Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-04-27
ARE STILL FARMERS
AS A NATION UNITED STATES
Is MAINLY AGRICULTURAL.
Ten Million Tillers of the Soil To
Seven Million Factory Workers
Interesting Showing
of Census.

Of Census.
In the preface of ponderous volume
Of $50 pages crammed with statistics
regarding the occupations OF citizens OF
the United States the director of the
twelfth census apologies for the incom-
pleteness Of the figures presented. They
are certainly full and complete enough
to satisfy most readers, says the Chi
cago Chronicle. The reason assigned
for the incompleteness as that the act
enabling the census to be taken was
passed so short time before the month
set for the event, June, 1900"
1t has been the aim of the census
takers to ascertain the occupation OF
every person in the United States more
than ten years old. They were warned
by the director Of the census to be com.
plete in ascertaining this branch OF
their results. Persons working in a
brewery, for instance, were not neces-
sarily to be classed as brewers. Ths
men who work in the brewery cooper
ages. to cite a lucid instance, were to
be called coopers and not brewers.
Similar distinctions were made in
the case Of the farming industries. Any
person working on a farm for wages
alone, even though that person be the
farmers son himself, was to be classed
as farm laborer. 1t takes a working
interest in the farm to be classed as the
farmer. In such careful and definite
ways as this have the occupation statis-
tics Of the twelfth census been compiled.
1t would seem that any apologies on the
part of the director were extraneous.
The book starts boldly by presenting
a national table Of classified occupa-
lions From 1t is learned that the
United States still is an agricultural
nation. The farmer rules In numbers
here, at least. Out Of the 20, 287. 070 per-
sons in the land of the free and the home
of the brave who are earning their daily
bread by the sweat Of their brows TO-
1929 were in the pleasant month OF
June. 1900, engaged in agricultural pur-
suits. These were divided into many
classlfcatlons, farmers, planters and
overseers. dairymen and dairywomen.
gardeners, florists and nurserymen.
stock raisers, herders, drovers, wood
choppers and apiarlsts.
Next to the farmer in numerical
strength stands the manufacturing and
mechanical pursuits. There are Ill.,
S04 persons actively engaged in these
wonderfully varied occupations. so ex-
tensive in all their ramifications and
classifcations that mere list of these
would enumerate more than $50 forms
Of skilled and ordinary artisanship.
ranging through all the different forms
Of manufactures.
Domestic and personal service comes
next, 5,693.77S persons being enrolled
as BARRIERS and bartenders, watchmen.
policemen firemen and walters, all &C.
equations open to the frequent recep-
ton of pourboires In addition to these.
under this classification, are gathered
the soldiers, sailors and marines of the
regular army, 12S,736 in all.
Fourth position In this great rank
goes to trade and transportation, which
gathers within its numbers 4,778.233
persons, or about the present popula-
ton of New York city. This includes
an army Of steam and street railroad
employees, retailers, sailors and their
officers and the like. Even the under
takers come within this classification.
A fine position in line is given to the
men and women who are engaged in
professional service. There are COM
paratively few of these, 1,264,536 per-
sons all told. These professionals range
from actors and architects among the
AS to teachers away down among the
rs.
Once having divided its 29,2S7,070
workers into their varied occupations.
the director of the census proceeds alorg
other lines. He finds that of these 29,-
OLA, 293 were engaged in gainful occu-
pations in the continental United States
and that these comprise one-half of all
persons ten years old and over in the
country, and nearly two-ffths of the
entire population. OF this number 3d.
753, 1886 were males and 5,319,397 were
females The former constitute so per
cent, or four-flfths, of the male popula-
tion of ten years or over, and 61.2 per
cent, or more than three-fifths, of the
total male population. The latter rep
resented 1873 per cent. and 143 per
cent, respectively, of the correspond
ing totals for females.
The twelfth census shows that there
was an increased proportion Of gainful
workers for each sex In 1900, as COM
pared with 1880 and 1890. The percent
age of the total population of continent |
al United States, ten years Of age and,
over, so engaged was 50.2 per cent in |
1900, 1872 per cent. in 1890 and 473 per
cent. in 1880. The fears Of the pessi- |
mists that the United States, like some |
of the decadent continental nations of |
Europe, is becoming a community OF |
idlers, do not seem to be verified by the |
hard facts set down in the census bu-
eau.