The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-10
CLOSING WEEK OF CENSUS.
THE CITY COUNT WILL SOON BE
COMPLETED.

Ten Enumerators Have Already
Finished Their Districts-A Com
monpIace Census Conducted in a
Commonplace way, Says Supervi-
sor Blum, amt Therefore 1t Fur
nisheS no Sensations-He Guaran-
tees "A Fair and Accurate Count,
However CoIOred Generators
Have Had No TroubIe-WOmen-
folks Furnish Most of the Infor-
nation.
This week will see the finish Of the CEN
sus so far as Savannah is concerned.
The city enumerators are only allowed
five more days in which to complete their
work but they will easily get through
within that time. Probably three-four'hs
OF the city's population has already been
enumerated, and eight of the forty-six
city enumerators have already completed
their districts.
There was probably never a census
taken that caused 50 little talk or proceed
ed so smoothly. This may be accounted
for in two ways The masses of the peo-
pie are undoubtedly increasing In intel
lgence. and as newspaper reading is gen
eral. practically everybody is informed as
to the purpose of the census. The object
of the enumerator's visit is known, and
most people are very ready TO give the
desired information. The other reason is,
that the irritating questions which appear
ed in some previous census schedules are
absent from that of 1900, and the persons
TO whom the queries are put have no
cause to be provoked.
The census isn't furnishing any stories
for the newspapers" said Supervisor Blum
yesterday, FOR che reason that it is thor
oughly commonplace. All the questions
are commonplace, and there is nothing
for people to get mad about. An intelli-
gent set of enumerators has been selected
and distributed where they can do the
most good. They are going about their
work i'm a business-like manner, and the
whole thing is simply on business
basis"
you can rest assured of one thing"
said Mr.. Blum, land that is that a fair
and accurate count will be obtained. The
enumerators are obeying ms ructons
carefully and covering the ground very
closely. There will be very few individuals
who will escape the census man. don't
know how well Savannah is going TO show
up, but l can assure you of one thing
and that is that she viii get fun credit
for everything she is entitled to-
The ordinary and "CommOnplaCe' man.
ner in which the census count IS proceed
ing is undoubtedly due in large rart TO
the good Judgment shown by M Blum
in the selection of enumeratocs and the
further display of coed judgment on lis
part in placing the enumerators in the
districts where they could accomplish tie
best results while causing the least Eric
ton.
It is remarkable that there has not been
a single kick on the ColOred enumerators.
Although these are chiefly in the districts
largely populated by negroes there is not
an enumeration district which does rot
contain a number of white peop.e, but
these all eeem 20 have taken matters
philosophicaly and to have furnished in
formation as desired.
Il haven't had the slight trouble of any
kind" said a young colored politician who
is taking The count in a RobertSvile dis
trict. Il thought l knew something about
the way people lived i'm this town, but Il
have found out 4 few things since l
started on this job The population is
pretty thick in my district and it would
surprise you to see the number of fami
lies living in one house. Three and four
families to the house is nothing uncom-
mon and the houses are not large either.
l enumerated twenty people in one house
the other day"
How do you catch the people who are
not at home IN the day time he was
asked.
when there is nobody at home who can
give the Information, we have 10 go back
at night" he replied I'm this way we
come pretty near catching EN- all. ! ex-
pect TO get about 1900 in my district"
The enumerators get fun three-fourths
of their informatio from the women, The
men are away at business or at work and
so it is the women who aNe called upon
to answer the questions as TO the various
members of the family. An enumeretor
who called at at a CASTOR street boarding
house yesterday was met by the young
lady of the family, who promptly gave
him fun Information concerning every
member of the large family and ell the
young men boarders as we'll She knew
their ages and where they were born and
what they were doing and all the other
information required. She could doubtless
have furnished considerable information
about them on other lines had it been de-
sirable TO do SO.