Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-12
TAKING The TWELFTH CENSUS
How the Job is Done and the Great Army
Required to Do 1t,
RISE AND FALL OF A GREAT BUREAU
One Lonely Expert Left of the Census
Corps of 1soO-simplicity and E,-
petition Feature of the Next
Enumeration.

Enumeration.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 0.-(Corre-
spondence OF The Bee THE ancients have
handed down to us the tradition OF a won
derful bird whose fate in life was to soar
towards the blazing sun When he reached
the highest point Of his flight the all consum-
ing heat burned him to ashes and these fen
to the ground. AS they dropped and touched
the fertile bosom of the earth life was in
fused into the cinders and the bird rejuve-
mated by the kindly touch sprang into be-
ing from the ashes. 1t Is thus with the
census of the United States and always
upon the approach of the year which con-
tains in its name the numeral 80" the
president OF the United States and both
houses OF congress concur in the law which
provides, in pursuance of our constitution,
for the enumeration Of the inhabitants of
this country.
Then there springs into being from the
ashes OF the past and from the tradition of
the censuses which have gone before, vast
bureau, which employs directly and indi
rectly the aid of upwards OF 100000 OF
Uncle Sans citizens in gathering such facts
and figures as are deemed essential TO a
determination OF the exact resources and
developments OF the greatest country in the
world. During the last census, the eleventh,
at one tim, more than 5000 clerks and CEN
sus- takers we're employed at one time in
gathering and compiling and classifying the
data for what is now the most complete
work Of the kind in the world. This great
work. commenced in 1889, was finally COM
pleted in June OF 1897. The giant mush
room which had sprung up, as it were, over
night and overshadowed for a while the
whole land drew from its countable tens OF
millions the substance necessary for It's
existence and in due time the vast labor
proved productive of some twenty or more
volumes containing an enumeration OF the
population, vital statistics and estimates of
our great agricultural. manufacturing and
mining industries, along with insurance,
statistics on crime and pauperism and many
other subjects too numerous to be men
toned.
Rise and Fall.
When the days OF its usefulness had
passed congressional appropriations for the
census bureau commenced to dwindle ana
after the facts have been collected much
smaller and much more skilled clerical force
is needed for compiling them. The first peo-
pie to go are those further from the heart
of the census in Washington. The emu
house canvass, report to the main office,
send in their results, which are certified,
and having received their modest remuner-
alton, are struck from the pay rolls. When
their labors have been digested and gen.
eralized. the clerks who have been en-
ployed in corresponding with the enumer-
ators are also dropped from the pay rolls.
Their labors are taken up by men higher
in authority and digested again and gen.
eralized. Reports are made to the CHIEF OF
the census, who approves them, and the
final step having been taken, they are sent
to the government printing Office. where
they are printed and distributed throughout
the world.
AS the refining process goes on and the
apparently disconnected mass OF reports
asked for by the census enumerator of the
great American citizen are thrown into the
vast caldron which a thousand census en-
ployes kept stirring and simmering the
pure metal Of solid and significant fact
finally sinks, the reports grow smaller and
more compact, and fewer men are required
to handle them. Finally, as report after
report is completed and issued the bureau
dwindles to a mere shadow of its former
self. In June, 1897, the census bureau en-
ployed about one man to about every hun
dred that it employed at the height OF its
greatness. Today but one employe remains
on the pay rolls of the eleventh census, and
the army OF skilled men who were enrolled
for short time in Uncle Sans census serv-
ice are now scattered to the four winds of
the heavens.
Lonely HoIdover.
This one lone employe, who still remains
as an evidence Of the census bureau, is
to A inc 10 ;e hn
greatest census expert in this country. He
has been in the business of compiling
statistics and gathering information for the
last twenty years. having entered the service
of the tenth census, nearly twenty years ago
Young King came in under General Walker,
who had in charge the tenth census. He
started in at the lowest round of the ladder
and worked his way up to the position Of
chief clerk. He had charge of the division of
vital statistics during the last census.
In reviewing the history of the two CEN
| suses which precede the forthcoming one, in
| an interview Mr.. King said: Census work,
as we understand it at present, practically
began with the tenth census, under General
Walker. Prior to that time an enumeration
of the population which is demanded by the
constitution and few additional facts sut-
feed to make up the census You can read
lily see the difference in the scope Of the
census of so and that of 10 by glancing at
the volumes which they are contained in.
The former takes up three volumes, while
the latter is contained in eleven.
THE tenth census was planned by Gen
eral Walker to form basis for future GEN.
sus work and was made to include more or
less of an enumeration of the status of nearly
every branch of industry pursued in this vast
country. 1t comprises, in addition to
statistics proper, a comprehensive history of
the development OF the industry and took
within its range vast amount OF descriptive
matter. While ii was, OF course, impossible
| to make statistics OF the years that had gone
before very successful attempt was made
and carried out to bring the subject treated
up to date in historical way. 1t covered
much new ground and formed a splendid
basis for the eleventh census. which, while
hardly as interesting from popular stand
point is the most complete and valuable
work to the trained statistician that the
world has ever seen.
"The builders of the eleventh census la
bored under the disadvantage, as did those
who built the tenth census before, OF having
to start from a beginning of nothing and
work up force of skilled operatives, 1t is
nista haf nannla hava hat