The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-08-18
TIRE CENSUS WORK.
How Tho Population Of the
United States was Counted.
ELECTRICITY PLAYS A PART
In tho Task-Womcn Moro Expert
Than Mcn-Scnator Kcnnn's III.
ness-IIc Is Said by his Friends
to be Very Sick Man.
Special Diq'aich 10 he In.elliotner.

Special Dipatch 10 he Ln.elioenetr. NI
WASHINGTON, D. G., August 17.-Tht
Chiefs OF the Population Division OF the
Census Ofce celebrated tho completion
oil the count Of the population OF the
United States by little dinner at "Glen
Echo" last night. The "Hollerith Elec.
trio Tabulating System" has been in use
by the Census Oiiire for the tabulation
OF the schedules Of the population under
the eleventh census. Superintendent
Porter, in expressing his congratulations
upon the rapid and accurate completion
OF this great work, spoke as follows:
1t may not have occurred to any OF
this little band OF faithful workers, con.
sistipg Of chiefs and section chiefs from
the popular division of the census, that
You are celebrating great event here in
this picturesque spot. For the first time
in the history of the world, the count OF
tho population OF a great nation has
been made by the aid OF electricity. The
number OF names OIL every one OF fifteen
million schedules has been registered
twice by The ninble and expert fingers
OF the counters, and the sixty.four mil.
liou people have marched, as 1t were,
under the vision OF tho young men and
women who have done snch remarka-
BILE work with ouch extraordinary rapid
ity and precision. What a procession
you have he'd pass before you The men
who wrote those names have had to find
hem in every human habita,ion, and
existing under every imaginable condi.
tion within this vast domain Of ours.
HOW THE COUNT WAS MADE.
In juno these blanks were distributed
throughout the country. In July and
August they fird themselves back in
tho Census Office, counted twice and
ready for the next statistical treatment.
Allowing for the time spent in teaching
and in fitting up the machines the
count proper was not commenced before
July first and the night force was not
organized until some time afterwards.
We have actually counted l2S, 100000 in
six weeks, or the entire population Of
Gi,000. 600 twice in that period. Begin
ming with two and three thousand fam
ilies, or 10000 and 1900 persons per
day, theoperatives progressed in dexter
ity until last Thursday no less than
fo,ty.three counted over 10000 families
oi 50,000 persons each, one young lady
reaching the astonishing figure OF 1901
families, or about $4,000 persous. On
that day not only the highest averages
were reached, but the greatest
number counted, the report showing
1,342,3lS families, or Gill, 800 persons.
This represents an average OF S.l35 fam
lilies or 1865 peraons per clerk. Iu
this. connection | think it my duty to
say that in the general average" the
male clerks, man like, hear some of
the young women whisper, seek refuge
behind the petticoats Of the gentler sex.
The average number counted by the
women clerks WAS $3.50 families, or H..
$50 persons, and by the men clerks 6,5S7
families, OF 80 ,035 persons. Thus it will
be seen that the women average nearly
onc.half more than the men. 1t is also
worth noting that Of the A3 who counted
more than 10000 thirty.eieht were
women and only five men. These facts
and indeed the record OF the entire Elk
weeks show that women arc better
adapted for this particular work than
men. They are more exact in touch,
more expeditions in handling the sched.
ules, more at home in adjusting the deli
cate mechanism Of the machine and up.
parently more ambitious to make good
record.
GOOD RECORD.
While congratulate you on the COM
pletion Of the rough count and thank you
sincerely for the great interest you have
taken in this work, for the many extra
hours you have freely given to keep it
moving, I must sympathize with you in
the sorrowful fact that you have no more
countries to count. Alexander is said
to have wept because he had no more
worlds 10 conquer, and Hunt and Suther.
land in the midst OF this gay festivity
look solemn and sad Mt the paltry total
OF los, ,G00,C00, and with ghastly smile
can hear them say eve had TO count
tho population twice in order to reach
those ticures." Distance is overcome
and leasened when We eau flash our
thoughts thousands OF miles in few
minulca and croBs the Atlantic in five
days. So it is in census work. With
the forcs that left work this afternoon,
working night and day rs we have
worked, We could with these electrical
machines count the entire population OF
the United States in ten days OF seven
working hours each. 5-"
WHAT COULD BE DONE.
Estimating the population Of the civil
zad world at G5O,000,O0O We could count
in 100 days; whilo the bright youns
WON. and sturdy young men Of oul
Population Division could run through
the entire population Of the earth which
including Asiatics and savages. is esti
mated at l,30o,O00.000 in less than zoe
days; providing places could be found
to rtoro the echedules. And while VI
thus glorify our own little achievement
we must no. forget that we have hert
with us tho modest man who invented
the wonderful machine with which W.
have accomplished such magical results
Let Mr.. Holierith speak for himself"