The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-09

FIfty-two thousand men, covering
every county and township in all the
states of the American Union, win be
OF at the tap of Census Director Mer-
RAMS bell on June /, and two weeks
later those in the cities and larger
towns will have completed their work,
and in thirty days all the enumeTators
in the agricultural districts will have
concluded their labors.
Here in West Virginia, the work Is in
general charge OF Superintendent
Thomas L. Davis, OF Grafton, with four
supervisors, one in each of the four
congressional districts, under him. I'm
der the supervisors there are special
agents in charge OF each county, and
under the latter enumerators, ranging
from thirty-seven IN Ohio county, to
half dozen in the spnrsely populated
counties of the state.
Here in the First congressional dis
trIct. the supervisor is Mr.. Harvey w.
Harmer, Of Clarksburg, and the special
agent in charge of the Ohio county
enumerators is Mr. Charles A. Helm
bright. It is not likely that Mr. Helm
brlghts work on the census will bring
down upon his devoted head the abuse
and criticism that followed the submits
sion OF his report on the 1900 revalua
ton of real estate in this county. on
tho contrary, it can be expected that
his work win be thorough and salts
factory.
Mr. Harmer, when here recently, laid
Ohio county out into enumeration dis
trlcts. In all there are thirty-seven, as
follows: Washington, g. Clay. A; Mad
ison, 3; Union, s; Centre, 4; Webster,
5; Richie. G; Triadelpha, .; Liberty, 1;
Richland, l.
No Rush For Office.
For time there was a great rush
by Wheeling Republicans to secure ap-
polntments as census enumerators, but
tina. was before they had been furnish
ed with trial blanks. which are to be
filed out by the applicant with infor-
nation fitting a number of fictitious
persons. These tried the think tanks"
of many OF the would-be enumerntors,
who FASTENED to give out assurances
that they hadn't the time necessary to
do such work-in fact at didn't pay"
However, there are now applications in
from every one OF the thlrty-seven dis
trlcts. in Ohio county, and 1t is expect
ed that the appointments will be an
nounced by Supervisor Harmcr on
April Is. Some of the present appli-
canta may fall short of the required
proficiency, in which event other APP
pllcants will be considered. The sug
gestions for appointments were sent to
Mr. Harmer last week, and he in turn
passes them on to Direct-in-Chlef Mer-
rinm. at Washington.
The compensation for enumerators is
two cents per person enumerated in
the towns, and three cents in the coun-
try. Country enumerators receive If
teen cents for each farm reported, and
city enumerators receive twenty cents
for each manufacturing plant
In connection with the census, the
Washington Star prints the following
interesting lnformatlon:
A Great Undertaking.
When the first day of June arrives
Director Merriam of the census office
will touch the button which viii set in
motion the complex and extensive ma
chinery for taking the twelfth census of
the United States
1t Is safe to say that there never has
been such a definite plan of action and
such preparation as Director Merriam
has proposed Practically everything
is ready. and all that is necessary for
the wheels to begin revolving is the ar
rival of the day when the work OF TAX
ing the census begins.
All the supervisors have been APP
pointed and confirmed and most OF the
have been selected. Thou
sands OF pounds of material are being
shipped every day to the different parts
of the United States for the practical
use Of the men in the field, and 1t Is ex-
pected that before the 18th OF the pres
ent month all shipments will have been
completed and the enumerators APP
pointed. Realizing the Importance OF
having an Intelligent corps Of assist
ants In the Importance work OF taking
the census. Director Merriam insisted
as condition precedent to appoint
ment the passing Of a practical cxami-
nation for all clerks. This has enabled
him to select n corps OF clerks who can
be depended upon to give to their work
the requisite intelligence required for so
important an undertaking.
Selection of Enumerators.
No less important in the collection Of
statistics is the selection OF a competent
force OF enumcrators. and Director
Merriam insists that the men who are
to do this work shall be competent, 1t
Is estimated that there viii be $1,000
districts, and at least that
number OF enumcrators.
To aid them in their selection, each
applicant for these positions has been
required to flic with the supervisor In
charge OF his district written appUca-
ton, setting forth his name. age, sex,
occupation. length Of residence and
linguistic accomplishments
Each applicant then received a pop
uatlon schedule. same form MS viii be
used in the enumeration. properly nlled,