The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-06-15
NO SOFT SNAP.
Census EnumeratorS Speak
Feeling1y of Their
Experiences.
A CORPSE ON THE TALLY.
The Time Up Tomorrow Penalties
for Fakirs.

News reporter yesterday morning.
Mr.. Bnmsted mopped the Precipitation
from his brow and sat down into his chair
with troubled face and an explanatory
"Phewi''
BE had just dispatched an enumefssar
on his rounds after securing the services
Of German to act as Polack interpre-
ter. The German interpreter was the
only one available. He couldn't talk Po-
lish, but said he would trust to luck IN
running across some of the Polacka who
spoke his language.
Yesterday" said Mr.. Bumsted, zone
of my enumerators was thrown down
stairs three times by Polacks who misun-
derstood his errand, and complaints of
the difficulties encountered by enumer-
ators are pouring in upon me every day.
Ihen, again, the government has not pro-
vided for the expenses of enumerators
who are obliged to go to Newark to make
atfidayits concerning those whom we pro-
pose to prosecute for refusing to answer
the questions. Besides can't spare the
men from their work to make the trip.
So have decided to let all these cases
drop till after thereturns are all in. Then
there's going to be some fun, can tell
YOU"
IL. 8
Orphans Homer"
"Oh. that matber was quietly adjusted.
The sisters had right to complain You
see, there are 1856 children in the home It
would be task to o Ii out the blanks for
each OF these. So appointed one of the
sisters an institution enumerator.
II Ind, continued Mr. Bumsted, "that
the work of the enumerators Is showing
up number OF frauds, especially among
those who wear Grand Army badges.
One of my enumerators tells me he ran
across white woman with several chill
dren. She refused TO give information
I'LL her husband returned. When the
enumerator called at the house he en-
countered big buck negro as the wo-
mans husband. He said he was a vet
eran. When questioned closely he
finally admitted that his claim as u vet
eran was the fact that old Massa' was
III the Confederate army"
do You find many splnsters who refuse
to give their ages'
well, comparatively few. But I do
know of one case where a bachelor and
two spinster sisters refused, and came all
the way here to get blanks to I'LL them
out secretly.
A TYPICAL LETTER.
Speaking of the trials Of the enumera-
tors. here Is a typical letter from one of
my best enumerators. He has not tried
to be funny, and tells but the simple
truth
mr.. John sB1tasted:--
Dear Sir-Last week hatt pretty hard
time, and a good many Of the houses
had to call four and five times, and had
to write in all shapes; but today the per-
sons are beginning to close the door in
my face and call me all sorts of names
They tell me that they will not answer
all my questions for the papers say so. /
had good many to tell me a lot OF names
1rxt Irf1F r.wr.
do not live there. had to tear up the
sheets and make new ones. have about
twenty live or thirty sheets that are
printed on one side. One day last week
/ was in a house when a child upset cup
OF coffee on to about thirty of my sheets
that had names on them, and had TO
write them all over again. | tell you its
hard If you had given us census takers
badge we could make the people come
to terms. In every place / went / knock
at the door II in the morning would
say good morning and announce to them
that | was United States census taker;
that | would like to have all the names
of the family. including boarders,
servants, brothers-in-law, or any
of the family. They tell me that is none
of my business, and say what cheek /
have. One place was in today they gave
me two-legged table leaning against
wall. When placed my book and ink on
| saved my sheets, but my ink was all
gone and had to buy another bottle.
Please send me few more sheets. But !
stick to my work if I get my head
knocked off. I'm going to see the thing
''Yours,
John w. Moors (1O6),
SO Madison ST., H0boken-
IN. B.--Some of my houses the people
do not know have been there four or
five times and l can't get information
enough from any persons TO place their
in the matter. for it is no pleasure TO go
up the same three or four flights Of stairs
half a dozen times day.
NO SOFT SNAP.
ssHere is also q sample of letters re-
ceived from persons desiring to withdraw
after having ascertained that the work
was no snap,n said Mr.. Bumsted. 81 have
had lots o. trouble with enumerAtors of
this sort; but when l read to them the die
tates OF Uncle Samuel they usually drop
into line; others require great deal OF
coaching
''oLD BRIDGE, June IL.
"John Btinlsted, Esq. -
DEAR SIR-Herewith take the liberty
to be asked to be relieved from duty as
census enumerator for the reason / cam
not make it pay, my district being very
difficult one, not having but one-half of
a small town with not one establishment
of productive industry in it, not even
blacksmith shop, composed mostly of
foreigners owning about ten to twenty
acres of poor land. which / am ashamed
to take as farm, not knowing whether
to or no, but requiring q conveyance to
get to them, most of their families work
ing in shops out of my district.
II have enumerated about one-third of
the district in eight days and will con-
tinue on the rest of the week, but no
longer, unless a fair compensation is
given for work done and TO be done.
Yours truly,
GEORGE ID. RUE, 225,
East Brunswick, Middlesex Co, N. J.
HE FOUND A CORPSE ONLY.
81 cannot find the letter just at pres
ent,n continued Mr. Bumsted; 'sbut one
poor fellow wrote me a ludicrous expert
ence of his. After rapping. several times
at the door OF room way up near the
top of d tenement house, he became tired
of waiting. Half angrily ne pushed open
the door There, surrounded by candles,
lay the body of corpse with the face
turned directly toward him. Not live
soul was in the room.n
did he enumerate the corpse ~
We'll, not just then. He was SO scared,
presume, that he made a precipirate
flight, but he was obliged later TO ascer-
tain If the corpse was that of body who
lived in the house june /.
"A rather amusing incident is that of
woman. who applied here yesterday for
blank and wanted to know how much 1t
cost. What her object was in coming