Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-17
OVER In ALLEGHENY.
SCORES OF PEOPLE WHO WERE MISSED
AT BOARDING HOUSES.

Enumerators Guess at the Answers to the
Observation-Disclosures skip Out the Bnek
Door While the Euumerutor WnIted-MiIls
Given the G0-by.
An investigation Of some Of the leading
business establishments and private resi-
dences Of Allegheny reveals a condition OF
things pointing to uncertain statistics that
makes the work Of the census takers a
doubtful compilation. Many of the districts
supposed to have been thoroughly oanvassed
by the enumerators who have gone over them
are furnishing instances daily Of persons who
were missed by the knights of the portfolio.
Perfection is an unknown quantity in
statistical science" said a gentleman employed
at Boggs q Bulbs, "and the discrepancies in
the work of the Allegheny census takers wall
detract considerably from the reliability of the
general statistics. OF the hundreds Of ladies
and gentlemen who are employed by this firm,
only portion live at home with their parents.
They. of course, have been properly taken by
the census enumerators, as their parents could
furnish the information in their absence, but
that is not the case with large number of the
rest of the employees. Over q hundred clerks
and statesmen do not live at home, but reside at
boarding houses instead. These are not at
home except during certain hours in the even
ing, and the enumerators have failed TO meet
them personally"
Talks were had with the employees at the
J. 800 and more working there generous pro-
portion live in boarding houses. They stated
that they had not been called upon by the emu
meratOr while at home. but the census taker
had asked for them at their boarding houses
several times when they happened TO be out.
Lindsay & McCutcheon's mills were visited
by the census taker of that district, but. as he
was expected to enumerate only those who
slept in the building, none of the mill men
were taken as they were supposed to be ques-
toned at their homes. Few were approached
directly by the enumerator and the ma jority
of the unmarried factory hands were not seen
at ali by the census taker.
Other well-known manufactures report the
same state of affairs, and in thousands of
cases.the information secured by the enumera-
tors has been obtained solely from boarding
house keepers whose knowledge of their ten
ants and boarders did not extend beyond their
names and occupations, while the answers to
the other . or more questions are guessed at
Inquiries at some of the largest boarding
houses elcted some interesting facts. When
the census takeT called around in the evening
tn put his questions to the boarders, he would
be politely requested to remain seated in the
paTlOr while his victims finished supper. Then
the intelligent and sagacious young men
stealthily beat has;y retreat through the back
door, leaving the landiady to give the informa-
tion 10 the enumerator.
Allegheny is the bedroom of Pittsburg"
said Superintendent Oliver, land consequently
hard city 10 enUmerate. Our men have great
difficulty in catching the people at home. They
have displayed interchangeable energy, and, so far
as know left no stone unturned in their hunt
for the people. The other day a man ran across
is Italians who were living in box car on the
railroad. An interpreter was called on and all
the information secured that was desired. l
don't doubt that some persons have been
missed but that does not stamp the whole
census as failure. Those few mistakes do not
make it. like bad egg, bad all the way
tkEOugh."