The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-28
BUILDING A CITY DIRECTORY
Houston Has Dust Been Canyassed
for New Book.
METHOD OF SECURING The NAMES.
How They Are Assorted After Being
Gathered-The Experience Of .
Directory Publisher.


Messrs. Morrison & Fourmy, the publish
ers have been engaged as city directory
publishers in Texas for the past twenty
years and they are now getting out publ
cations for twelve different cities in the
State.
Their rotation Ia 20 arranged that they
get around to Houston with new hook
now due will be ready for delivery next
| Monday.
The printing is being done at Galveston,
| and this year the book will be printed for
| the first time on the new typesetting ma
chine known as the Monotype, giving a
| larger faced letter than was used in the
last publication. hence making 1t more
easily read by those with old aud weak
eyes.
| Mr.. Morrison has charge Of the printing,
proof reading, compiling, etc, hence spends
| most OF his time at the place Of publication,
while Mr.. Fourmy has charge of the other
end OF the work, canvassing, consequently
he has spent nearly all of his time In
Houston, and is here still as the demands
upon directory are such that corrections,
change of address, etc, must be made up
to the last possible moment before going
| TO press, in order to insure absolute COR
rectness.
| reporter for The Post encountered Mr..
| Fourmy yesterday In one Of his reminiscent
moods.
| some people nave very vague ldea OF
the work involved IN making city direc-
tory SAID he, as ne heaved sign as
| though AT the complexion OF hercuieah
| task ihey thihk all canVassei mas 10
| do Is TO get your name. occupation and
place OF residence, write II down. ana tnat
ends it. The taking OF the name Is like
| laying single brick m the foundation OF
building
Ihe work OF directory 9anvasser Is full
OF trials fluctuations anu sometimes very
rich and rare experiences.
EVERYBODY sees tue directory canvasser.
lie he's raped at every door ON every
stre,t ana II every alley In town In gather
ING tue iniormation that Is necessary to the
making OF directory. III necessary, Ae
invhles the garnet and the cellar, any place
ct human habitation no matter how dingy
or iiithy IL may pc He raps at the hovel
OF the poor with the same gentle tap that
ne gives at the door of the fashionable
mansion ana IN the same gentle voice BIO
puts inc same stereotyped questions, which,
wheh answered ne acknowledges with
soou hatured smile and thank YOU"
ana proceeds to tho next house.
some OF our experiences are very inter-
estlne; Iney are sometimes humorous.
eohetifims very unpleasant. Sometimes
women construe our questions as being I'm
permanent, and charge us with being i'm
puaent' IL there Is family skeleton In
.he closet a woman is sure to give 1t away
pS her poorly concealed attempt at being
very clrcumspect and guarded She will
imagine that every question we ask car
rvs win IL suggestion or hint at her do
mestic woes.
we ind the greatest trouble where men
anu thelr wives are living apart One OF
our questions is Are there any widows In
inc mouse II the woman Is separated
from her husband she viii Invariably re-
SAiu such question MS an impertinencc,
anu WI frequently slam the door In our
aacp' ai'er pertiy informing us that II Is
NONE OF our business whether she is sep
arated from her husband or not, IL takes
soou ueai ot patience ard self-controL to
uehi win sucn cases us these and not lose
Sour temper, but one OF the essential quail
!, lllca,lons OF directory canvasser is that
ne al"ays maintains an evenly balanced
anu serene temper
ON the other hand we freouentlv on
counter women OF such conflding natures
,nat they unbosom to lis all their secrets
anu az their domestic troubles. Such in
formation Of course. is not needed in MAX
ing up directory, but we have to listen To
IL or run the risk OF being regarded as rude
ana dlscourteous We some times hear
some very pathetic stories In the recital
OF marital mishaps.
Dogs are our worst enemies. and We
OFTEN have a lot OF trouble In running the
blockade and passing with our trousers
intact well regulated and lively ward
dog.
The negroes furnish us with some yerv
amusing experiences. They are ALWAYS
looking out for tax collectors, Officers etc,
hence 1t makes 1t very difficult for us TO-
get any information from this class. They
frequently hide from us and often give
misleading information, which gives us a
great deal Of trouble. Their mixed marital
relations is another source of annoyanee
l have encountered colored families with
the wife OF one name, the husband another
aud each OF four or five children bearing
as many different names.
When asked to explain these discren-
ancles and negro woman is asked how
bands name Is johnson, she will reniv.