Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-11-14
COUNTING TIE PEOPLE.
THE WORK or TAKING THE GEN.
suS OF THE UNITED STATES.

Steady and Remarkable improvements
Made la the Methods E@pioyed-The
First Census wAs Taken In Iseo-Ths
Thorough Way d Is Now poae.
In a big room In the attic of the inte-
rior department is one Of the most inter
esting collections in the possession of the
government.-and yet there are not
hundred persons In this city who know
OF It's existence, In this room are thou
sands OF leather bound books of all sizes,
lettered on the backs as the case may be.
First Census, Second Census" etc.
These books are the original returns
made by the enumerators In taking ev-
cry census from the year 100. when the
first census was taken. down TO 1880, the
year OF the last census Prior to 1850
only the names OF the heads of families
were taken. but when the census OF that
year was collected the name OF every in.
dividuai In the United States was emu.
merated This room. consequently. con-
tains the name Of every man. woman
and child who has been born or who has
lived in this country since the first day
of June, 1880
THE OLD WAY
] do not think many people know Of
this. and at some time II may be OF the
greatest use TO lawyers and others who
are engaged in the search for missing
heirs. and who want TO ascertain whether
certain person was living at a particular
time
IL Is an interesting study 70 note the
evolution OF the census. so TO speak For
instance, In turning to the first census
the first volume on which laid my hands
happened 10 be the returns for North.
umberland and Miffiin counties. Penn.
sylvania IL IL book of about couple
OF hundred pages, AXIS inches. On the
fly leaf appears this inscription written
In a fair hand
James potters return Northumberland and
Mifnn
The inside page facing the first leaf
reads
The number Of persons within my division
consisting of ss.ssa appears In schedule here
unto annexed. subscribed by inc this eath day Of
April 1871 JAMgs Porter
Assistant 10 the Marshal OF Pennsylvania
There are no printed headings ms are
found in later census returns, and at
the top of every page the subdivisions
are written Al that time all that the
enumerator was required to do was TO
take the names of the heads of families,
the number Of males in each family
above and under 10 years of age, the
number of females. without regard 10
aye, 'all other free persons" and the
slaves Apparently the government did
not provide books of a uniform size for
the use OF the enumerators, for some of
them are big and others small
In the second census great stride was
made In the way of obtaining q more
accurate and thorough enumeration
This year printed headings were used
and the ages were divided as follows:
Under 10, OF 10 and under 10, OF 10 and
under 90. OF 20 and under 40. of 40 and
upwards. The same classification was
adopted for females.
The third adopted the same age di.
visions. but in addition some slight atten.
ton WAS paid TO manufactures
The changes made in the fourth were
the addition of column for the ages of
males between 10 and ie. the enumera-
tion of unnaluralized persons. the mum.
Der of people engaged in agriculture.
commerce and manufactures Separate
volumes for the first time were devoted
10 industrial statistics, and tho occupa.
tions were minutely divided. An inyes-
tigation was also instituted as TO the
amount of material used I'm manufactur.
ing establishments. the number OF per.
sons employed. value of tho plant. pro
duction, revenue. etc
The fifth made the enumeration still
more definite The age schedule was di.
vided In this way. Under D, from 8 10 10
10 to ib. 10 to 20. and from 20 in 10 year
periods up 10 100 The deaf. dumb and
blind were also enumerated
In the sixth for the first time the mum.
Der OF pensioners ..for revolutionary and
military services was given The edu
cational. industrial and commercial sta
tistics are very complete
The seventh was really the first
thorough census. as II gave for the frs,
time the name Of every person In the
United States at the time that the census
was taken The occupation or profes.
sion of every male. the value Of bis real
estate, the school attendance. the mum.
ber of illiterates. the insane. INDECENT
and criminal were all counted Slaves
for the first time were enumerated In
separate volumes. as were also the NOR
tality statistics The amount Of taxa.
tion. the number of libraries. news
papors. the different religious denomina.
tions. with the value of their property
and the question Of wages all received
attention
The eighth and ninth were on about
the same scale, with some slight addi
tons. noticeable feature OF the latter
being the cause of death of every indi
vidual who had died during the census
year.
When We come TO the tenth, Il would
be easier to tell of the subjects which il
did not handle than those which 1t did
Almost everything capable of being pul
into figures went into that work, and
the number of volumes Is almost without
limit A sight OF the returns of ths
enumerators conveys better idea OF tlls