Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-01

other hole; his father hkewise-another hole;
his mother ditto-another hole; his occupation
in January-another hole; of nialarial fever
another hole That il all there is about Mr..
Fish; 30 the card previously inserted Is re-
moved from the holder and it is found to be
punched with number OF round holes in DIFF
READING BIT HOLES.
From that card with nothing on it or In it
but the said holes, . practised hand can read
about Mr.. Fish and his history as easily as
from the original schedule. For the position
OF each b hole gives the meaning to be con-
not have to be read by human intelligence.
Electricity does that and counts the facts re-
corded by the holes a. we'll. The punched card
is laid in the bottom Of Q tray, which has holes
in it corresponding to those in the celluloid
plate. Above the tray is . horizontal metal
plate, which moves up and down as directed
The metal plate has attached to 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 plungers
60 into the mercury-filled holes and the circuit
is completed, the continuance having an cleo
trfc battery connected with it, with a 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
to which they correspond in the tray, it is ap-
parent that all the plungers will be stopped by
the card save those which find the holes, thus
completing only the corresponding circuits
Each OF the circuits thus completed connects
with a sort Of electric clock-a small affair
which counts numbers on its dial instead of
hours and minutes. The clocks communicated
with give one tick forward apiece. thus noting
the fact that one more man. say, was a laborer,
born in Germany, died in January. &C., &c. If
Mr. Fish's history had been different other
holes would have been originally punched in
the card other counting clocks would
have licked and the sum finally re-
corded from the clocks, which cannot
make mistakes, would have been slightly
altered. lnasmuch as each of the possibly
three hundred holes has its counting clock at
tached when the metal plate comes down on
the card nothing can be missed. One clock will
count 1893 before it has to be started over
again. The sums recorded by the clocks are
taken down on paper slips and from them
transferred 20 the tables for publication. Such
is the electric method of counting q census.
THE FISHERY DIVISION.
A feature in 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 fishing and
interior fishing. To get information regard
ing the former the owners OF the 1000 vessels,
which make fishing business on the Atlantic,
Pacific and Gulf coasts, including the
oystermen, have all been communicated
| with, and schedules have been sent them
which they are requested to fill out with in
value of their apparatus. the number Of men
they employ, the wages paid, the sort of fish
caught the quantity and how the product is
disposed of.
AS for the fishing of the interior that is quite
another thing. All over it is filled up with
rivers and ponds and small streams and every
| where there are men who do fishing For
schedule information nothing is wanted about
| any one who does not fish at least seven DAYS
In year and catch $50 pounds or over. To
capture these fellows the fishery division writes
first to $4,000 post offices all over the interior
of the United States and asks by circular of
the postmasters usually, the names and ad-
dresses of some such successful and persistent
anglers. These names obtained, the men are
written to for the information specifically
wanted. On this interesting subject the tenth
census will tell not only the amount of capital
| invested in the industry, the quantity and kinds
of fish caught and the wages and profits paid,
but also it will give list Of all the good fishing
grounds in the country and the kinds and guam
tity OF fish to be caught in them.
The census bureau sprang up in the night
like gigantic mushroom. When Mr. Porter
was appointed superintendent a few months
ago it was represented by a single individual.
Within few weeks from now it will have 2 900
employees in its Offices here and As. 600 men in
the field, not counting the thousands of special
agents. 1t will spend on paper and printing
S7OO 900 and for other expenses nearly Sc, 900 600
more, for 1t costs about 10 cents a head for
every man, woman and child to take the census
OF people. Finally it will publish twenty five
volumes, and then, like mushroom, it will go
out OF existence, leaving not trace behind
save one solitary census clerk sitting at desk
in the Department of the Interior until the
year 1900 shall arrive and another census shall
be In order. Then the mushroom will sprout
again.