New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-15
THE CENSUS ENDED HERE.
MR. MURRAY SATISFIED WITH THE WORK.
A REVIEW OF WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED
THE DIFFICULTIES THAT HAVE BEEN
META FEW POINTS STILL
TO BE OVERCOME.

TO BE OVERCOME.
When the clock struck IL last night the census
Of 1900, I'm far New York City is concerner. was
practically completed and over 500 men and girls
who have been upon this work felt that they had
we'll earned the money which the Government gives
them for their services enumeTators. There are
still a number Of ragged edges to be taken up TO
morrow, but the districts few and far between
where the enumeration is not already complete.
I II small task to obtain the names,
ages and occupations Of the people of this
city. and other information about them. 1t was.
in fact, big job, and it required much courage
] for undertake IT, Yet 1t has been
completed and with few exceptions IN fhe
most difficult districts within the time originally
allottcd-twO weeks. In this the Eleventh Census
is far ahead Of the Tenth. As late as June % Of
that year ten districts OF NewYork had not been
touched, and not a name in any of them had
| been taken.
Charles H. Murray the supervisor for this district.
| had to face this year many difficulties and dis
advantages to which the supervisor of the previous
census a stranger. In this census the enuiper'-
tors at the outset began their work with hesitarcy
| and in many instances with extreme reluctance.
They had been pictured in various newspapers a.
| men sent out as spies In the guisc OF Govern
ment officials TO obtain secrets which as individuals
they would have right to ask abont
ID was hard work for them in thousands
Of cases to make people understand that they were
book agents. spies detectives, and also that the
questions which they would ask could safely and easily
be answered without shocking the most sensitive pr
son. With all their arguments there were scores Of
cases where the enumcrators were treat-d far from
respectfully, and 1t took the machinery Of the law
in a number Of instances to bring stubborn men and
women to their senses
MOST OF THOSE ARRESTED WERE WOMEN.
| M milo bo
refused 10 answcr the cnumcratOrs questions. on
these the great majority were whose reasons
Tor refusing to answer were many and varied. IL
remarkable what change occurred in the de-
mcanOr Of those who brought before the United
states Commissioner for examination from their DO
hant attitude when they slammed their doors III
the census takers faces Whether it in con
sequence Of the awe-insprng beard Of Commissioner
Shields, the fear of the laws power. genuine
repentance, all of those who fell into the hands OF
! the United states marshals showed real signs OF
sorrow at what they had done. refused to do and
gladly filled out sheets when asked to do so
by the Commissioner.
Tie fear Of n 800 fine term In prison had
most potent influence upon them when they learned
that this was what stared them in the face. Ere
qucntly they mixed up tho man with the city
directory agents, and there number of people
who for various do not want their names
and addresses TO appear in print. The desire to
escape Jury duty and creditors is one OF the chief
reasons for this hesitancy. When the census man
or woman this kind of people hard time
followed ending frequently in a stormy scene. Again
the enumeraor with his book and papers. was taken
for pcdIer and his knock a door would be answered.
by the brief but significant "Nothin' TO day
second, kiock usually Brought the housewife 10 the
door In high duGgoon at the apparent exhibition OF
impor' incnce and before an explanation could be
offered the chances greatly in favor Of the emu
mcrator receiving round scolding for his pains.
Others took the cross examination to when they
were Subjected as being none Of nobOdy's business
and I'm these cases the enumeaor generally felt that
ms was fortunate get out alive. one enuieratoF
in making his complaint against an unusually NO"
subject which he Lad across In the lower part
OF the city, said that he got along al right until nc
asked the woman her age when she attacked him with
such vchemencc that he was glad TO escape Win no
homes broken There were numbers Of cases where
Ignorance OF the enumerators' mission was the cause
Of trouble, and when explanations were maze III Co"'.
the questions we're answered with alacry. Most OF
the arrests were made in the lower wards Of the city,
but a few were made in the uptown districts III the
far eastern and western portions.
no TROUBLE AMONG EDUCATED PEOPLE
No educated or well informed persons were arrested
They were in most cases ready for the enumeraors and
Judging from the number OF census blanks winch were
sent or called for thousands Of citizens answered the
ouesttons In this way This made great saving Of
time and trouble TO both the enumerator ana ue
enumerated Instructions to make the arrests ala not
come on from the Census Bureau In washington until
the last day OF the first weeks enumeration was nearly
over too late TO do anything until last Monday morn
ing If a few arrests had been made early in the
first week OF the the necessity for making whoe-
sale arrests later on would undoubtedly have been
avoided The publicity which would have been given
10 the arrest and the punishment of few would nave
had an excellent effect upon those who afterward
found themselves in the hands OF the law
Tho woman enumcratOr was success This was
from various reasons. In the first place they were
mostly attractive enough in feature, form ana
manner TO obtain hearing. and that was
more than one-halt OF the work As the
enumeraors had work during the day time IN most
cases the information which they received came from
the women OF tho house which they visited Most men
are extremely dlidcnt I'm talking business WIN
woman and especially when the most treasured OF
all Of womap's secrets, her age is one Of the hr''
questions TO be asked. But the woman enunerator
went at her work with great tact and shrcwdness
Knowing the weakness of her sex regarding the age
question this left 10 the last or uhu inc SUBJECT
had become sufficiently interested IN the work To
become as anxious the enumerator that all tlo
ouestions were correctly answered. Then 100 the
woman cnumerator knew how TO discuss the Group
and tecthing and other subjects that interest women
and ale also knew how to play upon the curiosity OF
her victims TO perfection. The women enumerators had
their trials, too ard number OF arrests were maze
nm their complaints. In all supervisor Murray had a
score of these assistants and he was well pleased with
their work
Much OF the delay in clearing mp the work
entirely during the two weeks allowed can Dc
laid 10 the weather. II was no easy TASK lot
,a, mr. woman TO tramp up and down stairs through
hot and narrow Railways and into small and sunny
rooms Until the hot weather came on the work
had been going on rapidly and there was every pros
meet that it would DO completed within the allotted
time with perhaps u day two to spare. Much delay
was caused as we'll the lower districts through the
fact that the enumcrators could not speak nan
dozen languages. In some OF the houses which they
nor, compelled to visit they would find almost that
number of nations represented, and 1t was not always
easy 10 get Interpreter.
NOT MANY pEsERTIoNs TOOK PLACE
ON the morning when the work began each of the