The times., 1901-06-16
CENSUS CLERKS IN A RIOT
The Pay Day Order the Cause of a
Wild Disturbance.
Director HIcrriam'S Attempt at
Time SnvinE BETTER in Theory Than
Prnctice-W Hurt, Clothes
Torn. and Switchboard Wrecked.


Time snving BETTER in Theory Than
Prnctice-Womcn Hurt, Clothes
Torn. and Switchboard Wrecked.
one woman severely injured, several
others painfully bruised and cut, a loss
Of several hundred dollars to clothing.
| and the partial destruction of an cleo
| trical switchboard, is the net result Of
| the attempted enforcement of one of Di-
| rector Merriams time saving orders yes
| terday at the Census Office. This sum
mary is, however. subject to some addi-
! tiOns when the full reports OF the damage
! done shall have been made.
| Yesterday was the semi-monthly pay
| day, when the 1000 and odd clerks who
| acknowledge the authority of the Di-
/ rector of the Census Bureau receive the
reward for their services. and it was
| while they were endeavoring to get to
the office of the disburser of the coin of
the realm that a stampede occurred, in
which the above mentioned casualties
| happened.
Intent upon rendering his country a
noble service by the prompt completion
of the work of enumeration. and thus en-
/ abling the farmers of Nebraska to know
| the actual number OF shoats which they
| possess as well as the dissemination Of
| other important information, Mr.. Mer-
| riam, with keen forethOught, devised a
plan to save time by directing that the
clerks under him should only be paid
after the regular office hours.
Mr.. Merriam Of Minnesota, who is
quick and accurate at figures. as the ext
gencies of his position require. estimated
that the three minutes consumed by the
average clerk in drawing his pay, without
any calculation as to the length of time
| necessary to spend it. was a source of
great loss to the Government, and liable
to cause a deficit, especially when reck-
Oned in the aggregate. Other departments
might allow their employees time to draw
their pay. but such a course could no
longer be permitted in the Census Office,
and the saving thus made would aid in
decreasing the national debt.
Accordingly, Mr. Merriam of Minnesota
issued an order prohibiting the clerks
from going to the disbursing officer for
their pay between the hours of 9 and g.
but requiring them TO present themselves
for payment after 1 o'clock. The Director
thought the scheme would work nicely.
especially if his orders were followed out,
for the clerks to form in line in blocks of
two on First street and march double file
to the main entrance on B Street and
thence proceed to the office of the pay
master.
The Director pictured the performance
out nicely to his own satisfaction, and
then left town, having previously. it is
said. taken Government time In which to
have Uncle Sam settle his semi-mOnthly
balance with him.
The order went into effect yesterday,
and when the gong sounded at { o'clock,
the clerks threw down their pens. closed
h,Air inC don,
um broke forth. Instead of obeying the
order to form in line and march to slow
music to the disburser's office, they seized
hats, coats. and umbrellas, and made one
wild, frantic altogether rush for the dis
bursting officers headquarters 1t was like
great miX-up in a football game with
a thousand contestants on either side.
The centre rush made desperate effort
to break through the doorway. but the
side tackle was too heavy. and the gang
way was blocked
Some clerks climbed over desks. others
jumped through windows. and all pushed,
showed, pulled, hauled, jammed, and
crowded, tearing and soiling each others
clothing and in general acting like fresh
men at college cane rush. One elderly
female clerk, who was unable TO eXtri-
cate herself from the throng, was tripped
and fell headlong down a fight OF stairs
and sustained an ugly cash uron her
forehead. Others tainted and fell upon
the floor only TO be trampled upon. Wo-
men screamed and men swore, but still
ing force.
When the mob reached Street Chief
Clerk Macauley heard the COmmOtion and
rushed from his office, followed by his
assistant, Mr.. Fowle The TWO officials
attempted TO stop the rush but their
efforts were as futile as the old woman's
attempt to sweep back the sea waves.
Mr.. Macauley ran to the top of the
stairs, and in a voice intended to COM
mand respect and attention demanded
that the crowd desist. in the name of Di-
~
greeted with boots and jeers, and was
pushed against the wall, some meanwhile
giving him joIts in the solar plexus and
other portions Of his anatomy.
Then he took from his pocket a pad
and pencil, and started in to write down
the names of those in the throng whom
he recognized. but the frenzied clerks
snatched the paper from his hands and
tore it into bits, shouting 'Five la pay
day. 'Nive la pay day
just then there was heard 4 tremen-
dOus crash. and to add 70 the excitement
every electric light in Tie building went
out, and simultaneously the revolving
fans.-which had. however, in no way
cooled the anger of the mOb-S'I 'Ildenly
stopped II was discovered later that
some one had smashed the glass cover
ing Of the switchboard which controls the
Census Office electric service.
In the melee, too, several cases Of as
sorted cards, stamped and punched by the
automatic machines. and alphabetically
and otherwise arranged great trouble
the cards dumped into a mess which
looked as if the police had surprised a
poker game. II Is said that several weeks
will be required TO resort and rearrange
these cards.
The crowd continued to yell, and in the
midst Of the uproar the division from the
Union Building came down ike a flying
wedge and Joined in the general crush and
uprOar. Finally Mr.. Macau!ey seeing
that his efforts were vain TO stay the fury
Of the thronE. withdrew TO his office with
Marc AntOuy-like dignity, eXclaimng;
Madness thou art afOOt; take what
course thou Wilst.'
4 few Of the clerks succeeded in OBJ
tanning their checks but after half an
hours dreadful experience the majority
rotroated with torn raiment and sore
heads. although some returned later in
the evening and signed the pay roll.
The difference between the value of the
time saved and the loss sustained by Gov
ernment property has not yet been asccr-
taiued.
one Of the women clerks was asked last /
night if she had received her pay. No
she replied, Il haven't and / never will
If / have TO fight my way through a mob
Ike that"
MACHINLSTS RETURN HOME.
Unwilling to FIJI Strikers Places at
Alexandria.