Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-09-27
FREAKS OF THE CENSUS
Strange Occupations Set Down
by EnumeratoT5.
SOME PUzzLING ENTRIES MADE

SOME PUzzLING ENTRIES MADE
One Professional Drunkard In Indi-
ann-southcrn Children Recorded
as Farm Laborcrs Attempts "a
Classify Trnmps "A Pennsylvania
German Enumerated as Villain.
One Of the most interesting side Is.
sues in the twelfth census now being
compiled is that which shows the NusL.
ries of the army of enumerators Wa
gathered the vast mass of census sta
tistics, says the Washington CORE
spondent of the New York san. Gryat
care was exercised in the selection of
the large number of enumerators, and
as rule they proved to he persons &.
Intelligence. In few cases, however,
the necessities of the service were
such and the available material SO
scarce that persons of mediocre ability
were appointed as information gather
ers. This was particularly the case II
some parts of the south and west, with
scattering in the other regions. Not.
withstandng the fact that every emu
merator had carefully prepared in
structions and schedules, the latter
having printed headings over the col
umns for names, ages, occupations, ma
tivity, etc, some of the enumerators
succeeded iu making amusing and enig-
matte entries. The young women who
manipulate the punching machines in
the census office have found them
selves sorely puzzled over some Of
these records.
Whenever the puncLers found on the
schedules an occupation which does
not appear in the specially prepared
and printed list furnished by their
chiefs. they are instructed to punch It
either 80. r." meaning other things"
or IN. ca" standing for mot gainEul"
Thus when an enumCrator in Indiana
gave the occupation of man as
"drunkurd" the puncher was in qunn-
dairy what to do Her chief came To
the rescue and Informed her that drink
ing intoxicating liquors was certainly
not a gainful occupation. especially as
the next column on the schedule show
ed the man in question was so engaged
II months in each year. She was there
fore instructed to punch ii N. c." The
same rule was followed when other
enumeratOrs entered Il woman as an
inebrate and certain men as tOpers
A New York enumerator, who was
perhaps something of n sleuth, entered
several men in his district varously as
Crooks" "pickpockets" and gam
blers." For some reason these We're
entered under the head of mot gain
full pursuits. \ Georgian who el;rs
out an existence by doing chores about
the neighbOrhuud in which he rcS,les
will appear in the census as odd
jobs" His occupation will be found
very properly under the head of "other
things"
Each entry made on the schedules
being paid for by the government ut II
prescribed rate. an cnterprising emu
merator in Ohio, seeking TO swell his
temporary income, sought the resort of
a number of Weary Willcs" on the
To each of these he gave the Occupa-
tion of tramp. not gainful." one of
the western cnumcraturs put down
worthless fellow. known as the town
character, in the following: Name,
-; occupation. lOafer; not gainful;
unemployed II months in the year.
An aged veteran of the civil war was
entered in the occupation column as
Lives on pension" and another as
"mlser," while still another was re-
ported in the same column as Lives on
savings" Some of the other oddities
of occupation are given: Boarding"
"visitng" mot at work" and musical
ly inclined" OF course none of these
can be found in the prescribed list of
occupations. and they are consequently
entered variouSly in the 20. T." and
IN. g." columns.
In many Of the returns from the ru-
raj districts from the south large
number of children under 10 years Of
age are recorded as farm laborers. and
unuef Ille proper ueuulupS II is Sull
that they are so employed eight
months and attended school but two
months in each year. Two southern
housewives appear in the occupation
column as does houSework" and
minds baby"
Numerous Indians whose census has
been taken appear on the lists as farm
ers, with here and there hunter. Gyp.
sizes are given as horse traders and for
tune tellers and in one instance as "ho-
bO." \ Kentucky woman whose hus-
band is entered as an "idlcr" gave her
occupation as washing ana wishing"
The puncher who came across this en-
try remarked that the phrase meant
that the woman was washing to sup
port her II children and lazy husband
and wishing that he would 90 to work
and assist in the maintenance of their
numerous offspring. In many of the
returns from the southern states men
of means and leisure are entered in the
occupation column as gentlemen" and
in one instance aS "rich." An invalid
in Illinois is given occupation "lail
up," and paralytic figures in the