Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-28
UNCLE SANS FAMILY.
Completion of the Eleventh Census Gel.
ebrated by Dinner.
Superintendent Porter Pays High Tribute to
His Female Accountants Congress-
ionsl Programme.

superintendent Porter's Congratulations.
Special to the Gazette
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2t.-The chiefs of
The population division of the census
office celebrated the completion of the
count of the population of the United
States by a little dinner at "sGlen
Echo suburban caravansery,
Wednesday night. The "Hollerith
electric tabulating sYstem'' has been in
use by the census office for the tabula-
ton Of the schedules of the population
taken under the eleventh census.
Superintendent Porter, in extending his
congratulations upon the rapid and
accurate completion of this great work,
spOke as follows:
II may not have occurred to any of
this little band of faithful workers con-
sisting of chiefs and section chiefs from
the population division of the census,
that you are celebrating a 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
the 10 900 900 schedules has been regis
tered twice by the rImble and expert
fingers of the counters and the GA 900 900
people marched, as it we're, under the
vision of the young men and women who
have done such remarkable work with
such extraordinary rapidly and preci-
sion. 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. In June these
blanks were distributed throughout the
country. In July and August they find
themselves back in the census office,
counted twice and ready for the next
statistical treatment. Allowing for the
time spent in teaching and fitting up the
machines, the count proper was not
commenced before July l, and the night
force was not organized until some time
afterwards. We have actually counted
1913 200, 200 in six weeks, or the
entire population of Ga, 900, 900 twice
in that period. Beginning with
1000 and 5000 families, or 10,
600 and $1,000 persons per day,
the operatives progressed in dexterity,
until last Thursday no less than forty
three counted over 10 900 families or
80 900 persons each, one young lady
reaching the astonishing total of 16, OIL
families, or about so 900 persons. On
that day not only the highest averages
we're reached but the greatest number
counted, the report showing l ,342 .3lS
q miles, or 6 III $50 persons. This rep
resents an average of Sl35 families, or
a ,675 persons per clerk. In this connec-
lion think it my duty 10 say that In the
general average" the male clerks
(msn like, 1 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, OF
q 800 persons, and by the men
clerks, 65S7 families, or 80 1886 persons.
Thus Il will be seen that the women
average nearly one-half more than the
men. II is also worth noting that Of the
forty three who counted more than
10 900, thirty-eight were women and
only FIVE men. These facts, ard indeed
the record of the entire six weeks. show
that women are better adapted for this
particular work than men. They are
more exact in touch, more expeditions
in handling the schedules, more at home
in adjusting the delicate mechanism of
the machine and apparently more am
bilious to make good record.
While l 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 il moving, 1 must sympstize 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 to conquer, and Hunt and
Sutherland, in the midst of this gay fes-
tivity, look solemn and sad at the paltry
total of l2S, 900 900, and with CHASTITY
smile can hear them say, I'VE had to
count the population twice in order to
reach those figures. Distance is over
come and lessened when we can
FLASH OUR THOUGHTS THOUSANDS OF
MILES
IN a few minutes, and cross the Atlantic
in five days. So it is in census work.
With the force that left work Wednesday
afternoon, working night and day as we
have worked, we could, with these cleo
trical machines, count the entire popula-
ton of the United States in ten days of
seven working hours each.
Estimating the population of the civil
ICED world at $50 600 900, we could count
it 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
estimated at / 800 900. 600. in less than
200 days, providing places could be found
10 store the schedules. And while We
thus glorify our own little achievement
We mUst not forget that we have here
with us the modest man who invented
the wonderful machine with which We
have accomplished such magical results.
Let Mr.. Hoilorith speak for himself. ~