Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-07-11
Budget Of Amusing Answers to
Census Examination Questions
FAILURE OF APPLICANTS.
sub.tan,iat ueasons for Turning
Down yet. Of the Poliiicians-@et
Angry-rhen CRY Enough

daily and because OF the failure Of
great many Of the applicants, congress-
men are making a great many threats
director Merriam, however, Is taklns
things quietly and says no one VIII re-
celvc an appointment unless he " ca
pable TO discharge duties. Several days
ago a prominent representative found
fault with the census officials because
a constituent had failed to pass tho
examination required. Director Mer-
Ram listened patiently. NJ he always
does and then. with a merry twinkle
ln his eye. sent Tor the papers. ilo
read The APPLICANTS anF'yers 20 several
OF the qucations, and It saticnod the
representatives that his constituent
know nothing Of the history Of this
country.
nut the mathematics why arc
they 20 dlncultg" qucricd the pollti-
clan.
"t.cra see about them" Turning to
those questions. he showed them all
aud commented upon them. There was
simple addition. Five columns OF fg-
urcs, OF a dozen lines each. The con-
ftituent had made eight mistakes In
copying the figures and six In addi-
ton. The representative looked bored.
Turning TO the percentage. there was
absolutely not correct answer and
In th, rimplc question In multiplication
such ignorance was displayed that the
representative cried. enough"
How IN ~ How It H. l say, that
people fail 10 pass this examination
IL IL an oft.ropcated question, and has
moi been satisfactorily answered yet;
for u cannot be denied the examine
tion IL easy. n IL thoroughly prnCt-
cal everyone admits. and no one has
yet had the temcrity 10 criticiHc II
after understanding H. While many
fail In mathematics. more 80 down
IN English. and II IL surprising the
amount OF ignorance displayed In the
answers TO questions In geography, and
history. This branch of the examination
cuts but little figure In the marking u
an applicants ability. out uf 10 puHsi-
bic 100 4 ~ only reckoncd a. 20 per
cent In the totals. The questions are
simple. and. for the most part, current,
ana there ~ absolutely NO excuse for
failure. II would be unjust To mention
any names In connection with the ig-
norancc displayed, 10 the answers
which follow Will not be attributed TO
hhN"h'f HhH"Nhh 'N'h WV - "NN"'"-
tic.
Several days ago. when applicants
were asked to tell something OF Abrn-
ham Lincoln the following answers
were noticed.
Lincoln was great general, and
DISTINGUISHED himself In the war of
lsis."
Abraham Lincoln was personal
friend OF tho colored race and was one
Of the original AiRncrH OF the Dcclara-
ton OF independence"
Abraham Lincoln was born In
Illinois. who're he worked from early
morn to dewey eve ~ "a farmers lad
untll he became President"
They knew very little Of the great
cmnniclpntor Al n subsequent exam
nation the examiner asked them To tell
something OF Jefferson Davis. one
young woman from the via west vcn-
turcd the statement that Mr. Davis was
President q the United States and
wrote the Declaration OF indopend-
cncs"
Another said; ~ famous general In
the war Of 1914"
There was a great divergence Of opln-
Ion aa TO the first postmaster gcncr-
al. one suggested George Washington.
another said Patrick Henry. another
Hobcr, Morris, while "a young man from
the South thought II was "a gentleman
named Bissell."
william cullen Bryants Identity got
horribly mixed with that Of the Ncbras-
ka siiycrite by a young lady who de-
william Cullen Bryant was the
Democratic candidate for President. a
Nlver advocate and a resident OF Me-
brnska."
The Inventor OF the telegraph Prof
s. r. H. MORSE. was made TO appear a
general IN the United States army, u
great doctor ana (ahade OF the great
nventorD prominent politician OF tho
South,
one wag. whose knowledge OF
geography was poor, said the best way
20 reach the Atlantic ocean by water
from Chicago was In a boat.
Another suggested a route like this;
Go by rail TO New York, take a
boat ana get there"
one whose appearance Indicated tho
possession NJ some knowledge yenturcd
The following rout03
GO down the Ohio river TO the Gulf
" Mexico and there you are
Whom asked whore the Mississippi
nyer had Its origin, one suggested New
thmpshire, another Florida and an
other Louisiana.
John d, Long was referred 10 In one
of the examinations M tho assistant
iecretary OF the Cuban war" "the
postmaster at Washington" and IAN
admiral In the United States navy"
Cervern ana Gomez were both cited
~ the spanish Ambassador to the
United States prior to the Spanish war.
Inc young woman who gave the follow
ing answers TO the questions, How
may the Constitution % the United
states be amendedP WIS patriotic az
east.
We have the best government on
.lrth,. and the Constitution can't be
amended"
some OF the answers to the
luesuons concerning the District
'l columbia We're remarkable for their
utter lack OF knowledge concerning the
capital city. Few knew how the city
% governed even, one said the preHi-
lent was chairman OF committee that
made the laws, another said there was
governor and a legislature TO do the
work.. while another said there was q
therln IN control.
Replying to the question, How has
we area ~ the city changed7" ono
.ul. II has grown much larger and
growing every day"
Asked what the salary OF the presl.
cent Of the United States IL. one an
,M6eeted; Anywhere from 5000 To
100000 year"
., One young man answered tho cues
tloh Why We're the mass OF slaves
gld south OF the Patomno river before
because Africa il n hot country"
81, me functions OF the Supreme
curt are TO be good morally
,nl to attend every meeting
ihcept on account Of sickness
,r, ,ns Death or relative" wrote one