. Sex.
q. Age at nearest birthday. II under one
Year give age in months.
:. Whether single, married, widowed or
divorced
5. Whether married during the census
year, June Ist, 1883, 70 May 3lst, ls90l
8. Mother Of now many children. and
number of these children living
10. Place Of birth
II. Place OF birth Of father
L. Place OF birth OF mother
l3. Number of years in the United States.
IA. Whether naturaiized
10. Whether naturalization papers have
been taken out
rs. Profession, trade OF occupation.
Il Months unemployed during the cen
sus year.
IS. Attendance at school lin moathsj du-
ring the census year.
10 Able 10 read.
% Able to write.
Il. 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 stfi cied
.. Whether defective 10 mind. sight,
hearing or speech, or whether crippled.
maiuled or deformed, with name of defect.
"a Whether prisoner, convict, home
less child or pauper.
= and 26. Is the home you live in hired
or : 1t owned by the head or by member
OF the family
p. fowned by head or member of fami-
y, Is the home free from mortgage lneam~
brances
Is. II the head Of the family is a farmer.
IS the farm which he cultiVaies hired or Is IL
owned by him Or BY a member Of the fami-
ly2
- Ii owned by bead or member Of fami-
" IS the farm frte from mortgage incum-
brsuce
81. If the home or farm is owned by head
or member OF family and mOrtgaged, give
the post Office address OF owner.
From the general scope of the questions It
viii be seen that the bureau is likely to re-
ceive all the information needed in the treat
ment Of population and social statistics. A
ses of the questions are inquisitorial, and
will be offensive TO some people, particular
iy those relatins 10 mortgages. The sixth
and seventh questions are the ones under
which ancient maidens and % grass widows
viii fall, but then the law does not compel
anyone to tell anything damaging to them
selves.
Il would be folly for person to attempt
to evade the enumerator Each one is armed
with authority to enter any buiIding and ap-
ply to anyone for the information he seeks.
Anybody who shall resist him or willfally
fail or refuse to give him the facts he asks
for will be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.
aud upon conviction will be sentenced to paw
fine which shall not exceed 500. The
enumerator or Supervisor Of the Census has
also the authority to call upon the police de-
parfment or United States Marshal for as
sistance in enforcing the penalty when nee
esssry.
The preliminary work Of compiling the
statistics will be completed by June s0,h
and Robert P. Porter, Superintendent of the
Census, expects to be able to announce the
population Of the country by August ist.
The counting Of the returns made by emu
merators viii be done with electrical ma
chimes, which do as much work in five hours
as was formerly done in ffy-hve hours
The various special lines viii not be completed
until some time after the population stats
ties Agents arc now at work on these lines.
and it will require several months to com.
plete them. Men are also at work in every
county gathering statistics of farm and home
property and mortgage Indebtedness from
the books of Recorders.