Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-18
CELEBRATING THE COUNT.
Superintendent Porter's Characteristic
Letter Praising His Assistants.

The completion of the count of the popula-
ton Of the country by the Census Office was
celebrated Saturday evening at Glen Echo.
The section chiefs OF the population di-
vision. where the count was made. were
entertained at dinner by Mr.. Hollerith,
the inventor of the electric machines used in
making the count. After the dinner a number
of toasts were responded to. Mr.. Hollerith ex-
pressed his appreciation of the efficiency and
ability of the employees Of the Office. and said
that the success of the machines was largely
due 70 them. Mr.. W. c. Hunt, the special
agent in charge of the DIVISION Dir. Sutther-
land ard others made bright little speeches.
A letter was read from Superintendent Porter,
who unable to be present He wrote as
follows:
CELEBRATING A GREAT EVENT.
1T NAV not have occurred to any of this lit
tie band of faithful workers consisting OF chiefs
and section chiefs from the population division
OF the census. that you celebrating great
event here in this picturesque spot. For the
first time in the history Of the world the count
of the population of great nation has been
made BY the aid of electricity. The number OF
names on every one of 5000, 900 schedules has
been registered twice By the nimble and expert
fingers OF the counters, and the 81 900, 900 peo-
pie have marched, as II were. under the vision OF
the young men and women who have done such
remarkable work with such extraordinary ra-
pidIty and precision. What . procession you
have had pass before YOU The men who wrote
those names have had to find them in every
human habitation and existing under every
imaginable condition within this vast domain
OF ours.
COUNTING lbs, OOO,O 900 PEOPLE IN SIX WEEKS.
"In June these blanks were distributed
throughout the country. In July and August
they find themselves back in the Census Office.
cal treatment Allowing for the time spent in
teaching and in fitting up the machines the
count proper was not cOmmenced before July l.
and the night force was not organized until some
time afterward. We have actually counted
12S. 000. 600 in six weeks. or the entire popula-
ton of "a 000, 900 twice in that period. Begin
ming with two or three thousand families, or
10000 and 5000 persons, per day the opera
tives progressed in dexterlty until last Thurs
day no less than 43 counted over 900 families.
or $4,000 persons each, one young lady reach
ing the astonishing total of 1901 families. or
about $4,000 persons. On that day not only
the highest averages were reached but the
greatest number counted, the report showing
1.3lZ,3 lS families, or 6,1l1,5O persons. This
represents average of S.135 families. or
1865 persons per clerk. The average num-
Der counted by the women clerks WAS 5000
families, or 1880 persons, and by the men
clerks 6,5S7 families. or 3D. 935 persons. Thus 1t
will be seen that the women average nearly
one-half more than the men. 1t is also worth
noting that of the 40 who counted more than
10000 IS were women and only men. These
facts, and. indeed, the record of the entire six
weeks show that
WOMEN ARE BETTER ADAPTED FOR THIS PARTICU-
LAR WORK
than men. They are more exact in touch, more
expeditions in handling the schedule more at
home in adjusting the delicate mechanism of
the machine and apparently more ambitious to
make a good record. While / congratulate you
on the completion 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. / must sympathize
with you III the sorrowtul fact that you have no
more countries to count. Alexander Is said to
have wept because he mad no more worlds to
conquer, and Hunt and Sutherland in the
midst of this gay festiyity looked solemn and
sad at the paltry total of l2S.0O0, 900. and with
CHASTITY smile i can hear them say: We had
10 count the population twice IN order to reach
those figures Distance is overcome and les
sened when we flash our thoughts thou
sands of miles In a few minutes and cross the
Atlantic III five days so il is in census work
With the force that left work this afternoon
working night and day we have worked, we
could with these electrical machines count the
entire population of the United States i'll ten
days of seven working hours each.
COUNTING THE POPULATION OF THE EARTH.
Estimating the population of the civilized
world at CSC, OOO, 900 we could count il in 100
days. while the bright young women and sturdy
young men of our population division could
run through the entire population of the EARTH
which, including Asiatic and savages. is esti-
mated at 1900. 10000. in less than 200 days
providing places could be found to store the
schedule. and while we thus glorify our own
little achievements we must not forget that we
have here with us the modest man who invented
the wonderful machine with which we have ac-
com plished the Sc results :"