Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-05-23
THE ELEVENTH ENUMERATION or
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.


census, that has been taken in this country.
that we have seen, is one by MI. }. M.
Hines, who is now engaged in the Census
service in Staunton, taking the mortgage
Indebtedness. The facts in it are interest
ing in view of the census about commen-
cling. and the sketch he gives of each OF the
ten that preceded it shows what breadth
and length the system is assuming.
The earliest estimate Of the colonial popu-
lat1on, in what afterwards became the
United States, was in 1907, when the popu-
lation numbered 100000 people. Forty
wears after that it was estimated at
,4S5,634.
The first census taken by the United
States was just century ago. 1t com
menced in August and was to close in nine
months. There was no census bureau OF
head to the work, and the enumeration was
entrusted to the Z. S. Marshals. The Mar
shals made their report to the President a
year after the work was begun. The popu-
lation was 1925, 214, of whom 697 ,6S1 were
slaves.
The second census in 1900 was done by
the same officers and showed a population
of 5,3O5, 4s2.
In the census of 1910 there was slight
change, the marshals reporting to the Sec
rotary of State instead Of the President.
The population was ,239, 1881.
All those were simply for population. 1t
was in 1920 that the first statistics Of CON-
merce, manufacture, &C., were gathered.
The population that year was 9,63s, 453.
In 1880 another advance was made and
the enumeration of the deaf, dumb and
blind was added, and the statistics of COM
merce, &C., were much fuller. The pOpu-
lation was 12,SG6,020.
Another enlargement was made in 1916
when the insane and idiots were included
and mines and schools were added. The
number of pensioners was also taken that
year. The population was II ,069, 453.
In 1850 the census taking was put under
the newly created Department of the Int
rior, and Jos. G. G.. Kennedy of Pennsyl-
vania was appointed the Census Superin-
tendent. That year $4,000 was appro-
lriated to the work, and in that year the
statistics of wages Of workingmen, Hitter
acy, trades, &C., was added. The population
that year WAS %, l91 ,S76.
The census of 1860 was taken under the
Superintendency of MI. Kennedy, and
showed that Oh the eve of the civil war the
following was the population whites
26,957 ,451: slaves, 1858, 76O; free colored
ass, O7O-total 81 1871 ,2S1.
The census Of 1870, as far as the South.
ern States were concerned, was so unayoid-
ably inaccurate that it's statistics in that
part Of the country are so defective as to
vitiate the national return to large ex-
tent. The total population reported in the
United States was 3S,55S,371, of which
SO, ,377 were white and 1850, 900 were
colored. AS MI. Hines remarks: "There
can be but little doubt as to the inaccuracy
of the Southern census of 1870, which was
taken under peculiar circumstances and
under many disadvantages. The work Of
making the enumeration was entrusted to
thehands Of n orthern men and In many cases
W 1SHOIdlG ueSIOS WHlle tne o0utnefl
people were not in the humor to be interro-
gated about their private affairs by United
States officials y
For the tenth census, that of 1880, there
was a regular census Office and a Superin-
tendent at $4,000 yea. 1t was to cost
100000, exclusive of printing and EN-
craving, but it did cost over $6,OO0,OOO
before it was finished. The population
that year was so, 155, 1878, of which 43, 402 $40
were white; $3.50, 793 were colored; 1O5, 465
were Chinese las were Japanese, and
66.407 were Indians.
The present census, to begin next month
is under the SUPPLEMENTARY of Robert P
Porter at a salary Of $4,000 per annum, and
its cost is fixed at So, 100000. 1t covers
more various lines of statistics than any
of its predecessors, and is by far the great
est work yet undertaken by the government
in giving the statistics Of the country.