The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-05
ROMANCE In FIGURES.
kxPkRIENCE IN INTERviEWfNG
1900, 900 PEOPLE.
Curiositiss OF Statistics, Showing Hun
drsd Years. March OF the
Repablic.

In undiSguised terror at the dismal array
of figures. the CHASTITY tabulated state
ments. the nover-ending stream OF knock
down facts which these words suggest
There Is. however. broader and more
attractive view OF the census, which Is
rarely brought out. A viey OF intense
concern 20 the nation, and touching ia
one form or another almost every human
interest. Approached from this stand
po.nt. the somSre statistical garD rams
OFF and "A subject Win ne ana s"ui -
revealed, breathing OF the Achievements
and misfortunes, the progress ana Draw
backs the toys and sOrrOws, the crimes
and nobility, the greed and sef-sacrlhces,
the hopes aud the ambitions OF mbllOhs OF
human beings. The photograph OF a con
tinent. An area In when many o. tmS
mighty nations Of the world can be TUCK
away In corners upon its broad surface
Surely we have here theme rising ABOVE
mere columns OF figures. and an inspira-
ton that will transport US beyond the
enumeration OF hard, dry facts; .
TO my mind IL would be Ginicuit 10
Imagine more fascinating task than
that Of pfotOgfaphing these millions IN
which the field was vast continent
reaching from ocean TO ocean. and spread
ing from the snOw-clad mountains OF
Alaska TO the tropical everglades OF the
Gulf
INTERVIEWING TWELVE MILLIONS.
Those engaged I'm the work had TO tax
with all sorts ard conditions 81 men am
womer on almc st every topic or human
interest. over 100000 people had 70 De
seen; over 100000 Nv clliLg hotics must
he visited. on foot went THIS army 3Dyy
strong Glowing their way into the
crowded tenement houses OF New 1oIh
city, where more human beirgS eHist 10
the SQUARE mile than in any city IN the
world, on horseback along the mountain
paths OF Wyoming and Montana In search
q 81. Ia. .trtI "a INN ON
rivers and inlets Of the northern eNfoin~
ity OF the Republic into the fishing VII
lagos of Alaska. I'm caravans accompanied
by artists and photographers. far into
the Indian reservations, not only 10 ascer-
tain the number but the condition OF the
numerous tribes of North American In
dams. In an old church building in Wash
fngton, ID. c., may be tound nearly wei
~ millions of original schedules. upon
which are written the name ana brief
history of nearly sixty-three million hu-
man beings. These myriad sheets OF paper
come, as It were, from every home and
dwelling place within the domain of the
Stars and Stripes. Nay. more than this
not "a farm. a factory, a mill, business
house. corporation, a person. a hshlpg
ers or registration office. "A municipal or
State bureau, "A charitable institution, a
school, church, or a prison vas omit
ted. The history Of all these operations
formed no small part OF the statistical
harvest Of 1880. and engaged the time
and ingenuity OF the statlstlcans in elias
styling. tabulating, and preparing for
maj publication.
sTUPENDOUs AND MoMENToUs WORK.
The widest range Of humanity, of eli
mate, OF conditions, Of cndeaVor, are
found in these returns From huts of
mud ana surroundings little better than
those Of the primitive age. to dwellings
OF Oriental splendOr and princely mag
nificence; from the simplest and crudest
food supplies and furs, to the most In
tricate operations aided by invention.
electricity and the highest human inge-
nuity; from conditions barbaric to con-
ditions typical of the highest civilization.
To decide the avenues by which these
millions shall be reached. the manner this
continent shall be traversed, the best
methods TO be employed the Information
20 be sought. and to put the army In mo-
tion Is indeed n rare experience and
good fortune that can come to but few
men. The field work Of the United States
census when undertaken by an impromptu
organization brought into existence for
the purpose Is one of the most stu
pendOus and momentous civil undertak-
ings man can assume. Not only IS the
census the condition precedent to our
form OF government, and by It we appor-
ton both direct taxation and political
representation, but by guiding legislation
artery and every Vein OF our material,
physical and moral progress. and thus
In some degree affects the interests Of
almost every individual
The amount OF information gathered al
most surpasses belief. Tie enumeratOr
and special agent had to cipher out the
crops, appraise the value number the live
stock, and estimate the eggs, butter, ana
cheese OF every farmer. From the manu-
facturer and mine owner was obtained
the number of hands employed, wages
paid, capital invested, quantity Of pro-
duct, and value Of production, TO say
nothing OF the still further Information
demanded by nearly one hundred expert
special agents who devoted several years
TO fully investigating special branches Of
production In the agricultural. mining,
and manufacturing branches of the cen
sus The fisherman was interviewed as
10 the specie and quantity OF his catchi
the florist to find out the variety ana
development OF greenhouse production
and the surprising sums expended there
for; the horticultural given an oppOr-
tunity to tell statistical romance ON the
expansion of truck farming and the
vitculturst Intercepted In relation 10
the marvellous achievement in native
wine-making Transportation hy rail- ana
water. revealing n railway lake. ocean,
and river system equal 10 that OF an
the rest of the world occupied Tor three
or four years some OF the keenest ex-
perts and accountants In the world. while
the entire range of insurance, HE, nre,
and marine involving interests that when
measured by dollars make one dizzy;
w
detail never before attempted by any
government
A TRINITY or GLOOM.
That trinity OF gloom, taxation, DEBT
md death, occupied no incohsiderapie
amount OF thought. Transcripts OF every
registrars and every recorders once
where deaths and individual debts are re-
corded were searched and transcripts
made for the purpose OF ahcertalnlng the
phvsical and financial strength ana weak
ness OF the population, while In the sta
tistics OF special classes ana pauperlsm
and crime we were able 20 gauge the
moral welfare OF the people. Cognlzaht
alike of the lights and shades OF human
ity much that is gratifying ana hopeiul
may be found I'm the advancement OF
education, of religious sentiment, OF home
owning and of the general Improvement
In morals and increase of THRIFT
II Is difficult TO paint this picture except
by a few bold strokes, for the detail OF IT
would become tedious and fail of the pur-
pose In mind that of giving In Few
words a conception OF the greatest mar
shaling of facts relating TO nations
progress ever attempted by any govern
ment In the world That not a failure or
absolute miscarriage occurred IN any
branch of the work speaks as highly Tor
the conscientious. able experts invited TO
take part In the work as for the thorough
ness and care with which IL was planned
and brought TO q successful termination.
A HUNDRED YEARS MAacH OF This REPUBLIC.
The eleventh census was OF unusual in
terest and importance from the fact that
II would show the advance OF hundred
wears march of the Republic, the nrst
century OF the nations life. The nrst
census had been taken In 1890, the year
after the formation OF the Government
~ EonatSfutton and the result