Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-12
Too Much for Bluecoat.

The polcemans head was swimming as
he tried to keep count of the males on one
hand and the females on the other Then
he gave 1t up and requested his fiustered
informant to begin all over again and to go
more slowly this time.
AT last he left with the blank spaces in
his big book opposite the number of this
house filled with figures. He felt like taxi
ing turn around the block to collect his
wits before going next door, but time was
scarce, and he lifted the next gate latch
with weary fingers.
Each precinct is divided into number of
districts-some four, some five and some
six-and one man takes each district There
are men at work this time who had expert
ence in taking the last census, but a large
percentage of new hands have to be broken
in.
tricts is not so heavy as in the residence
sections; for, If a man says he lives at a
certain place outside of an officers terri
tory, he is passed by, it being the duty of
the policeman on whose list his residence
is to settle the case. In this way overlap
ping of records will be avoided.
In the city precincts it is expected to take
two or three days to complete the enumera-
ton, while in the outlying parts, or in the
county" as the police love to call it, it
will probably be four or five days before
the records are complete. To arrange the
figures and make the grand totals will take
about thirty days. The population of the
city proper, and Of the villages and settle
ments on the edge of the District, will be
given separately. The asylums and the Jail,
together with other large institutions, will
be given special attention, and it is hoped
to make this the most complete police CEN
sus ever taken in the District.
Special attention Is also paid to the col
lection of the figures which will be used in
connection with the proposed compulsory
education law for the District. The men
are required to ask how many children live
in a house who are between the ages of
seven and fifteen and do not attend school,
The results of this record are expected to
be interesting and are looked forward to
with eager anticipation by those who are
pushing the proposed law.
Other Facts of Interest.
Besides noting the color of the person, the
officer who takes the enumeration must
state in the column headed remarks any
other facts of interest about him. The
nationality in some instances is recorded
here. especially if the individual be Of Chi
nese or Japanese descent
Several Of the most interesting para
graphs of the instructions issued to the
policemen by Maj Sylvester are as fol-
lows:
'grhose persons who habitually sleep In
the District; those whose regular business
is in the District. though they may sleep
outside or be absent temporarily; those
who reside In the District, though without
business; those who may be absent tenn
porarily from the District, and those who
reside here, but who spend their summers
elsewhere, are to be considered permanent
| residents, and will be entered in the prope r
column.
"Those whose regular business is else
where and who are only sojourners in the
| District should be enumerated. and atten-
| ton invited to the square in which they
live and the number of such persons under
remarks
THE oficer should never lose sight Of