Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-17
IFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT. !

L.
WAsHINGToN, August 16-On Monday
the entire force Of the Census Office will be
employed, in examining the accounts of the
enumerators, so that this army of $4,000
men can be paid off as rapidly as possible.
No other work will be done by the Census
ice until these accounts have been dis
posed Of Taking advantage OF this lull in
the important work of the Office Mr.. Porter
will leave on Monday for ten days vaca-
tion, which he will spend with his family at
Deer Park.
During his absence, however, he will pre-
pare his annual report, which will give an
account of the operations OF the Census
Office for the year ending June 80, 1890. In
this report Mr.. Porter will sketch the work
of each of the % divisions of the Office, and
will show what progress has been made. He
also intends to prepare special report on
recounts, in which he will give the details
OF the various cases that have come before
the Office OF cities and towns which de-
manded a recount of the population.
NOT MANY REcoUNTs.
He will show that there were nearly 30
found necessary to make a recount in only
five instances, namely, Kansas City, one
county in Oregon, St. Paul, Minneapolis
and Helena, Mont. In the case of Kansas
City only partial recount was found neces-
sary.
In other instances the lists of names that
were presented with the allegation that
they represented the omissions made by the
enumerators, were compared with the
schedules, and corrections made where it
was found necessary. In the great majority
OF cases where complaints were received, in
vestigation, as Mr.. Porter will show,
demonstrated that they were without ground.
His conclusion, after reviewing the entire
subject OF recounts, as illustrated by the
experience of the present census, is that in
nine cases out of ten the complaints grew
out OF jealousy of some rival city rather
than in any dereliction OF duty on the part
of the census enumerators or supervisors.
ROUGH COUNT OF THE COUNTRY.
The first rough count of the population OF
the United States was practically completed
to-day. 1t shows result OF 62, ,695, $50
people. There are still, however, something
like 200 districts from which returns have
not yet been received. These are scattered
all over the country, but are principally in
the Ear w est ana southwest.
Alaska is also to be heard from, besides
all the Indians whose enumeration is being
conducted separately, and has only just
total to the Ga, 900, 900 estimated by Superin-
tendent Porter, and will perhaps carry it
beyond that estimate. 60.
Ten years ago, it is stated, the count was
not completed until March, 1881.
Naturally the completion of such gigantic
task as this count has been in such a COM
paratively short time is considered by those
under whose direction it has been done a
cause for selfcongratulation, and tonight
the chiefs of the population division cele-
brated the occasion by a little dinner at
"Glen Echo" one of the fashionable
suburban resorts of Washington.
ELECTRICITY VERY USEFUL.
The "Hollerith electric tabulating
system" has been in use by the Census
Office for the tabulation of the schedules of
population taken under the eleventh census
Superintendent Porter, in expressing his
congratulations upon the rapid and ac-
curate completion of this great work, spoke
as follows:
1t may not have occurred to any of this little
band OF faithful workers, consisting of chiefs
and section chiefs from the population division
of the census. that you are celebrating great
event here in this picturesque spot. For the
first time in the history of the world the count
of the population OF great nation has been
made by the aid of electricity. The number of
names on every one of Is, 900 900 schedules has |
been registered twice by the nimble and expert
fingers of the counters, and the g. OOn 900 peo-
pie have marched, as it were, under the vision
of the young men and women who have done
such remarkable work with such extraordinary
rapIdity and precision.
What procession you have had pass before
you. The men who wrote those names havo
had to find them in every human habitation
and existing under every Imaginable condition
within this vast domain Of ours. In June these |
blanks were distributed throughout the coun- |
try. In July and August they find themselves
back in the Pension Office. counted twice and |
ready for the next statistical treatment. Allow
ing for the time spent in teaching and in fitting
up the machines the count proper was not |
commenced before July ], and the night force |
was not organized until some time afterward.
COUNTED THEM TWICE.
We have actually counted 12SOOO,OOO in six |
weeks, or the entire population of 1000 600 |
twice ID that time. Beginning with 1000 or
5000 families 10000 Ii, 900 persons per day.
the operatives progressed in dexterity until |
last Thursday, when no less than 43 counted |
over 10000 families or sc, GOO persons each. one
young lady reaching the astonishing total of |
l6, OIL families, or about So 900 persons On that
day not only the highest averages were reached |
but the greatest number counted. the reports
showing l. S43, ,3lS families or I'll, 800 persons.
This represents an average of 8. l35 families
or 40675 persons per clerk. In this connection
average" the male clerks, man like, I hear |
some of the young women whisper, seek
refuge behind the petticoats of the gentler SEX
The average number counted by the women
was $3.50 families or 1880 persons. and by the
men clerks 6,5S7 families or 1886 persons
Thus it will be seen that the women averaged
nearly one-half more than the men. 1t is also
worth noting that of the 43 who counted more
than 10, ,OO0 80 were women and only men.
These facts, and indeed the record of the
entire six weeks, show that women are better
adapted for this particular work than men.
They are more exact in touch, more exuedi-
tious in handling the schedules, more at home
in adjusting the delicate mechanism of the
machine and apparently more ambitious to
make good record.
ONE FEATURE FOR REGRET.
While congratulate you on the completion
of the rough count and thank you sincerely for
the great interest you have taken In this work,
for the many extra hours you have given to
keep it moving. must sympathize with you in
the sorrowful fact that you have no more coun-
ties to count Alexander is said to have wept
because he had no more worlds to conquer, and
Hunt and Sutherland in the midst of this gay
festiyity, look solemn and sad at tbs paItry
total of I2S, ,O000 900. and. with ghastly smile,
can hear them say: 1--WE had to count the pop
ulation twice in order to reach those fgures",
Distance is overcome and lessened when we
can flash our thoughts thousands of miles
IN a few minutes, and cross the Atlantic in five
davs So it is in the census work. With the
force that left work this afternoon, working |
night and day as we have worked. we Could
with these electrical machines, count the entire
of the United States in ten days of
seven working hours each.
Estimating the population of the civilized
world at 650000,000 we could count it in 100
laws while the bright young women and sturdy
young men of our population division could run
through the entire population of the earth,
which, including Asiatics and savages is es-