The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-06-19
FACTS OF TEE CENSUS.
It Looks as Though This
City's Population Would
be a Surprise.

Nearly all the Jersey City census enum-
orators have made their returns. Super
visor John Bumsted said this morning
that he had reasons to believe that the
census had been as carefully taken in
this city as in any city in the Union.
1t is well known that New York City
returns are all jumbled up. In Mime
apolis the citizens became dlsgusted with
the work of the enumerators and have
taken the matter in their own hands and
distributed blanEs in every home in that
city. Denver. Colorado. also is in mud
die; and the same complaints come from
all quarters.
Mr.. Bumsted, when questioned as to re-
suits of the census in this city. said he
proposed to obey the law. He had no
right to give any figures. He said the
Fourth and the Sixth districts would
show an increase over the State census
figures in 1885; whereas, probably in the
First t-Aldermanic-there would
be falling off. The State census figures
i'll 1885 were as follows: First district,
25, 500, Second, 31.258; Third, 24,010:
Fourth, 30,352; Fifth, 1853; Sixth, 24,72S.
Total, 153, 513.
Mr. John Bere, the clerk to the Super
visor, said he hardly thought the returns
for this year would reach those figures.
Evidently they were padded.
81 am not in position to give you any
definite information" said Mr.. Bere.
"You can make your calculation on this
basis. Jersey City had eighty enumerat-
ors. They were assigned to districts of
an estimated population OF 1900 each. /
do not think there We're over 1,500 in
each"
THAT would give us population of
but 120, ,000."
well, 1900 may be low estimate.
doubt if the population will exceed 130.-
600, said Mr.. Bere.
Supervisor Bumstead took issue with
his clerk. He was too busy examining
the piles Of returns in front OF him to
talk long, but he remarked he was in
possession of facts enough to warrant
h i'm in saying that the figures would go
yond those of the State census of 1885
VIZ. 153, ,513.
When asked If he based his calculation
upon the official returns, Mr.. Bumsted
said. diffidently;-
Calculation! / took the school census
three years ago in the Sixth district /
can speak only for that district. You
can put IL down that the calculation of
four persons to every school child is very
nearly correct. Upon that basis there
was an increase in the two years in the
Sixth district over the figures of 1885 of
somewhere in the neighborhood OF 1000
people,
THE JERSEY CITY NEWS exposed the
fearful padding of school census returns
in several districts after the completion
of last years school census notably in
the Second and Fourth districts-so it
would be useless to calculate on that
basis as whole; but it is more than
likely that Mr.. Bumsted was basing his
calculations on more authentic figures.
But, of course, Mr.. Bumsted is not in a
position to admit this.
1t is not surprising that there should
be a falling off of figures in the First dis
trict It is well known that many famil-
les during the last few years have moved
hillward who will swell the returns of
the hill districts.
One powerful Protestant Church was
obliterated by this exodus and several
others materially weakened.
Mr.. Bumsted reports that Bayonne will
show large increase. Hoboken, with its
influx of foreign population, will more
than hold its own.