The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-18
DIRECTORY COUNT.
I.tistics Showing Nearly So
900 Population.
ne SKILLED CENSUS TAKERS,
- Directory Canvassers Would Make
10 Best Enumerators-Pecuiia
tiles Of the Work.

a..,,ie City Directory. Corbett & Co., pub
s~,. ufll be issued about Monday of next
~ twill be took OF about 1000 pages,
"A contsiu about 1870 names Deductink for
- nd business enterprises described, the
- ara address OF 10000 people Of attic
IN 4 owen Tae usual method of estimating
- s.palsrion OF city from the directory
80 lie multiple ~ would show that seattle
- sser 5000 III ~ 400 o people.
90 names begin with NJ than with any
.sber tier. and Fl is next in prominence.
~, t.irty mine are found with the initial q,
s1as ,o,ty mine commence with 2. There are
..earnsUir. with the initial X. The historic
! sesronymic Smith is represented By 235 indi-
~ : Is5 members OF the Joues family are re-
rse1rd ana the more uncommon name, Brown,
s.1lens clio eiy with l32 addresses. The longest
ssuse 4 III orhnnur 7. orsteiuson, twenty-five
! i.t<rs. and the shortest All Wa
aTbs census ought to be taken by the direc-
~ men, II it is 10 be taken thoroughly" said
- n. J. Corbett. of Corbett & Co., to Posr-iN-
srsrrcgxcER reporter. experts are r,4aired
4 Eel the information for the census a. much
3 fof the directory. 1t takes some time to
rain man into doing this kind OF work thor
~shlv. and some men never can become good
eniside men, while others who can do outside
vork well are no good for ofiice work.
@It vas not 70 be expected that the census
could 10 taken properly, for the government
: IA % employ green men and emp.oyel many
a. t<,ifieai reasons rather than on the ground
4 6tness Tne G. nsus enumerators have great
nany more questions to ask aud nave 10 pry
more into the pr Iva affairs OF ind vi ius.s than
/ 3reet ~ men. and Therefore they need al tae
pors skill In approaching aud hunod1g the
peopie. The directory man has To approach ala
kinds OF people. mas To adapt msslf 10 their
prculiarities, dispet their suspicious and over
come tbeir objections.
.Iaesspief quality required for such work IL
tact ance. may cal at the house of Q
bafiSzaei hose wife has repuenance TO tell
BIZ wat his tcupasion really Is, aud sae tells
d, ne is in he liquor business ask. Is ne
b bussac for hin-e r. an she an ,wers: sNp,
be works Tor NJ 8 ,-and %; he's Dartend r.
By asking he question Diuufiy wnetaer ne was
bartender SHOULD PROBABLY meet a reDaf
q Then many people have mistaken idea a.
b the purpose OF the dir csory ana don't know
that We wsnt the name OF every person residing
s q house. Thus you have 10 seek tae infor-
nation By direct question: A woman may
give me the name of her hus aad and
psnsps her brotaer. bat though she
lbs half . dozen other men living
b the house, she thinks / don't want their
names. l say: And that other gentlsman?'
1be answers. On; that's Mr.. So-and-so, but
( you ont want him, do You? ] reply: On;
yes, may Just as well take his name, and tuus,
where had at first only one o two names. i Sc
cure hall 9 dozen or mure Women cannot
understand that you want the address q Of trav-
cling men where tn ~ reside. and thus yvu have
70 worm the names out OF them.
"Ihere are ais many people out W-st who
have fDrmer.y beeu in good clrcums ances in the
East. but nave had losses aud are now living
very meanly. They want 70 hide themselves
ana pre- veas their former friends aud acquaint-
Antes from knowing where aud how they are
living. This IL more commonly the case with
eomen, and they often shut themselves up for
tays ct slretch when they know the directory
nan 10 arouad. When / was doing d rectory
work IN Lesdville, tried repeatedly but in vain
4 % set the names II the peop.e at . certain
house The woman shut herself up In the
!. house and wouid not answer when ] rang the
ne mede L . point 70 90 there about
e'cioek, when knew her husband would be
ooins hume. and met him ON the street, Just
Entering the house. He gave me the desired in-
1bfnation without hesitation aud apologize ID for
~ wlfss refusal on the plea Of pride, mofuied
BY poverty.
"A directory il the most democratic institu-
ton IN the world We want every body's name,
i BON rich and poor, prominent or obscure. aud
OF whatever nationality. The American IL the
easi st man TO get information from 8 long
= be % properly approached he will answer any
que don; his Lie Is IA open book An Ameri-
en- once said to me, .Yes, sir. yoa can have my
name: II was given me to be known by and ft Is
Usryo.dys property That 10 the Americans
view Of the matter, and II Is the right Que. The
Ihllshman is the next best; he knows the use
dadirectory and is ready to help in making II
( emplete. The Seattle Scoich and Irish have
~ much use for IL. The Russians and Poles
\ ne the most difficult TO canvass; despotism has
nade tn. m suspicious and they think the infor-
e1oa is to be used ainst them in some way.
ne same remark applies in less degree to other
scniue nationalities: they suspect that the
canvass has something to do with dra.t for the
army or with levying tax.
ABn We have most trouble with the negroes
1aey obi CT to being distinguished In the direc-
so1 ~ 'colored.' When ! was preparing the
eieciory In Leadviile, handsome mulatto
I eonan refused 10 give me her husbands name.
finally 4skei him and he said: 4 told her not
% because you put us down colored. You don't
put The Cinnamon down Chinese. or the Irish
nen IRISH. or the Englishman English, bus you
put Us down coored, just cos we're black 1t
bnk good deal OF humoring TO bring him and
snambe- OF other negroes around, but finally
uaeceeded
= had peculiar experience in Denver. When
asked young woman for her husbands 6rst
name, she smiled in q peculiar manner and
No; idon't know; we were only married yes
ktusy. you know treated that as perfectly
efuinsry Incident and in the most maIrer-of-fact
wN requested her to ssk him. II had evinced
ny surprise or treated the matter as at all
musng, might have offended her and not
secured the name.
Canyassing for a directory is as much Q busi-
aess as r. porting or any other occupation, and
requires special ira ming. Directory men
nAlx' that fact. and therefore ] believe they
YOU'D take the census be ter than 1t has been
hkea."