The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-27
ANYBODY GOULD PISS
Such Examinations as the
Census Service Requires.
GOOD DEAL OF HORSE PLAY
According to a Rather lrrever-
ent Description.

| observer, the one l took today Tor a
clerical position in the Census Office was
the funniest 1 suppose it must have been
strictly practical examination, since
the census authorities long ago announced
that such was thei rendeavor. The civil
service examinations are said to be too
scholastic. too theoretical, and so this cen
sus examination was to be made practic-
al in marked contrast In the first place
the candidates in the room did all the
talking they pleased. There was no limit
to the conversation except the amount of
time the persons being examined felt they
could spare for such a diversion, If
mans environment was good he ought to
have passed the examination without
proach to a correction or a repremand
for this state of things that I saw was
the examiner going up once to two per-
sons who were comparing notes, and ask
ing, as if proferring his own assistance,
Wheeler here was anything hey did not I'M
derstand
CLOSELY Akin to this atmosphere Of mu-
tual helpfulness, is the attitude of the ex-
aminer in explaining everything to the
candidates as the examination proceeds.
There. was a blackboard at the front Of
the room, and when any topic, such as
problems in percentage, for example,
would be taken UP, he would solve typ
ical one, explaining 1t as fully and careful
ly as I have ever seen such things ex-
jlained with grammar school class in
common fractions. Half of the examina-
ton is given to arithmetic, and every lit
of this was explained. I was very rusty
on the subject myself and did not expect
to pass this examination, but how man
who had any snse Of imitation could go to
it without being able to take the cue and
get through I cannot understand. It is
said that some people do see through a
thing the first time it is presented; such
persons if they had ever heard of any
hitting connected with percentage before
might slip up on it. AS a practical protec-
ton against the mutual exchange of
sistance among those examined, and also
to test little more severely the initiative
faculty of the aspirants, a half-dozen or
more different sets of papers were all
the time in use The class would be work.
ing on the same problem at any one time,
but with different sets Of figures, at least
so far as six or seven sets would go
around. It was the same in the history
papers.
when our papers in copying had been
gathered UP and placed on the table, the
examiner remarked that each one was al
lowed all the time he wanted for the
copying, and that he hoped no one had
passed in his papers thinking limit had
been set on the time he had merely gath
cred them up because every one seemed to
be through. At this an agd woman in the
back of the room promtIy announced that
she had handede in her paper supposing
that the time allowed on it was limited
Very WELL said the examiner, and adj
dressing the messenger, pass this lady's
paper back to her. AS the messenger was
about to do so. the lady announced in
shrill voice: oh no, I don't want the
paper back again. I had all the time I
wanted on 1t. But when I handed it in
I supposed there was a time limit on it.
That is what you asked about. l couldn't
have used any more time on 1t to save
me-
'"Then we had a man in the group who
offered considerable amusement by his
persistent requests for fuller explanations.
He was not an old man but perhaps It
would be accurate to say that he had
been some years out of school. When it
came to the spelling examination, and
the way they have of testing spelling is
by the examiners oral dictation of a let
ter which the class is supposed to take
down, spelling the words correctly, the
dictation began with the heading, 'Cincin-
natl, September 21' Just as these words
escaped the examiners mouth the man I
have mentioned interrupted: Just a min
ute, please; how do you spell Cincinnati?
I don't quite understand that word. Is
plan of the examination. telling how i'm
possible ii would be for the Hon William
it two ms and two is? The examiner
then read him a little lecture upon the
R. Merriam director of the census. TO
know whether any candidate was a good
speller or not If the examiner should sup
ply such information. The man kept quiet
until the word 'exigency' was reached.
That was too much TO endure in silence.
He made the examiner pronounce II at
least three times. apologizing for the last
inquiry by saying that there was so much
noise around him that unless the word
was one he was in he habit Of using he
found 1t difficult to catch on 10 it The
words required in this test were not Sc
we're. the hardest being those already
named and formulate simultaneously
unnecessary Responsibility, and appoint
ment'
The history questions were all new and
original One of mine was who wrote the
Declaration of Independence? a question
in geograph. which l think has appeared
in examinations before, was. How would
you make a journey by water from Chi
cago to New York entirely by water?'
I suppose when De Witt Clinton was boy
this question was not asked. but I doubt
| if there has been a boy since his tine
who has not encountered il. Old as this
| question is. one OF my associates told me
when DISCRIMINATION was over that he
he had marked out the Journey by way
/ Of the new drainage canal down the
/ Mississippi and out through the Gulf OF
/ Mexico. He said he was afraid he had
forzotten the passage between Florida
I and Cuba. I told him not 10 sorry about
I thar as his originality would save him.
We began al nine n the morning and
/ were supposed 20 contiue ntiH hals-past
| four in the afternoon. with half an hour
! our for luncheon. But as a matter Of
J fact good deal Of the time was taken
I Up in the explanations We were all asked
TO write a ,etter 20 The director % the
T census on the educational valve % travel.
! discussing that new and enlivenin gsheme
/ in Ia words The moment 81 vas an