Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-08

aiding the census office TO tabulate ~ W.
interesting facts which may be foun ,IAly
the schedules, but which the grea, "
of tabulating by hand has prevsH ,.',
heretofore. '7l
The next in Importance to the cnr,.
the people come the vital statistic, 80 "
the statistics of the special classes 1al
after we know the number of our NO., 4u'
lstion, its characteristics, distribpr, mn
and parentage, the question OF its bsaI.ll
and physical condition naturally Con-,
up for consideration. All facts raIo,t"
to marriages, births and deaths are , ~
tanned BY the enumerator, bv csr,;e
upon something like so 200 physicisr',..S
aid in the work and by copying the ~ "
ports of the registers of births. da0.s
and marriages in states where these fa..'
are gathered by local officials.
Closely connected with the vita, a.,
tistics of the country is the subject ~ ~,
statistics of those classes of peoDIs ~
are more or less disabled by physical ga
mental infrmity, and therefore raoni"4
constant special care on the part of ~,
state or special means for edpca,i,.
These classes include the insane ~,
idiotic, the blind, and the deaf. m,
work of the census office, however. do.,
not end here. It includes all sorr =,
special inquiries, such as stati.tio,
of education, church statistics. sta'
tistios showing the amount of pauperi,r
and crime. These facts are all gatbsrsI
largely by the aid of correspondence ana
by the employment of special agents Nh,
are conversant with topics of this kin9
and who, by reason of their experience
know exactly how to prepare lists and
bring in the Information to the cenn,
office.
How many of the readers of N.
Youths Department would be able IA
answer the question, if put to them on.
hand. Elbow manymiuOr civil divisioHso
the United States, such as cities, town,
townships, counties, school district,
etc. have the power to raise taxes and
incur debt?' Do not answer all a,
once. CA good many thousand, ~
hear some one say. There are no les,
than $50 200 such minor divisions OF ina
country. Surely it is important to know
the total amount of money raised BY
taxation for local purposes and the total
amount of debt which has been incurred
by all these taxing and debt-cresti1r
powers. In order to do this the censu,
office must deal separately and indi7id-
ually with the local officers and func.
tionaries of those myriad local div.
sions. Over $50 clerks are, at this mo.
ment, engaged on the bureau Of this
census work alone, and within few
months it is hoped that statement Of
what may be called the local finance Of
the country-that is, a presentation Of
the budgets of all these plaoes-may be
given to the country.
You who are farmers will, perhaps
wonder how the census office is able 10
give you once in ten years the total
number of acres devoted to raising Of
wheat, of corn, of oats, of what not; the
number of cattle, horses and sheep thst
browse in the fields and meadows; the
number of hogs tn at sleep, grunt and
squeal in the backyards, and all the
other facts relating to agriCul-
ture. This information is collected by
the enumerator on special schedule,
and afterwards tabulated By experts in
the census office, who know all abOlt
farms and farming. And, also by the aid
of special agents the important facts 10
relation to the manufacturing industries
are gathered and brought to the grea!
emporium of facts ard figures at Wash
ington. In all important cities the
schedule of manufactures is Withdrawn
from the regular enumeratOr and d
placed in the hands of special agents or
rather special enumerators. whose duty
it is to call at every factory, workshop,
and mill with the view of finding out the
full particulars relating to the number
employed, wages paid, the amount
and value of product produced,
the capital invested, and such other intor-
nation as Is required. So, in important
indus tries, experts have TO be appointed
In nearly every important industry, VINO
are conversant with what may be called
the technology of the subject. Some Oh
the more important inquiries are those
relating to the chemical industry; c'a!
and pottery products; coke and glass;
cotton goods; iron and steel; mixed tex
tiles; newspaper and periodical press
ship building; wool and worsted; suA
goods and electrical apparatus and SUD
plies.
THE special inquiries Of the census OF
fee do not end here. The value oil our
mineral Industries has grown during JUG
century from few million dollars an
to an aggregate of nearly S0OV'-
900 900.
A special agent of the census, WIN u,
note book in hand, may be found siIIlns
on a fence with farmer cipherlhg W.
his crop reports; in the counting-h house.
the manufacturer, figuring on the Snn-,,
of iron and steel or the nun
Der of yards of cloth; and in the minlII
camp ascertaining the tons OF ore OF W..
brought up from the bosom OF ths ear
along our river courses, at fishing POi.s
on the lakes and the coast, inter'ie",aSS
the fishermen in relation to their 0A''-
of fish.
In this short article it would be impo',
sible to give even q cursory idea u +,
methods employeu
the census office experts or snaiP' in
as they are now caIieui Mir
gathering the varied facts for tu
numerous reports. The MAN 'u 1,ss
after such inquiries are taken out Oh =.
hands of the enumerator, Is 10 pLepin
correct lists of all the establishment IA
cases of manufacturing; Of all mi lI,ags.
that OF mining; of all the fishing what LAT.
and fishing ports, i'll such inquiries l' ,bs
ing to fish and fisheries. BY dolnE s1d
and by employing trained experts AZ
these returns more satlSlsC.Jitt.
results can be obtained than by coln- .a,.
ting the matter wholly to the elu1
ator. -.
The work of the census office zoe; ,S y,
even end here, though am afrsla ma
the mare catalogue is getting wearisoI.ta