Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-18
Up TO WHAT 1T OUGHT TO BE.
Supervisor Oliver Positive That His Force
. Will After All Make Very
Good Showing.
HUW SOME CEKSUS-TAKERS WORKED.
The Poorest Kind Of Heresay Evidence Depended
Upon in Many Cases

The instances of omissions from the lists of
enumerators that were quoted in yesterday s
DISPATCH opened the eyes of many to the
fact that II they were so frequent that q
short investigation revealed SO much lack
ing, what must be the exact number, if an
exact and accurate census could be OBJ
Tained?
OF the names given as omissions, several
were reported at the Office of the Supervisor
as having been included in the reports of
some enumerator or other. But in no in
stance was it claimed or proven that the
person named had been personally seen or
any information as to his antecedents or
family of any kind obtained direc. from the
only ones who were able to give the proper
information.
A GOOD DEAL OF HEARSAY.
One Allegheny enumerator called at The
DISPATCH office to correct the report that
he had missed one name on the printed list.
He claimed be had the name mentioned,
and that ne had obtained it from ''the lady
of the house" As the gentleman whose
name was given has lived in his present
home but two weeks, it may be conjectured
lust how capable his landlady was to inform
the enumerator even approximately as to
the 80 answers required by law concerning
the new boarder, his wife and child. 1t
may be set down that the statistics of that
little family, as returned to the supervisor,
are not worth the paper on which they were
written, and which, it should be remem-
bered, are sworn to as to their correctness.
Another enumerator reported that an en-
tire street which it was said was missing he
had not yet canvassed, which was exactly
what was printed in THE DISPATCH. 1t
was that very fact which was dwelt upon as
an illustration of the way in which the Gen.
sus of Pittsburg is being taken. This same
enumerator claimed to have reported the
statistics of three families upon whom re-
porters had called and by whom they were
told no call of a census taker had been made
at their homes.
NOT EXACTLY POSTED.
The three families named reiterste their
statement and say that if any mention of
them appears in the census reports it must
have been made up from information CLEANED
from neighbors, none of whom were ever
posted as to the number of persons contained
in their families, let alone the equally i'm
portant statistics otherwise required to be
annotated on the census blanks.
DO you really think you got every name
in your district" was asked yesterday Of no
less than half dozen enumerators. The
reply invariably, given with a sarcastic
smile, was: "No, indeed; that was an i'm
possibility; but L did the best could"
The Allegheny enumerator quoted above
L.. H.,
places at the same time. He would call at
a house and be told there was no one home
just then; to call at supper time. He
couldn't be at every house in his district 'at
supper time" so he would have to trust to
luck in getting the names he was after from
some servant or neighbor, "or, !" he added,
81 would never have half covered my dis
trict in the allotted time"
This is precisely the point made by those
who fear that Pittsburg, instead Of showing
up with $50, 900 to 265, 900 population, will
ialI far short of the former figure. They
claim the time was too short, some of the
districts too hard to cover in twice the time,
and a lot of discouraged enumerators trying
TO get rid Of a thankless task as quickly as
possible.
SCARED AT THE START.
Another reason for the difficulty in OBJ |
tanning correct information was generally |
spoken of yesterday. 1t was the fact that |
when it was first learned there were at least |
six impertinent and needless questions to be |
propounded, a universal protest went up, so |
loud and so deep that a string was tied |
to the questions and they were partly pulled |
back out of the reach of the attacks that |
were being made upon them. But the news |
of their having been printed on the blanks |
had become so widespread that an antag- |
- ~
taking, and more than one enumerator has |
been told that if he didn't "have to" an |
swer six of the questions he would be
blamed if he had TO answer the other "a.
This made the work tedious and caused
many delays
Of all the comments heard yesterday,
there were none against the local officials.
The howl that is going up is not against the
men, but against the system. Mr.. Oliver,
indeed, was often highly complimented for
the patience be has shown under the most |
aggravating circumstances, and his earnest |
attempts TO have the census as complete and |
accurate as possible.
AMUSING, BUT AGGRAvATING.
1t was rather amusing to see how many
people could yesterday recall instances of |
houses which had been missed by the |
enumerators on their rounds, and of many |
Others whose inmates had been vouched for |
by neighborS who knew practically nothing |
whatever about the families whose pedi- |
grees they attempted to give. But to those |
who take pride in Pittsburg's making as
good show as possible, the instances were
more aggravating than humorous.
One enumerator assured DISPATCH re-
porter that he knew of cases where enumer-
ators had taken their blanks before starting
out on 4 days work and filled in all of the
on fhpu tbou ht hav aou ld II ith laf fatu
especially in cases of families with whom |
they were well acquainted. These answers
thus obtained were of course never verified,
for the manner in which they were written |
was merely to save time.
Another enumerator had peculiar grlev- |
snce. He said the maps of the city which |
are pasted in the portfolios to guide the |
as to the boundaries of mis- dis
trict, were rather ancient affairs. He had |
lost halt day by working street that was |
on his map, but which he sfterward discov- |
cred to be in another ward.
THINKS HE WILL GET ALL.
Mr.. Oliver was somewhat aggrieved |
Yesterday, feeling that some things said of |
the census reflected on him. He said: 81 |
think l ought not to talk to you newspaper |
men anv more. What has already been |
printed is enough to last for three months |
The time given was short, but L think the |
work has been fairly well done. When it /
is finished, am satisfied that nobody will |
be lett out"
Some o. his enumerators failed him alto
gether. Others, who were appointed be-
cause OF their activity in local politics, |
were too ignorant to Go good work, and their /
returns have been found unfit to send to
Washington. In several cases good enumer-
ators, who finished their precincts early,