New-York tribune., 1900-05-27
CIGAR SHAPED

enumerators will naturally find great many
persons absent from the city. and this would
impair the accuracy of the return. Mr. Wilbur
has sent broadcast through the district, TO the
people who it natural to suppose would be
out of the city through the summer. postal cards
bearing series of questions which he wishes to
have answered. He said yesterday that almost
without exception he had received answers to
these postal cards.
People you would naturally suppose wouldn't
bother to answer have been punctilious and
painstakng in their replies" said Mr.. Wilbur.
Il believe It is estimated that there were about
one hundred thousand persons overlooked in the
last census in this district, and 1 hope to cut
that down materially"
ENUMERAToRs NOT CANvAssERs.
Mr.. Wilbur said yesterday that he had re-
ceived offers of everything from gross of
fountain pens to a merry ry-go-round from various
commercial agencies If he would furnish them
with list of the names OF the enumerators.
The idea of these commercial houses TO
have the enumerators carry along with them
side line various articles for sale. Mr.. Wilbur
has refused to make the names of the enumer-
ators known, as he believes it would seriously
impair the efficiency and speed of the work for
the enumerator to be bothered with anything
else Mr.. Wilbur also earnestly urges that the
public generally and every person individually
cooperate to help out the enumerators. He points
out that nearly all the facts the Government is
able to CLEAN about the people come from the
census. and it is important that every one
should answer fully and freely all questions; he
therefore urges that all shall patiently answer
what may appear to be trivial questions which
really in the total are important.
The census starts officially on June I. On
that day. some day succeeding it, with
a large book and a long string of questions will
call upon every resident of the city. He will
ask each one whether he is white black a
deaf mute imbecile, and certain other ques-
tons which may strike the questioned one to be
of purely personal nature. All of the ques-
tons, however. carefully prepared for him.
and the enraged householder will get no relief
by throwing him out of the house. AS there
not enough census enumeratOrs to cover the
entire territory in day, the appearance of
the enumerator at any house may be made
after June l. When he does come however.
replies to questions must be made as if it were
June l.
For instance, If the enumerator calls June
and the whom he interrogates mar
ried on June 4, that man goes down as a bache-
lor and his wife a spinster living at the home
of her parents, wherever she did live before
marriage. If child happened to be born
the day preceding the visit of the enumerator, If
L,
enumerator and the United States Government
concerned that child doesn't exist. Every
thing happening subsequent TO June l doesn't
count and is Obliterated entirely from any reck-
oning in the census. If the enumerator finds
that man whom he is looking for died on June
2 although ne may call upon him June Z,
lation of New-York just the same
A WIDE RANGE OF QUESTIONS
The enumerator will be properly identified by
a badge which he will wear. He is instructed
to be patiently polite in accommodating the data
he is after The inquisition is searching one,
and the Government knows that the American
people resent what may appear TO be intrusion
into private affairs. For this reason the enumer-
ator is warned that he must be patient but per-
sistent. Among the questions he will ashland
he must trust his eyes to answer
any-are to your sex, color. date of birth,
month and year; whether single, married. di-
Vorced widowed; how long married to present
ConsOrt, how many children you have had, how
many are now living; whether you deaf.
dumb or blind, or whether any member of your
family suffers from any of these affections;
where you were born, If in another country
when you came to this country, and what steps.
if any you have taken toward being naturalized.
Then come searching questions To business.
The United States Government wants TO know
just what business each of its citizens Is
gagged in. If the citizen has more than one
business, the one from which he derives the
income deVoteS the major part of his
time to is put down. If person has no occu-
patton ne will be asked what he derives in
come from, and what stocks, bonds, mortgages
and so owned. II you are unemployed
the Government wants to know about that. The
resident is asked if he owns his home and. If So
If 1t is mortgaged, and also If he reads and
writes the English language any other Ian
guage.
Mr. Wilbur said yesterday that all of the
twelve hundred enumerators selected were
bright intelligent and active men. Some of
them young men of various professions who
are glad to few dollars in the course of a
dull season. All of the enumerators are sworn
to secrecy TO what facts they elicit in their
Investigations. and severe penalties provided
for in of betrayal OF trust by any emu
merator.