St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-26
The First Days Count Totals
Upwards of Forty Thou
sand People
Enumerators Experience Very
Little Difficulty in Their
Work.
The Spinster and the China
man Kick Against the
Census
MIR. Wardle and Mr.. Bushnell
Satisfied With Yesterdays
Work.

The recount or ST. raul commenced
yesterday.
There were S41 enumerators let loose
in the city.
The enumeration for the day, with ten
districts to be heard from, was Al, ,230.
Special Agent Wardle expressed him
self as we'll satisfied with the days
work. The count showed that the men
had worked we'll. They had now become
cOnversant with their duties, and the
special agent declared the count to-day
would reach larger total. The
count for Wednesday he also eX-
pected to equal that of yesterday.
Mr.. Wardle is of opinion the field work
of the census will be done by Wednes-
day evening. Two men yesterday COW
cred their district. A large number are
expected to do so tomorrow, and the
greater proportion of the remainder
Wednesday. There will be number
remaining to look up absentees and to
do census investigation work. The
count will not be closed until Mr..
Wardle is satisfied, and has the assur-
of the census committee that the work
of the enumerators has been we'll done.
Chairman Bushnell, of the census, is
we'll satisfied with the opening days
count. 'sIt is 5000 more than we ex-
pected, ,"were MI. .Bushnell's words. 1.-The
day was green one for the enumer-
ators. Watch the totals for tomorrow
and the next day. They will be hum
mers."
There was a hum and clatter of many
tongues last evening i'll the circuit
court room of the federal building-the
census headquarters. The enumeraterS
were comparing notes, asking unlimited
questions and reporting the total per-
sons they had counted. Special Agent
Wardle was in great request, but he
was equal to all demands. His
force had been we'll organized,
and as each enumerater appeared
he was referred to the gentleman
who had been specially deputed to at
tend to whatever information was re-
uuireds DIR. Coolidge had the warmest
time. For three hours a mob of men
surged round the doctors desk, and one
arter another walled out their tale of
woe. DR.. Coolidge never flinched. He
courteously listened to every question,
and answered it to the general satisfac-
ton of all. The difficulty which ap-
peared to trouble many Of the enumer.
ators was the enumeration of abSentees.
They appeared awfully scared upon
this point, aed during the evening DIR.
Coolidge explained upwards OF
fifty times that a man or wo-
man "a resident of St. Paul
who is absent, and has been absent
f,o,, tl,o oifx, for months hnt 10 rOipn
to return and at present calls this the
actual home, should be included in the
count. He is = OF sheis = a legal resi-
dent of the city. While DR.. Corlidge
was heroically graphing with these
questions, Mr. Merrill tabulated the
days enumeration. This work proceed
ed rapidly up to $3.50 o'clock, when all
but fifty enumerators had reported.
An hour later all but ten
had made their appearance. These
Mr. Wardle said had probably mlsun-
derstood his instructions. Mr.. Short,
another of the special agents associates,
was kept busy supplying the men with
additional schedules and stationery.
The circuit court never presented
buster scene than that of last evening.
The only spectators present were the
members of the census committee, who
were present to ascertain the total
count. Among them were Capt. Castle,
o. 0. Cullen, Lewis Baker. FL. P. Hall,
w. M. Bushnell. j. j. McCardy and III.
II. Fuller.
Preliminary work for the census had
no cOmplointS or irregularities Of any
kind were reported. There was only
one enumeratOr who failed to COM
mence-Joseph Sladek, of District 149,
Fifth ward. His reason for not doing
so was a good one, and, when he re-
ported to Mr.. Wardle early in the morn
ing another man was commissioned
Kirk Sterrett by name. Sladek runs
grocery store, and, his wife falling ill, he
could not very well act as enumeratOr.
No one complained to the special agent
respecting the conduct of enumeratorS,
and the enumeratorS had no complaints
to offer against citizens. Everything
worked as smooth as silk.
Some amusing incidents were reported
by the enuneratOrs.
One man ventured into Chinese
laundry. The MongoIian eyed him, but
the enumerator did not finch. He eX-
piained in as simple manner as he
thought the necessities of the case de-
manded. and then inquired:
whats your name"'
The Chinaman grinned. but said moth
ing. The enumeratOr repeated the
question. He began to gesticulate
wildly. but all to no avail-the China
man looked as impreSSiOnable as barn
wall. At length his lips moved. The
enumerator clutched paper and pen, but
the words that came were:
"CGmee Slatteldee."
1t was plain that the Chinaman would
not divuIge, and an interpreter would
be necessary. Will II. Farnbam, of the
clerical force of the census committee,
spent the afternoon in searching for
a. Chinaman. He wanted one Hum
Bang, but Hum Bang was not to be
seen. All inquiries at his residence
were received with the reply:
"Callee Slatteldee.
Farnham vows he will be down at the
laundry early this morning, and that
Hum Bang will get his commission.
The lady of "a certain indeterminate
age" gave the enumerators little
trouble .sThey were atfable enough until
the query was outage at nearest
birthday?' and then cloud o.ercast
their features and everything looked
black for the census man. A young
man. we'll known in real estate, hotel
dle-aged spinster. She received him
graciously enough and talked with volu-
bility.
cage at nearest birthday?''
The question pulled her up quick.
But only for moment.
Young man," she commenced, 'sjust
get out Of this room. The idea! In
sulting a lone woman in that way. Get
ont -