The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-17
QUEER CENSUS RETURNS
ODDITIES FOUND BY WOMEN WHO
RUN THE PUNCHING MACHINES.
Who 80. IT, and sN. g." Mean-Latter
Suggestive Of .No Good" but
Stands for ''Not Gainful."

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON. Sept. 16-one OF the
most interesting chapters I'm the history
of the twelfth census. now being compiled
under the direction OF Gen. William r.
Merriam is that which shows the va
carries of the army of enumerators who
gathered the vast mass Of census stalls
tics and data from farm. hamlet. village.
town and city. Great care was exercised
in the selection of the large number or
enumerators. and as a rule they proved
to be men of intelligence and intuition.
In few instances. however the necessi-
ties of the service were such and the avail
able material so scarce that men OF
mediocre ability were appointed as infor-
nation gatherers. This was particularly
the case i'm some portions of the South and
West. with a scattering in the other sec
tions. Notwithstanding the fact that every
enumerator was furnished with carefully
prepared instruct 5ns and schedules. the
latter having printed headings over the
columns for names. ages, occupations, ma
tivity, etc, some of the enumerators sue
ceeded in making amusing and enigmatic
entries. The young ladies who manipulate
/ the punching machines in the Census Office
| some of these records.
Whenever the punchers find on the
schedules an occupation which does not
appear in the specially prepared and printed
list of occupations furnished by their chief
| they are instructed to punch IL either 20.
t." meaning "other things" or IN. Co.
| standing i'm this instance for mot gainful.'
| Thus when an enumerator in Indiana gave
| the occupation of a man as "drunkard" the
| puncher. young lady, was i'm a quandery
| as to how IL ought to be punched. Her
chief came to her rescue and informed her
| that drinking intoxicating liquors was GER
tainly not gainful occupation, especially
| as the next column on the schedule showed
| that the man I'm question was so engaged
| twelve months in the year. She was there
| fore instructed 10 punch IL IN. O.. The
same rule was followed when other enum-
| orators entered q woman as an inebriate
| and certain men as topers.
| A New York enumeration who was perhaps
something of sleuth entered several men
| in his district variously as crooks, pick
pockets and gamblers" For some rea-
| son these were entered under the head OF
| mot gainful pursuits.
| Georgian who ekes out an existence
| by doing chores about the neighborhood
| in which he resides will appear In the
census as '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
| had spent several years in the sunny
1
| tered the sick mans occupation as 'trav-
| cling for his health" This. of course. was
| punched under the head OF mot gainful."
| In Pennsylvania an aged woman was en-
| tered as occupation, invalid" and another
| under the same heading as "paralyzed"
| AS each entry made on the schedules
| was paid for by the government at pre-
| scribed rate, an enterprising enumeration
| ir Ohio, seeking 10 swell his temporary
income. sought the resort of a number OF
"a M hon N
| each of these he gave the occupation OF
| tramp. not gainful-"
One of the Western enumerators re-
| ported a worthless fellow. known as the
town character. in the following unique
| manner Name, -; occupation, loafer;
not gainful; unemployed twelve months I'm
| the year" An aged veteran of the civil
| war was entered I'm the occupation column
as Lives on pension and another as
"miser." while still another reported
| i'm the same column as lives on savings
| Some of the other oddities of occupations
are given follows: Boarding" Wis
| ting. Not at work and 'Musically in
| clined." OF course none Of these can be
found in the prescribed list of occupations
and they are consequently entered various
! ly in the 20. t. and IN. c. columns
In many of the rural districts OF the
! South a large number of children under
| ten years of age are recorded farm la
! bOrers, and under the proper headings Il il
stated ,h that nat ,ney are n so employed eight
| In each year. Two Southern housewives
appear in the occupation columns as Does
| housework'' and Minds baby
One of the most unique entries is that
| of Jerseyman whose occupation Is given
| as Democratic stump speaker which
| was promptly assigned TO the IN. G."-not
gainful-column. Ii was also stated that
! he was employed four months i'm each
| year.
The numerous Indians whose census has
| been taken appear on the lists as farmers.
| with here and there a hunter. Gypsies
are given as horsetraders and fortune tel
lers. and iE one instance as hobo"
A Kentucky woman. whose husband IN
entered as "idler. gave her occupation as
washing and wishing" The puncher who
came across this queer entry remarked
that the phrase meant the woman was
and lazy husband and wishing ne would
go 10 work and assist I'm the maintenance
OF their numerous offspring.
In many or the returns from the South
ern States men OF means and leisure are
entered in the occupation column as gem
tlenen and in ore instance as rich
An invalid I'm Illinois Is given occupation.
laid up. and a paralytic figures in the
same column as has fits"
Ii remained for a PENNSYLVANIA enumera-
tor TO record German. forty-five years OF
age, as "occupation-villain." Whether
this was the enumerators personal estf-
mate of the man, or whether the German
| himself gave this unique and suggestive
occupation. is not known Neither Is IL
| known whether the villain was entered
as IN. @. or 20. T.
The twelfth census. when completed will
show many other odd entries concerning
the cosmopolitan mass of upward OF So
100000 American citizens. including an
classes and nationalities. from the horne-
less and hungry tramp 10 the princely
Mrs. Winsiow's Soothing syrup