The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-03
Do NOT TELL THEIR AGES
CONFIDE IN UNCLE SAM'S
ENUMERATORS
MEN MEET FOR CONFERENCE
Chamber of Commerce Rooms Oc-
cuDied Last Night by Census
Board of Strategy, as 1t
Were.

Census enumerators are having a great
deal of difficulty with the ladies of St
Paul. At meeting of the men engaged
in the work held last night at the Cham
Der Of Commerce rooms the charge was
openly made, and be 1t said several
times substantiated, that the female por-
uOn Of the population refuse to be con-
Vinced that their age is of interest to the
government. One enumerator even went
so far as to directly charge a lady whom
he had met with hedging a half dozen
years. The only instance in the reverse
reported was that of an old colored lady,
who was bon in slavery days, sub, an
have a daughter 4ifty-one, and two
youngeh chilluns dead" She guessed
she must be near ninety-five, but the
man with the pencil put her down for
sIXty-eight
After one days work, the tales recited
by the enumeratOrs last night were pc.
cuiiar and in the main amusing. The
characters Of the maiden lady who in
sists on being under the age limit, the
mysterious reclUse who denies the
enumeratOr any information concerning
births and antecedents, the foreigners
with TeutOnic and Irish dialects, who in
sist on being born in Italy or some other
manIleStly absurd place and many other
odd specimens of humanity have been
much in evidence Supervisor Vanish
converted himself into a governmental
information bureau last night and for
an hour and a half the men working
under him, pumped out questions of in
finite variety. In spite of the difficulties
met with, the supervisor announced that
the first days work had shown Il
standard so per cent better than he had
expected. He praised the diligence Of
his men and expressed the opinion thai
the census when completed, so far as
st. Paul is concerned, will be the most
satisfactory ever recorded.
On account Of the variety of personal
Information demanded by the govern.
ment for the purposes of the census, and
the additional data concerning popula-
ton, live stock, property and other mat
terS, the enumeTators have been given
every chance in the world to find trouble
Many reports have already been made OF
persons in the city who do not know who
their parents WERE where they were born
or how old they are. The item demand
ing information regarding residents,
specifying whether they are property
owners or renters, whether their houses
are unincumbered or mortgaged has
caused frequent difficulties. In several
instances, persons have been located who
though actual legal residents of the city
do not live in st. Paul two months in the
year. The matter of gaining information
concerning these has presented varied
difficulties.
In the lowertown districts the enumera-
tors have had some trouble with board
ing house residents. Unable to catch all
the boarders at any one time, they have
been compelled to go over the same
ground several times in getting the in.
formation, causing trouble and loss of
time
The prevalence of contagious disease IS
Fl,rv
Casional trouble. To learn about the
residents of Quarautined houses is no
easy matter but to minimize the diff
Guilty the enumerators have been III
structed to call on neighbors. Super
visor Vanish has laid especial stress on
The fact that extraordinary care must be
observed by his men to secure returns
of every man, woman or child who Is a
legal resident of the city. The fact that
the city IS entitled to credit for its en-
tire population has been made prominent,
and the caution in this respect will un-
dOubtedly result in an increased pOpula-
ton total. even over the estimates.
One of the queer features of the work
of getting the details of the census is that
the work of the city directory men has
greatly interfcred with the ease of
gathering data. Reports are coming
in constantly of people met With who in
Eist that the census has already been
taken. and are inclined to lcok upon the
enumerators as imposters. The age
feature IS especially strong. The direc
tory people inquire for names, occupa-
tion, residence and age. When the
enumerators come to the age question,
replies are constantly being made that
that particular query has been answered
once, with the intimation that 1t won't
be a second time.
Every enumoratCr wears a badge which
proclaims his occupation. Each man Is
furnished with report cards and at tne
completion of the days woIk, records in
duplicate the extent of his work and the
number of rames recorded. One copy rs
forwarded through the mails to Wash
ngtOn, ard the other is sent to the local
headquarters in the Pioneer Press build
ing. In addition, the tally sheets are
filled out with the detailed information
and as soon as filled are sent in. These
are safeguards against being lost, with
the enumerator's personal serial number