The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-03-21

M q vork within thyee wce3x Eseet<ic5ty.
nitk-maainx. vol. giass. p0tsssy and news
rnnevs arr ausorx the manufactured pro-
ducfx particularly n be found out about
The agricultural division viii devofs it,
uscat active skfentior 70 grspe-groHlng and
frsitraising mxxfsrs. Mining and quarry
ing win occupy the largest share ct the
minersl divisions interest
Even the churches and church-xoers viii
se regarded ~ish an in1uiriug eye. with .
view 10 ascertxining the number Of church
buildings In the United states. their capac-
fsy and value. and the pay their preachers
get Whether ron yourself go 10 church
or not will be asked You ara expected TO
imrast everything yoa know about your
self 70 the relentless agent or enumeration.
Voc must even tell how many fish ycn
catch In year II you ere . lover OF the
gentle sport oil angling. This last require
mens would seem like serious test Of the
average mans veracify. but whatever you
choose 70 say is taken for gospel. and
set down as such in tabular shape
There Is no Ansnizs and Sapphira
business about the census bureau II you
are insane, deaf, dumb or blind you are re-
corded n such, with notes on the cause OF
your affection. including mention of those
relatives, dead or living, Who have been
similarly troubled. II you were born an
idiot II is so mentioned by the simple word
''eongenitai;" or, supposing you are con-
genital paupey, having been born IN IN
Aimshouse. that interesting detail win not
escape In case ron are In prison, your
record are quoted.
The facts In relation to population and
vital statistics. upon reaching the census
bureau here. are all counted by electricity.
which does the work almost without assist
ance- Ii Is estimated that in the compiling
of tables the machine employed saves
three~fourths Of what would otherwise be
the labor involved and thrce-fourths Of the
time. To begin with, there is little pencil
OF steel on the end OF . metal arm foot or
30 long, which is arranged that you can
push the pencil In any direction above
celluioid plate that il full of small round
holes just big enough TO allow the pencil 10
be thrust into them. Each Of the holes has
o letter or figure close by il to distinguish
IL from the others. Now, the operator in
scrts MANILA paper card in holder just
hack OF the movable arm and. taking in
his left hand one OF the original enumera-
tors schedules. holds the steel pencil in his
right hand and proceeds to business.
The name Of the person on the schedule
Is Peter Fish. but that is not worth count
ing. for Mr.. Fish Is henceforth TO be re-
gardcd from the statistical point of view
merely ~ unit. He lived in ward 1, and
accordingly the operator jabs the steel
pencil down into little hole marked az
in one of the divisions Of the ceiluloid plate.
Alao, he was white--another hole punched
-male-another holes years OF age
another hole-born in Germany--snother
hoie-his father likewise--another hole
his mother ditto another hole--his occu-
patton was that of laborer-another hole
land he died In January another hole
of malar;al fever--another hole. That is
all there is about Mr.. Fish; so the card
previously inserted Is removed from the
holder, and it is found 10 be punched with
anumber Of round holes in different places.
From that card, with nothing on il or in
II but the said holes, . practiced hand can
read about Mr.. Fish and his history as
easily as from the original schedule. for the
position of the hole gives the meaning To he
conveyed. But the Specification Of the
holes does not have to be read by human
intelligence. Electricity does that. and
counts the facts recorded by the holes as
we'll The punched card is laid in the
bottom Of tray, which has holes in il cor
responding 10 those in the ceilnloid plate.
These holes are filled nearly full with mer-
curry. Above the tray is horizontal metal
plate, which moves up and down
rs directed. Tho metal plate has
attached 10 its lower side little metal
plungers corresponding in number and
position with the holes in the tray beneath
When the metal plate is lowered, the
plungcrs 70 into the mercury filled holes
and the circuit Is completed, the contriv-
ance having an electric battery connected
with 1t. with separate connection for each
hole. But suppose card is placed in the
tray with a dozen holes in it here and
there, fitting exactly over the holes 10
which they correspond in the tray, il is
apparent that all the plungers will be
stopped by the card save those which find
the holes, thus completing only the cores
ponding circuits.
Each of the circuits thus completed con-
meets with . sort of electric clocks small
afiair--whieh counts numbers on its dial
instead of hours and minutes. The clocks
communicated with give one tick forward
apiece, thus noting the facs that one more
man, say. was q laborer. horn in Germany
died in January, etc. II Mr.. Fish's history
had been different other holes would have
been punched in the card, other
counting clocks would have licked,
and the sums finally recorded from the
clocks. which cannot make mistakes,
would have been slightly altered. Inas-
much N each of the possible go holes has
its counting clock attached when the metal
plate comes down on the card. nothing can
be missed. One clock will count e.9o
before it has TO be started over again. The
sums recorded by the clocks are taken
down on paper slips. and from then trans
ferred 10 the tables for publication. Such
is the electric method of counting census
A feature Of the work worth mentioning
Is the fishery division. which Is decidedly a
novelty in census making in this country.
It's work Is roughly divided into coast fish
ing aud interior fishing. To get informa-
sion regarding the former. the owners of
the 1.ooo vessels which make fishing a bus
mess on the Atlantic. Pacific and Gulf
coasts. including the oystermen, have all
been communicated with, and schedules
have been sent them which they are re-
queSted 20 Ell Out with information
as 10 the value OF their shirs.
the value OF their apparatus, the
number OF men they employ, the
wages paid, the sort Of fish caught, the
quantity. aud how the product is disposed
OF. The boat fishermen. including crab
eers aud elammsrs and tegrspsn hunters
are covered by writing to every town and