The Savannah morning news., 1900-09-24
ODDITIES OF THE CENSUS.
PECULIAR OCCUPATIONS SET DOwS
ny ENUMERATOHs.
one Professional Drunkard In Indi-
ana-Attempts 90 CHASTITY TramPs.
children in the south n Farm La
berer~-A Pennsyivanta German
Who 4. Enumerated a. Villain.

children in the south n Farm La
borcrs-A PennsyIvanta German
Who u Enumerated a. villain.
From the New York sun
WashinEton.-On Of the most Interest
ing side issues in the twelfth census. now
being complied. Is that which SHOWS the
vagaries of the army % enumerafors who
gathered the vast mass o. census statis-
'ics. Great care was exercised lu the sc-
lection Of the large number % enumera-
'ors and az rule shey proved 20 b. per-
sons 81 intelligence. In q few cases. how
ever. the necessities Of the service were
such. and the available material 90 scarce
that persons Of mediocre ability were ap-
pointed as information Estherers This
was particularly the case in some parts
Of the South and West with a scattering
IN the other regions Notwithstanding the
fact that every enumerator had carefully
prepared Instructions and schedules. the
latter having printed headings over ere
coInmns for names. ages. occupations. ma
iivity. etc. some Of the enumerators sue
ceeded tn making amusing and enigmatic
entries. The young women VINO manlp-
ulate the punching machines In the cen
sus ONCE have found Themselves sore,y
RMAAtF4 0FHF some OF fNftt ArA0iAE
Whenever the puncheTs found on the
schedules an occupation which does 10.
appear IN the specially prepared and print
"a iiat furnished by their chiefs they ARE
instructed 20 punch u either 20 t.
meaning other things" or y. c..
standing for not gainful Thus when
an enumerator IN Indiana gave the occu-
patton Of a man as "drunkard" the
puncher was ~ . quandary what 10 DO
40. a = ~ Inform.
ed her that drinking intoxicating liquors
was certainly not q rainful occupation.
especially as the next column on the
schedule showed the man IN question was
90 engaged twelve months In each year
She was. therefore. instructed 20 punch
u N c." The same rule was followed
when other enumerniors entered q woman
as en- inebriate and certain men as topers
A New York enumeratcr. who was per
haps something Of a sleuth entered sew
ersl men IL his district variously as
crooks" 'pickpsckets" ana "gamblers
For some reason these were
entered under the head 81
not gainfui" pursuits Geor-
gian who ekes out an existence by doing
chores about the neiEhborhood IN which
he resides will appear N the census as
odd Jobs His occupation will be found
very properly under the head ~ other
things" One or the Southern enumera-
tors came across an invalid who has spent
several years In the South for his health
and promptly entered the sick mans oc-
cupa'ion o. travelling for his health
This. % course. was punched under the
head Of not gainful" In Pennsylvania an
aged woman was entered as Occupation
invalid and another under the same
heading a. paralyzed
Each entry made on the schedules being
paid Ter By the government az a prescrih-
"a rate. an cnterprisinR enumerstor IN
Ohio. seeking 20 swell his temporary In
come. sought the resort Of . number q
Weary Wiilies on the outskirts OF mis-
town and entered them. To each Of these
he gave the occupation % tramp rot
Eainful." One o. the Western enumerators
put down worthless fellow. known as
the town character. in the following
Name. -: occupation. loafer: not gain
full unemployed twelve months In tho
wear" An aged veteran Of the Civil War
was entered In the occupation as lives
on pension" anu another a. "mlser
while stu another was reported IN the
same column as "lives on savings" Some
Of the other oddities OF occupation are
given: Boarding visiting" mot az
work" and "musically Inclined OF
course none of these can be found tn the
prescribed list OF occupations. ana they
are consequently entered variousiy in the
20. r." and ~ c. columns.
In many Of the returns from the rural
districts from the South large number
Of children under 10 years OF age are re-
corded a. farm labOrers. and under the
proper headings u r. said that they are
80 employed eight months and attend
school but two months IN each year
| Two Southern housewives appear In tho
occupation column as does homework
and minds baby.
.s-H.. L. 49,
OF a Jerseyrnan whose occupation r. given
as Democrats stump speaker" which
was promptly assigned TO the N. @ -
not eainful-coiumn. II is also said that
he was employed four months In each
year
Numerous Indians whose census hos
been taken. appear on the lists as fsr-
mers, with here and there hunter
l Gypsies are given as horse-traders and
fortune tellers. and IN one instance az
hobo" Kentucky woman. whose hus-
/ band Is entered as an "idler." gave her
occupation as washing and wishing
| The puncher who came across this entry
remarked that the phrase meant that the
woman was washing 10 support her twelve
children and lazy husband and wishing
| thai he would go 20 work and assist in
The maintenance OF their numerous of
spring.
In many OF the returns from the South
ern States men OF means and leisure are
entered In the occupation column as gen
| tlemen." and In one instance as rich
An invalid in Illinois f. given occupation
laid up ana psralytic figures In the
same column as has FITS "
II remained for a Pennsylvania enum-
orator 20 record German. Is years old
a. ''occupation-viliain Whether this
was the enumerator's personal estimate
Of the man or whether the German him
self gave this unique and suggestive oceu-
patton Is nos known. Neither is Il known
whether the villain was entered as ~
O. OF 20. T"
The twelfth census. when completed. will
show many other odd entries concerning
the cosmopolitan mass OF upward OF So
000 go people In the United States
RESULTS on THE DIAMOND.