The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-03-22
GETTING AT the FACTS.
How Census Figures On Mortgage
Indebtedness VIII Be Gathered.
Tspecial TO the PRESS. I

LEWISTON, March 21.-There is one de-
partment in the census for 1890 that the gen.
eral public knows very little about, and that
department is the bureau for gathering sta
tistics touching the recorded Indebtedness of
the country.
The work of compiling statistics under
this department in the several states is done
by men known as abstractors, who. are ap-
pointed, ,one from each congressional district,
by the congressman from that district. Each
state also has ia special agent who is appoint
ed by the superintendent of the census from
the recommendation of the senators of their
respective states.
The special agent for Maine is DR.. John
1. Gushing of Turner. There are four alb
stractors, one for each congressional district
who were appointed as follows: Geo. Ell.
Allen OF Portland, appointed by Speaker
Keeo, VIII cover the first congressional dis
trict. Everett. B. Merton Of Pennington.
will cover the. second district. He
was appointed by Congressman Dingley.
Hon; Seth Milliken's district, the third,
will be covered by John o. johnson of Lib
erty: Thomas 81. Wentworth of Bradford
Boutelle's, vice Captain Henry Wood of
Dexter, who was first appointed but who died
the day after receiving his commission.
Inc work OF these abstract0rs will be to
gather and compile statistics showing the
numDer OF mortgages on property in this
State, with other information not necessary
to enumerate that will tend to the correct
tabulation of statistics regarding said mort
cages. All such information is to be used by
the government only. The prime object in
gathering and tabulating such statistics is to
show the exact Indebtedness of each section
The work of the special agent will be to in
yestigate all mortgages and to make notes as
to the life, dates and amounts that have been
savings banks and other loaning associations
besides superintending the work of the four
abstractors. The manner in which the facts
are obtained from the banks is as follows:
The agent is authorized to have one of the
regular bank clerks fill out a card sup
piled by the government with matter from
the company's books that will answer
certain questions printed on the card. The
agent as well as the abstractors are sworn
may know the result of the research.
The line of the abstractors' work is diff
erent from the special agents, inasmuch as
they do not deal with the banks and loan
companies, but work entirely in looking up
ering from them figures of much the same
nature as those gathered by the special
agent
The abstracters will be required to report
port to the agent under whom they work
stating the amount of work they have done
during the day and the expense that they
have incurred. The abstractors will make
their headquarters at the shire towns of the
counties IN their district, gathering their
statistics from the records of the county.
Reports are made out In cipher that can be
read only by government officials holding the
key. The strictest secresy is thus obtained.
There are four counties in Maine that will
be known as equated life counties. These
are Cumberland, Waldo, Hancock and
Aroostook. In these counties all mortgages
made from 1880 to 1888 inclusive are to be
abstracted, giving e.date of making, the
life of each mortgage, and the date of salts
faction.
The work in Maine will begin in earnest
early next week when the abstractors will
be placed at the stations named for them by
Special Agent Gushing. IL cannot be said
however that DIR. Gushing begins next week
for he has been working diligently ever
since receiving his commission February 1st.
He has since then distributed nearly two tons
of blank forms and stationery to the differ
ent county seats to be used in executing this
colossal task.