Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1890-04-28
oxxsus TAKING.


the people ere ind1uetently educated.
toll you eanvssslpg ior orders 10 nothing
TO It In the way Of diversion. know, 8
for Was On enumeration myself in 9 4
district Of this city ten years ago. when
the last census was taken, and, though I
only made about 40 for two weeks Of Q
the hardest work ever performed In my I
life, yet have applied for the place
again this year, and hope soon to engage z
10 another oss-qusstioaing campaign
with one eye wide open for fun. I'll /
meet plenty OF quser people. warrant .
you, and, % am authorized by the law I
10 enter every house and extract the de.
sired Information from any sdult, under (
penalty OF fne for refusal to aid me, j
you see have thinge pretty much my I
TO do heap Of talking before get what
! want, and In some instances. no doubt,
will have to call the nearest policeman.
"Suppcse the ceusus enumcrator be-
gina on one Of those fve-sto-y apart
ment hou; ~, with four sets Of rooms on
each floor, each set occupied BY from
| four to nine persons. He starts In the
basement as follows:
"'You are the janitor, aren't you?'
| EYES, Essentially, as is the way Of
janitors who think you want them to
BLOW you an empty uAtJ.
"'How many families In the housel'
"'What you want TO know fer? (sus.
p'ciously). You can't sell 70 book:
here (Glancing at your portfolio aud |
"I don't want to sell books. I've
come 10 take the census
"'Ob, they've all got some excuse to
get inside the house, and some OF 'em
~ take anythin' they kin git Their hands
on
"'But I'm Government Official, and
! I've come to take tho census
"'What's that7'
"'Well, il you don't know what the
census lie, it's time you found out. I'm
going to .ount the people who live In this
house, and II you interfere with me IN
call q policeman and have you fined.
! Look ut that - and / show him my
writ ten authority signed by the Superin
! tepdept OF tile Census aud the local
| Supervisor. The seal on this generally
{ fetcnes the janitor, and so l pass the
: watch dog aud get inside the house. l
) rap on he door Of one apartment, and am
9 con roated by irowsy woman.
ais the lady Of tho Hat in. ma'amP
: "Fm Eer.'
"lve come to take the census
"'Ain't got any,
| 'tUtn lOliuW oN'cuutu eApluuuLioubt
and fnally we spproach business.
elbow old is your oldest childP
+ "'Well, the's about that HIGH hold
g ing up her haud about tour feet from the
:. lluor.
:, "About twelvsf l sugges., knowing
b from experience that the exact year oil
the chiid's b rth has been crowded out
OF her tired mind by many subsequent
sorrows an prva,ions.
"'i gu,ss so.'
. "Ahd the next one?' ! cnutinu".
Il "'uh, its' only wte bit thing
IN yes, but can't you remember whev
IL vss boruP
~ "Wcll, 1t was lust after Tom wa
=, sent up.'
81 "'llow long was he INF say, jump
IN ing at the ew..
TO "'Fivo ytars.'
O., Aud when did he get our
~ "'Last Christmas.
i'd "'Tlen the ehild's almost slxi'
id 81 guess so
he "And Row ODDS your busband?'
Us "I Dunno
ho "'rhink now, id you never hear hi
IL ssy?'
by "'Well. heard him say once he wa
=, born 10 the year OF the big wind Ia Il,
- land
more people of this gene alton wer
born during, or after, or Just before TIL
Of big wind In LELAND Han IN any te
g. ycate before or since, | believe but
'a persevere.
In in Tia lie older than yoa?'
tie ".Suro'
".liow mucbH
"'Not muth.'
"'iiow old are you?'
".lt's noue OF your bnslncss, youn
to man; don't BIO askln' imperint que
I'D tions.'
on .tBut must know, ma'aD. IL
IL don't ak you IN be iincd nyseli, and
~ you don't answer youth be iiued.'
Of a. '. ell, lm 3D."
M SITS tuly wonderful how many W.
ct; men t. ero are WHO are either I!netea1 q
y twenty nine. or thirty .Dine, or fnrty
uo nine. DO they hate In acknowledge tba
" they have at last left the decade In WI ic
~ they have tariied for ten or fifteen year,
nd or i, here al amazing but hitherto Ut
III noticed decrease In The birth of gii
" babies one year out OF every tent
n. ".tii hold my peace and put dow
OF this woman RS thirty nine, though The
re- ioTty-1se If she's u das, and put dow
OF her man, who Is mot much older, 0
'h' tort, two. THIS Is a. nsar as you ca
ma c1ins with til, SO people, and tho won a
nj has douo Is well as II o average IN III
nj realty knows.
IL "But then there il another class {
qnest.ons that generally clnses MOI
trouble than the age., because the pee
RE a'e generally quite unwilling 10 te
DE- the truth with respect to them. Thei
CT are ths questions about the 'dependen
~ defective and delinquent classes, as II
in last census sheets tahulaled them.
tie takes totae gal, to ask BIZ, fiery woma
whom you have been pestertng for
quarter ol an hour about her age, II an
oI her family are idiots. or deiormcd, {
criminals and II 90, how many aud VIII
n, are their So, cal ior,ns OF disease or ra
VIII raii,y. Only IL hardened boos agent. II
nd insurance canyasser or lightning re
ma Ieadier can do 1t every time witho'
~. quailins or minding tue showers OF II
ia disnant abuse that comes thickest au
idc iastcet from mother who really has
} of weak minded son, or hump-backe
J; daus liter, or a jail bird husband. faut
~ that We get correct answers In the afhrn
III, alive to these questions about once
/ In fifty or so.
nm "But great deal depgnds on how "
cal put the question. Only sreenho
of would say, Any Of you cfazy! io
by expert book agent says: IAN their M
ng. correct? Speech all right Can ever
W body srel Ia the hearing perfect VII
I'll. all of you?' tell you tact Is what
by enumerator chiefly needs II he is got
to get through his work quick enough
IL make any money out OF It. It's no co