Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-06-28
TWELVE HUNDRED.
YESTERDAYS RETURNS OF CANVAS
SERS SHOW THE CENSUS SHORT
THIS NUMBER.
Only n Fourth of the City Heard From =
Proof Tint Thousands Were
Omitted From the List.

Very good progress was made yesterday
in verifying the census enumerators lsts.
Twenty Young colored men under the
direction of Mr. S. T. Beach canyassed
Jackson Ward and up TO p NJ. reported
that they had found by house to house
vists that COS persons were represented to
be omitted
Sixty members Of the police force can
vassed in other wards Of the city and from
one fourth Of their returns 1t was found
that more than q thousand persons claim
ed on behalf Of themselves. or friends, or
families that they had been skipped by the
United States officers.
The work is by no means finished. IL ls
| probable, however. that IN most sections
| II will be concluded to-day, or at latest on
Monday.
THE PROCESS.
In each case where visit was made the
canvasser filed in n blank form, which has
been or is to be returned TO Mr.. j. II.
Chataigne, the city directory publisher,
who has been employed by the Chamber
of Commerce to tabulate the returns and
present all complaints TO Mr.. 5. b. Rag
land, the special clerk employed by. the
Census Bureau TO investigate cases of al
legged omissions
Mr.. Ragland has but q small clerical force
at his command. and it seems quite impos-
sible that he will be able to verify the
thousands of complaints in hand and
coming in, unless Superintendent Porter
extends the limit of time granted for this
work beyond Wednesday next.
A SUGGESTION.
Supervisor Young will be in the city to-
day and will be consulted by MIR. j. II.
Witty, the chairman Of the Chamber of
COmuerca cnmTnitfpn HAVING charpe of
this subject.
1t would seem to be desirable to ask Super
visor Young to apply to the Washing
ton authorities TO send special agent down
here.
The Dispatch has tried to be just and con-
siderate TO all the census people, and has
never charged them with anything worse
than a wanted system but il IS believed
that an enumeration of the Richmond lists
by an expert will disclose n state of affairs
worse than ever we alleged.
The enumerators did not have proper
drilling hefOre entering upon their duties,
and it NAV be that now the easiest solution
of the difficulty will be to take q new CEN
sus of the city.
TBr COMPLAINTS.
1t is not TO be expected that all the CON-
plants will be established.
Often il happened that enumerators saw
tnTns aud made no mention of the fact
II is true also that the canyassers are
taking the count As OF the present time,
whereas the enumeTatOrs took II, accord
ing to law. a. of June lst.
This will make discrepancy OF few
hundred. including children born and
adults and others who have recently come
here from other places.
But allowing for these discrepancies il
10 apparent that several thousand persons
have been skipped. and now arises the
question how can they be added TO u"
lists Within the time granted and with
the force allowed il will be beyond the
power of Mr.. Ragland and his associates
to take the complaints. compare them
with the lists, and then having thus sifted
them thoroughly send enumeratOrs to the
dwelling places of the persons in question
to complete the yerifcatiOn.
SHOULD NOT COUNT.
An illustration of the difference made by
taking the census to date NAV be gathered
from the entry returned yesterday from
WASHINGTON street. in the vicinity OF the
grain elevator" three white; no name,
but born"
GRAVE OMISSIONS REPORTED.
In three houses in the south side of Clay
Ward. near Hollywood, within one hun
dred yards omissions of IL, 6, and were
respectively reported.
At No. 14l5 Broad street. corner OF Mayo,
hir'lj-one persons were reported skipped.
The return from 2222 east Nam street
CLAIM that fifteen ont of twenty-three peo-
pie. the youngest of whom was SIX hours
old. were not listed. The last one cannot
count as it was not here June lst.
Ii was reported from 22l2 east Nam
street Same block as preceding) that none
of the resi- dents Of the house (hfteen IN
number) were enumerated.
Ii is hardly probable that houses situated
in the thickly-settled portion of the prlnci-
pal streets of the city could have been
missed. Still it Is barely possible that the
canvassers may have failed 20 obtain lntor-
nation when they came around and IN
tended to return but forgot It, ms
theory is given some weight from the tact
that two of the largest reported OMISSIONS
come from the same block.
ERRORS IN REPORTS.
A number, and in fact, nearly all of the
errors in the reports are gong 10 arse
from the same fact and that ls TINS
Taking the house for instance where thirty
one people are allegedto have been missed.
Sunnose one of this number had seen the
enumerator and not mentioned the fact
there would be thirty persons IN one house
willing to swear no census had been taken
there. A repetition of the old story OF the
culprit who could bring 500 witnesses VINO
had not seen him commit the crime.
SOME GOOD IN NAZARETH,
Amidst all our misery there Is one gleam
of hope. In the district beginning at NO;
100 west Nam street and running around
tbrouoh Beech street not single omission
was claimed. In Mr.. Raglands census
district two omissions were reported from
one lot. but an examination OF ms. lists
proved that he had both properly listed.
They were colored persons living IN a
back-lot and the householder enormously
supposed that they had not been counted.
METHoDIcAL WORK.
Ato O'clock Yesterday morning the cap
tains of each of the three districts met at
the Chiefs Office for consultation.
The last details were arranged, the
forms given out, and in a few minutes 111s
after that sixty intelligent, discip,,nr11' mnr1
ond did n we'll