South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1890-06-27


cred impossible to do ia thirty. To
the last amusing incidents attended
our reramtulations through the d s.
'rict, and II We had Q great deal OF
hard work 10 10. We also had consid.
cradle fun. We couij easily Oil the
paper With such stuff as We have been
scribbling for tho past two weeks, hut
enough has been given TO furnish the
reader With fair idea OF what census.
taking is like. and this is all We 81 art.
ed out to 40. There remain to men.
ton bot few thir Ga, which may have
some interest as local items, and then
We shall have dono.
We struck family nesr town Of
Ii persons. every one of whom wore
ct least five christian anil middle
names. and some of them seven. Tue
woman of the house seemed proui OF
ms fact as she answered our inQui.
rics respecting several squailing black
brats. each OF whom vas adorned With
the namos OF some hslf.,lczen Greek
and Roman goddesses, and could not
Understand how We managed to write
down their names az fast as she gave
them IN. We toll her we we're using
short-hsnd. whereupon she remarked
that sam ought tn be good at that
kind ct writing if be was teache ed, for
he was born with one hand q grea,
deal shorter than the other"
The answer 10 the second cues.
ton asked below, was given us on
on average. about 20 times a day {:
born in West virginiaS" "Yes.'
Husband born there, too2" "No.
he was born on Lost RIVER
We met one colored woman whose
ideas OF the chronology Of her own
family life were decidedly mixed.
"How old is Tom2" we inquired, re.
ferring to kid apparently three years
old. Il dunno; but / reckon you
can telt-he was boroed de 5th OF
last Christmas ~
One or the most exasperatinZ ex.
periences met occurred late one eve
ming as we were returning to town,
tired and hungry after a hard days
work. We sa"a small hut up against
the side of hill, with apparently on
ly one occupant. q colored woman,
who was sitting in the door. 1, was
late. but we ,bought it best to take
her then, as it would save VA a two
mile walk the next day. How
many people in your famil,?' we
asked, as we walked up To the
door. In my fumily = Dere's.
three families live in here, and dere's
fifteen of US L. was nearly dark
before we got rid CT the menagerie
and left. rumiLatin on the idea thst
we had probably made great dis
covery in natural h'story-name
that Africans. like opossums, are pro-
vided by nature with receptscles for
storing away young ones, so that sew.
eral niggers can be crowded mo
space only large enough for one. On
no other theory coud we account for
the capacity of tina, shaatyLo accom-.
modate 10 persons.
Are YOU OF unsound minds" we
asked Of sour.faced old maid one
day. mo, l sin't.' she replied. snap.
p'shly; "bu', judging from the fool
questions you ask, you must be-"
Once. after recording the nsmes of
ten members of family. we came TO
the llth. who was called Mora"
We wrote Daughter and '.Fema
in the columns for relationship 10
heal of family" and "sex" respec i've.
ly. and then asked, How old is sheP'
1t amt she lis boy A whole
big blank spoiled, (for the Govern
ment will tolerate no erasures,) and
the entire family to write over again.
SEVERE STORM.
How old are your we asked OF an
old darky in town Friday. Indeed,
l dunno nothin' about how old
any of US is, mister; for a stcrm,kim
up time o de wab and bowed all our
names outen de Bible"
HARD PROBLEM.
We were enumerating colored
family in Harrisonville. and called on
auntie TO give US her husbands age.
Deed, L dunno nothln' bout de age
OF my family. Dere wus no count
KEEP of how old any Of US wus, 'cept
me. Day told me | was Sc; OATS
all l knows rs your old man older
or younger than your we inquired,
hoping in this way to approximate
bis age. 'Ob. he's Older nor ] am
she replied but I don't know how
muchT We resumed our writing,
when she interrupted US with, Are
you putting down my ole mans age2'
Yes. Ken you tell how old he is
by knowing how old I amp she ask.
ed. evidently greatly as,onished, as
well she might be. why, certainly
We replied, trying bard to look like
George Washington. well, den,' she
said, eagerly, tbrusting part OF an old
Bible into our hand please put IT
down in dis book /
We have taken the census OF 1890
in this district very rapidly and pleas.
antly, and with evident satisfaction to
everybody. We have not, in = single
instance. made the slightest reference
TO any authority we had for so doing,
and during the whole Of the work our
commission lay in the bottom OF our
satchel, unopened and unneeded.
We are satisfied with our work, and
suppose the Government will be alec.