The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-24
Systematic and Business-like Meth
DDS Are Better Than Gov
eminent Red Tape.
The Canvass VIII Show Consid-
cradle Gain Over the Late
9peer Enumeration.
It 10 Popular Movement Because Of thu
Absence Of Certain Objectionable
Features.


Helena shows, she ID now taking census
Of her own that will prove more satisfactory
than the so-called enumeration made BY
Mr.. ". 0. Spesr of Butte. Tho work
which u now going ON under the super
VISION Of Ide 4 Roberta will DO finished
probably by Saturday evening. and 1t will
show that the population of the city is al
most double tho figures which Mr.. Speer
made. A visit to the office Of these gentle
msn In the Bailey block, on Main street,
reveals the business-like methods that are
betng used in the work of enumeration.
Everything is being conducted IN . sys-
tematio and thorough manner, and the
enumerators are not required 10. nor do
they display, anything like the remarkable
feats Of memory that was such . oonspicu
Gus feature of tho work under Mr.. Speer
when the recount was going on laet week.
Is visited, and any locality where there is
IN opportunity to secure names. The
enumerators are we'll compensated for their
work and are selected for this particular
class of duty. The result is that the work
il being thoroughly done and no persons
are overlooked because they are remote
from thickly inhabited portions Of the
town. The men experience little difficulty
in obtaining admittance to some houses be-
cause the people there have been seen SO
many times by Speer's enumerators and
members Of the citizens committee who
undertook q house to house canvas. In the
majority of cases, however. the enumera-
tors are received with politeness and the in
formation asked is cheerfully given. The
success of the present count can no doubt
be attributed to the absence Of the annoy
ing and impairment questions which were
such marked feature Of the government
canvass. The present enumeration is q
citizens movement sanctioned by the city
council and under the direction of the
mayor and the citizens committee. This
has made it popular and every one makes
it his business to help the work along.
One of the enumerators related story
yesterday which illustrates a few of the
amusing incidents connected with the CEN
sus. He went to residence on the East
side and found the lady of the house at
home. She had been bothered go much
that she fatty refused to tell the enumer-
ator anything at all concerning the family.
The name taker demonstrated his ability
Roberts know what kind Of men to select
for the business. It was not long before she
commenced to tell him how her girls were
getting on, their ages, and what splendid
creatures they were. This interested him
for while. but he left when she wanted to
give I0e names OF uer uV0 boys IN Oall-
fornia.
At the close of the days work on Tuesday
Il, 900 slips had been turned in BY the enum-
orators. These have to be carefully checked
and compared in order that names may not
be duplicated. the business part of the
city is checked with extra care. This is
done SO that a man who is at his place of
business during the most of the day will
not get his name down twice, which is quite
likely to happen as his name may be &C.
cured by one of the enumerators working
in the business center, and be also taken by
another man whose district is composed
mostly of residences. Yesterday twenty
Ide estimated that they would average 800
names each. That the count is being taken
in systematic manner ia shown by the
method in which the enumerators
secure the names of people who
are are, not at home when they
do not find anyone in the house separate
slip IL made giving tho number Of the
house. These slips are then kept by them
selves and each day man is sent to the
house. If one visit is not sufficient to get
the desired information, another is made,
Some difficulty was experienced in securing
names on Clore street, but the presence of
a police officer in uniform aided the enum-
orator very materially IN his work.
Mr.. lde Thought yesterday that CLOSE
estimate Of the city's population could be
made by Saturday night. By that time he
expects there will have been something like
$1,000 slips turned in by his enumerators.
At rough estimate this would indicate q
total population of about 1900. The esti-
mate is Of course liable to change on &C
count of the process of checking the slips
to avoid duplication. Outside of the enum-
GRAFTON this is the part of the work which
requires the most attention. It is quite APP
parent from the present stage Of progress
that the figures will be very much increased
over those of the ooYarnmant canYAas