New-York tribune., 1890-03-30
SENSE IN CENSUS-TAKING.
DIFFICULTIES OF THE ENUMERAToRS.
, RARE BERTH TO STUDY HUMAN NATURE IN
QUEER PEOPLE AND QUEER ANSWERS
TO QUEER QUESTIONS.


TO QUEER QUESTIONS.
.If Won want TO have fun studying human
nature said boolagent the other day, get your'en
enrolled as census enumcrator for distrlct "hero
the people are lndiferently educated tell you can
vassng for orders Is nothing TO 1t, In the way OF dVe
sion. I know. for was enumerator myself In
thcIy populated downtown East side district OF this
city ten wears ago when the last was TAKEN ana
thouch only made about $40 for two weeks OF the
hardest work | performed In my lie. yet nave
applied the place again this year. ana nope soon 70
engage in another cross questioning campaign with
one eye wide open for fun. III meet plenty OF queer
people warrant you, and as am authorizeu ny .ho
law TO enter every house and extract the desired hior
nation from any adult under penalty OF fine Tor re-
fusaI TO aid me- you see | have things pretty much
nv own way in the end though often nave 10 10 q
heap of talking before get what want, and IN some
instances no doubt, will have TO call the nearest
policeman.
suppose the census enumerator begins on one OK
those Gvestory apartment houses with four sets OF
rooms on each floor each set occupied by from four I"
nine persons lie starts in the basement as follows:
You are the jantor, aren't youP
Yes (resentfully, as is the way OF lantorS "no
think you want them to show you an empty hd,)'
How many families in the house =
What you want tor know fer (suspiciouslyJ You
can't sell no books herc' (Glancing at your port
folio and banks
L don't want to sell books. I've come to take
the census
Oh, they've all got some excuse to get INSIDE the
house. and some of 'em III aRc anythn' they kin gis
ther hands on
8 But I'm Government official, and I've come to
take the census
What's thatT
Well if you don't know what the census is, IT'S
time you found I'm going to connt the people
who live in this house, and If you interfere with me
I'll call a pOllceman have lined. Look al
that and show him my written authority signed
by the superin tendent Of the Census and the local
supervisor. The seal this generally fetches the
jantor and pass the watchdog and get inside the
house 1 rap the door Of one apartment ana am
confronted by frowsy woman.
Is the lady of the fiat in, amr
Pm her.
"'Iye come 10 take the census
"'Aint got any.
"Then follow extended explanations and finally w
approach business
".IIow old IS your oldest child -
~.well she's about that high holding up her hand
about four feet from the foor.
~.About twelvcl' I suggest. knowing from ex-
perience that the year Of the chd's birth has
been crowded out of her tired mind by many subsequent
sorrows and priyations.
al guess so'
"'And the next one p continue.
"'Oh. It's only wee bit thing
"'Yes but can't You remember when II was born
"sWell it was Just after Tom sent up
".Iiow long was he nl' say, jumping at the clcw
"'Fve years
".And when did he get out -
"'Iast Christmas
".Ihcn the child's almost sixr
az GUESS so.'
"'.,nd how old's your husbandr
al dunno
".Think now. did you never hear him say''
"'wcll. / heard him say he born in thr
year of the big wind in Ireland
More people Of this generation born during. or
after or Just before the big wind in Ireland than in
any ten years before or since, believe. but persc-
we're.
"'Is he older than your
".~ure'
"'iIow muchr
"'Not much
"'IlOw old are your
"'It's none Of your business young man don't be
askin' mperint questions
"'But l must know. maam. If don't ask you III
be fined myself. ard if you don't answer you'll be
hned'
well I'm thirty nine
It's truly wonderful how many women there are
who either nineteen. twenty nine. thirty nine.
or forty nine Do they hate TO acknowledge tha;
they have al last left the decade which they have
iarricd for fifteen years. Is there an amazing
Int hitherto unnotced decrease in the birth Of girl
Labes one year out Of every ten still / hold my
peace and put down this thirty nine. though
-ho's forty i've If she's a day, and put down her
man. who is not much older, as forty two. This Is
about a. you come with these people and
the woman has done well as the average in the
way being willing tell the little she really knows.
But then there Is another class Of questions that
generally caIses more trouble than the ages, because
The people are generally quite unwilling to tell tho
about the dependent defective and delinquent classes
A. the last census sheets tabuatcd them. II takes
some -all To ask big fiery woman. whom you have
if any Of her family are IDIOTS or deformed or crm-
nal,, and. if how and what their special
agent life Insurance canva>ser lightning rod pedleI
can do 1t every time without quailins or mindins The
shower OF indignant abuse that comes thickest and
fastest from a mother who really has weak t-mnded
son. or mmpbaesed daughter or iaii bird husband
to these questions about once IN MY or So
question only % srecnhcrn wo"ld say Any paf OF yos 'S
crazy p Your expert booVagent saws: All their
p sec ''sf Is The hearing perfect With all eof'ySSry
o Sn S" b s r going o a ,6poucs hs wHr
quick enough To make any money out of it. It's
soft snap. me tenp'"tkion to slt down and MI in
than spend half hour with abusive and ignoran,
family i, almost irresistible at times. vet a heavy
penalty attaches TO such work. and justly too.
AT the lat census many men applied for the
they received their books ard instructions and began
10 grasp the sHc OF the Job. they resigned In large
monkey bus ness an ennmcrator who accepts his an.
pontmcnt and then backs without giving salts
factory reason TO the superintendent, may be lined
and imprisoned"
The city is so divided that each cnnmerator is
supposed 10 have about 1000 individuals 10 inQuir
about. But he often nnus that his district is much
more thichly populated than he supposed. re
member last time got into "A room in wrcched
house where four families dwclt together. The
was pariitoncd of into four rrctangles. but not in
the usual way, with wooden walls, but by chalk lines
the noor.
"'Ilow do Won all manage to live in such crowded
quarters = asked logged out Of my routine questions
by their unusually Sardine like arrangement.
"oh. we'd cct on welt enough growlcd one man
II them JOncscs wouldn't persist I'm kccpn' boarders'
-
HE VAS Az OLD BONES MAN
From the Ncw-lIavcn Register.