Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-12-06
NAMES CENSUS,
How it VIII be Taken-Method of
Counting Noses

census mere IN Maine are applying for
| Jobs. There is a brand new plan this
time. All the enumerators in the State OF
Maine are to be selected and appointed
by two men. That is to say, the State has
been divided into two districts comport-
| ing to the senatorial districts.
In charge OF the western district is
James A. Place, OF North Berwick, and
Hon. Elmer p, Spofford, OF Deer Isle, is at
the head Of the eastern district Both
are men who are pretty we'll known in
Maine politics, and who, too, know their
respective districts eminently we'll. They
are therefore in good position to select
for the positions of enumerators men who
are all right in every way. Incidentally,
the supervisors Will enjoy quite a bit of
political influence along with the other
digntes OF their offices. The distribu-
tion of the positions will make them
pretty solid with the successful applicants
and heir friends.
1t is rather surprising to see what
push there is for jobs even as fieetlng and
scantily paid as those of census enune era
tors. At the best, the sums that can be
tdEutu ny lIlt lOCal bIuIDtTblOTB III not
be more than $50, and the average will
be far below that sum. The supervisors
draw salaries of $1,000 per year each-and
that isn't SO bad.
The work of enumeration will not com
mence until next summer, and at the
word ego" the job will be hurried to the
limit. For it is proposed to get this dec
| adn OF in
pie earlier than ever before in the nations
history.
II anybody thinks that it is an easy
matter to count 5000, 900 Of anything, let
him try counting up to 100000 an
experiment. He will find that by the
persistent and regular expenditure OF
breath and energy for twelve hours a day
he can reach that result in a week. The
entire task, therefore, would keep him
steadily engaged for more than year
This simple test will give an approximate
idea of the enormous proportions OF the
task involved when the 5000, 900 units are
scattered over 10000 600 square miles of he
earth's surface, and when it is necessary
not merely to enumerate them, but also
each one. Yet this is precisely the task
that the directors of the next United
States census must accomplish.
Practically all the work of collecting
the material will be done in the course of
three months next summer. To carry it
out in that time the census authorities
are now engaged in organizing force of
| r " nj UOn (1f this q
majority-the enumerators-wiIl be en-
ployed only for Il few weeks, or at most
for one month, but the clerical staff, com
prising several thousand Will be kept
busy for two years or more in compiling
the results and publishing them.
In The last censuses, those OF 1850 aud
1890, the publication of the results occu-
pied from five to seven years. In that of
1890, the last of the volumes of population
was not off the press until seven years
after he date of beginning the work. Ia
that of 1850 the last OF the volumes was
published in 1889. This represented a
fair rate of speed, considering the dozens
of bulky volumes required to contain the
data collected by the enumerators. 1t
seriously impaired the value OF some
OF the most important statistics, how
ever, since they were out OF date by the
time they came into the possession of the
public.
In the act providing for the census of
1900, Congress has stipulated that the four
principal reports-those on population,
mortality, manufactures and agriculture,
must be published by July /, 1902. This
demands a rate of progress four times as
great as hat of the last census. To meet
the requirements of the act, preparations
are being made on much larger scale
than ever before. The plans of the census
officials contemplate the erection of a
great building in Washington to be occu-
pied exclusively by the census bureau,
and the employment OF a larger number
| of clerks than ever before.
The actual work of the census divides
itself into two collecting the in
formation and compiling it for pubilca-
ton. For the former purpose 10000
/ enumerstors vii! he employed. They VIII
gather all the data relating to population,
except i'll Institutions where special emu
merators VIII be appointed from among
the officials of the establishments. The
data relating to manufactures and me
chaulcal industries VIII he gathered by
special agents, no VIII he OF Il CHER
grace and receive more liberal cun peu-a-
ton than the enunera;ors. The third
method of gathering Information Will be
by correspou l=ecr ant ne 5NamIaat ion
OF priHtpa cuculu"uts of all kinds. This