The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-16
ODDITIES OF THE CENSUS,
PECULIAR OCCUPATIONS SET down
BY ENUhERATORS,

By ENUhERATORS.
One iopal Drunkard In Indians-At-
temptst TO classify ramps Children 10 the
south a. Farm Laborers-A PennUlvAnia
German who IL Enumerated as = Villain.
wAsHISoroN. d. C.. Sept. n.-one OF the
most inter esting side issues in the twelfth CEN
sus. now being compiled. is that which shows
the vagaries OF the army OF enumerators Who
gathered the vast mass OF census ststis'!cs
Great care was exercised In the selection Of tho
large number Of enumerators. and as a ru'o
they proved TO be persons OF intelligence. In a
few cases. however. the necessities OF the ser
vice we're such. and he available material so
scarce, that persons OF mediocre ability wero
appointed as Information gatherers. This was
particularly the Gus In some parts OF the South
and West, with n scattering 10 the other regions.
NotwithstandinR the fact that every snumerator
had carefully prepared instructions and sohed-
ules, the latter having printed headings over
tho columns for names, ages, occupations. ma
tivity, dc. some OF the enumerators succeeded
In making amusing and enigmatic entries The
young women who manipulate the punchirg
machines 10 the Census Onlos have found them-
selves sorely puzzled over some Of these
records.
Whenever the punohers found on the sohed-
ules an occupation which does not appear in
the specially prepared and printed List fur
nished By their chiefs they are Instructed 10
punch II either 20. t." meaning other
thinrA" or IN. O." standing for mot gstnful."
Thus whom an enumerator In Indiana gave the
OCCUPATION OF 4 man as "drunksrd," tie
punoher was In . ousndary what TO do. Her
chief came TO the rescue and Informed her that
drinking into xica tina liquors was certainly MOI
a gainful occupation. especially a. the mex
T.
question was so engaged twelve mon tbs In each
year. She was therefore Instructed To punch
It ~. O." The same rule was followed wheu
other enumerators entered n woman az On iu-
ebriate and certain men as topers.
A New York enumerator. who was perhaps
something Of n sleuth. entered several men In
his district yarlously as crooks" "pickpock-
ets' and gamblers" For some reason thesa
we're entered under the head OF mot ~gainfuI'
pursuits. A Georgian who ekes out an eI'si-
encs by doing chores about the neighborhooi
in which he resides will appear IN the CENSUS ~
odd jobs." His occupation Will be found very
properly under the head OF other things"
One OF the Southern enumerators came across
an invalid who has spent several years In tho
South for hts health and promptly entered the
sick mans occupation As travelling for bis
health" This, OF course. was punched under
tbs head OF not khlnlul. III FenHbylNhulh an
aged woman was entered a. "ocoupation-tn In
valid" and another under the same heading ss
''paralysod."
Each en,ry made on the schedules being raid
for By the Government at q prescribed rate. an
snterprisins snumerstor In Ohio. seeking TO
swell his temporary income. sought the resort
OF a number OF Weary Willies on the outskirts
OF his 10 wn and entered them. To each OF these
he gave the occupation OF tramp. not %saInful
One Of tbs Western enumerators put down
worthless follow. known as the town character.
in the following: Name, -; occupation.
loafer; not g~sinful; unemployed twelve months
In the year" An aged veteran Of the Civil War
was entered In the ooou patton column a. lives
on pension. and another as "niser. whne tn
another was reported In the same column ~
lives on savings" Some OF the other oddities
Of occupation are given: Boarding. visiting"
mot at work" and "musioally inclined. N
course none Of these oan be found in the pre-
scribed list OF occupations and they are consn-
quently entered varously in the 20. T" and
N. a." columns.
In many OF the returns from the rural dis
trlcts from the South a large number Il children
under 10 years OF age are recorded as farm
laborers, and under the prorer headings II Il
said that they are 80 employed eight months
and attend school but two months in each year.
Two Southern housewives appear in the ocCl-
patton column as does housework" and
minds baby"
One Of the most peculiar entries Is that Of a
Jerseyman whose occupation f. given as Dom
ocratlc stump speaker which was promptly
assigned to the IN. G."-not gatnlul-column.
1t is also said that he was employed four months
IN each year.
Numerous Indians whose census has been
taken, appear on the lists as farmers. with hers
and there a hunter. Gypsies are given as hor,e-
traders and fortune tellers. and In one instance
AZ hobo" A Kentucky woman. whose hu--
band Is entered as an "idler, gave her occuna-
ton as washing and wishing" The puncher
who came across this entry remarked that tie
phrase meant that the woman was washing 10
support her twelve children and Lazy husband.
and wishing that he would go 10 work and as-
slst In the maintenance OF their numerous Cd
spring.
In many Of the returns from the Southern
States men Of means and leisure are enteredin
the occupation column as gentlemen and In
one instance as rich An invalid In Illinois s
given occupation laid up" and a paralydo
figures In the same column as has fits
II remained for a Pennsylvania enumerator
10 record a German. IS years old. as Occupation
villain Whether this was the enumerators
personal estimate of the mar or whether the
German himself gave this unique and susgos-
tive occupation Is not known. Neither Ia IL
known whether the villain was entered "a
IN. c." or 20. T."
The twelfth census, whom completed. will
show many other odd entries concerning tie
cosmopolitan mass OF upward Of $1,000, 20 peo-
pie In the United States.