The morning call., 1890-06-20
WILL NOT BE MISSED.
An Enumeration of 1880 Tells
How the Work Was Done.

Edward G. Wade, who was one OF the emu.
meratOrs in the census of ten years ago, and who
was ate rward employed as special agent Tor the
collection of manufacturing statistics In this city
and III San jose says Of the fears OF certain people
in this city that The census enumeration Will not
reach The proper figure OF population that, III
his opinion, il is all nonsense.
"1he errors" says Mr.. Wade, 'will not be of
omission, but OF commission. l know how II
was len years ago. The enumeratorS seldom
missed a name that could have been possibly OBJ
tanned, while, on the other hand, many names
were counted two OF moIe times. or course, the
answers TO The statistical questions were not to
be reii ed upon; neither will they be reliable In
this census. You cannot expect an eEamerat0r
TO spend two or three hours in hunting up In
formation about mans grandmother or his
prison life. or TO examine his health record, when
he only receives cents for the work.
III lie can get the information by asking so
many questions lie puts II down; but ID every
case he pulls down the answers given him with
out troubling himself 10 their correctness.
Few houses were missed ten years ago, and
don't believe many Will be this year. Zen years
ago, at Tie close of the enumeration, the clerks
were all obliged TO be at The City Hall for Two
days with their books. This fact was published
and hundreds OF citizens called who SAID that
they had been missed. In every such ease the
proper enumeration was called up his books eX-
amined, and II the witness name was not there
II was taken.
But we found that in nearly every case where
the supposedly missed person was q resident OF
the ely his name had been obtained by The
enumeI ator unknown TO him. We did, however
obtain by this process The names of many sailors,
CONNER cial travellers aud of people who were out
out OF town, where they could not be reached. L
believe that hundreds OF Chinese Will be counted
twice. An enumerator goes into a Chinese lodg-
ing house ana lie sees sixty hunks. / he ptoprie-
tor says that he mas Sixty b0ardefs, ana gives
the names, All Sing, All Sam, All Sung. and So On
" These same men work in factories OF all
sorts. When the enumeration goes there the fore
- aaln man
names, as All Sang, All Sung, All Sing, elc. The
temptation Is always TO get more names, not TO
MISS any.
:" One of the things that the present corps of
enuneI atoTs will mud to be very unpleasant VIII
be the long time before they vii receive their
pay. Alter iheir returns are in week or Two
they Will begin 10 receive letters from Washing
ton saying that Mi. So-and-s so is recorded be-
ing 20 years old and OF having fourteen children.
The euumerator VIII be asked 10 explain.
" Well, lie explains and presently another
letter comes asking about another case. In
some Instances II was over SIX months before the
enumeraioiS received their pay, ana when
the checks came they had To be cashed by
bfoeers here Ut discount. On, the lot OF an
enumeration is not happy one"
large number of enumerators were Inter
vie wed Yesterday by CALL reporter, ana tue
invarlabe reply was that while Tue answers to
the questions were valueless as TO accuracy, the
names OF everybody living III town had been Sc
cured. Chief Deputy Fields offers 10 bet that
hot half OF one per cent OF the names of people
living IN town had been missed. In nearly every
case reported 10 him lie had found The party's
name on the enuInerators books.
a CALL reporter went through two depart
menIs OF The POSlOffce ana made inquiries as 10
who had been missed by The enumerators. Out
OF nifty persons setD The following said thai tue
ennmerators had not obtained their names:
W. Z. D0heriy, General Supernl endent; o. NJ.
Cox, Assistant Superintendent; L. ID. Dement,,
Secretary; j. S. Carr, Assistant Postmaster; E.
J. Schneider, 323 Jessie street; G. J. Block, 651
Broadway; Edward McCanna, 3l7 Hilbert street;
W. I. Campbell, II Hollis street; Il. ii. Harri.
son, 1912 Vallejo street; c. ". o. ren, lob
street: t. Ii. Merrill, ga Noe street, A. S. Shell
den, 920 Market strert; Frank Marinl, II Cddell
street; Douglass Zlfks, Oil Union street; Henry
W. Butter, Montgomery avenue; E. W. Pea
body 1912 Mason street; William E. Linsey.