Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-19
Offers of Free Assistance Are
Declined.
Mr.. MOsher Thinks That 1t Is
Not Necessary.
An Interview With One of the
EnumeratOrs.
Ladies Who Would Not Tell Their
Ages-Other Difficulties.

The census work in this city is draw
ing to close. About half of the emu
merators have reported their districts
completed, and the others are merely
picking up stray individuals who were
skipped on the first trip over the ground
Mr.. Mosher, the supervisor of the cen
sus, declares his belief that very few
have been omitted from the general
enumeration, although the blanks are
not entirely filled out in many cases.
A man is enrolled and counted in the
population, if nothing is known of him
but his surname and his place of resi-
dence. Many people who had supposed
that they were not enumerated, and who
therefore paid visit to Mr.. Moshers
Office, in the Bryson-Bonebrake block
found on investigation that they had
already been entered on the record.
Yesterday Mr.. Patton, the secretary OF
the chamber of commerce, went, at the
request of member of that organiza-
ton, to Mr. Mosher, and asked if it were
possible for the chamber to render any
assistance in the work, as it was feared
that the enumeration would not be
complete. Mr.. Mosher was compelled
to refuse this as he has all similar
offers of gratuitous assistance.
A special telegram to San Francisco
paper from Minneapolis, announces
that the people in the latter city are
very much wrought up over the way
their census is being taken and have
tackled the work themselves. In 300 or
400 places signs were posted to the fol-
lowing effect eff you are loyal to
Minneapolis, see that you are enumer-
ated. Leave your name here and it will
be counted" Blanks were to be found
at cigar stands, saloons, restaurants and
many stores. The reports states that
fully 1000 men and women are canvass
ing the hotels, boarding-houses, streets
and stores, working without pay for
what they considered the good of their
city. st. Paul the rival city, as mat
ter OF course, was very indignant,
and it was generally asserted
there that the Minneapolis census
would be thrown out as illegal
by the authorities at Washing.
ton. The cause of the trouble was that
it had leaked out that the census was
going to show much smaller popula-
tion than had been anticipated. The
idea of the members of the chamber OF
commerce of this city was that if it were
necessary a similar plan for assisting
the enumerators i'll their work could be
carried out here.
The Placentia colony, who found au
thority in the scriptures for refusing tc
answer the enumerator's questions, will
probably receive visit from the United
States authorities this morning.
One of the enumerators who had com.
pleted his work was asked by reporter
of this paper yesterday whether he ha6
met with many difficulties in getting in
formation from people.
''Not many" he answered "but they
would have been numerous enongh if ]
had not been very careful to avoid them
| suppose that l could have caused the
arrest of number of people i
l had not put myself to the trou
BILE of doing good deal O
coaxing. The hereditary disease ques
ton did not make much trouble. The
questions which people-and especially
women-objected to answering were
with regard to the matter of age and o
incumbrance on property. Sometimes
l. hiCN WHY NCll ullttU was llOb ScUUlIlS
the truth as regards age. One matronly
looking lady, for example, gave her agt
as %, and acknowledged that she had
son II years DID,"
That was possible, of course"
Yes, but not probable from he
looks. think that 25 was a slip of the
tongue for 81. There was one maide1
lady who positively refused to own up
told her that she would be fined, bu
she declared that she had money in banl
and could afford to stand the con
sequences. The next day l calle(
around and brought a newspaper which
contained the. account of the arrest 0
several people. l showed it to her anC
she weakened. When l came to the agt
question she snapped out "36, sir,
which | have no doubt was correct, for
as matter of fact, she looked less thai
that.
''The most disagreeable question t,
ask was about the incumbrance OF
property. One pleasant little woman
living in cosy home, said: Yes, w
owe something on the house-it is onl
about 500, and we are nearly ready tt
pay it off. Please don't put that in
Surely you don't need to count such
little as that Many others spoke il
the same way, and l hated to ask tn
question.