Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-06-26
FINISHING FIRST
CENSUS OF NATION
GOVERNMENT WORK SOON TO BE
ISSUED.
ORDERED BY ACT OF 1890
Object of Enumeration Was to Learn
the Military and lnoustris!
Strength of the Country Heads Of
Families in Original States VIII
BE Named.

The census bureau will soon have
completed for the first time the first
census OF The United States. 1t viii
show the names of all the heads Of
families in the original s+ftes OF the
union, and viii be aahist zeal docu-
ment of much Importance. Already
TIE censuses of New Hampshire, Yer
mint and Maryland have been COM
pleted. lhe work is new bein revised
and will soon be issued publicly.
1he work has been done to carry
out a provision of the last congress
The totals have been corrected. They
show that by the sensus of 1890 the
populat on Of Massachusetts totaled
37S,7S7, while the population of North
Carolina, now vastly smaller in cit.-
zenship, was $685. Pennsylvania
was largest with 434,751. The popu-
lation of Massnchusetts was composed
of 95.45S free white males above 16
years OF age; S7.2S9 free white males
under &c; 190,5S2 free white females;
5.463 all other free persons, and no
slaves"
Vermont had a total population OF
S5,425. The early report of the census
showed a population of sixteen slaves,
but this is declared to be an error,
and the corrected census shows thai
there are no slaves in that state.
New Hampshire had population OF
141,SS5 and Maine 96.540. The total
population of the United States in
1890. exclusive of slaves, as derived
from the schedules. was 3.231.533. The
bulletin. soon 20 be issued, says ir
this connection;
The only names appearing upor
the schedules, however, were those o
heads Of families, and as at that peri
cd the family averaged six persons
.ae total rumber was approximate!
$40 600, or slightly more than half I
millior The number OF names which
is now lacking because Of the des
truction of the schedules is approx
mately 10000, thus leaving sched
.ules containing about 400, 800 names.
IN New England the population wa
presented by counties and towns, an
the bureau has had a great deal O
work in classifying the names. L
New Hampshire, Vermont and Mary
land the records are in good condi
ton, and hence these states we're st
lected for first publication. The frs
census act was passed at the secon
annual session of the first Congress
and was signed by President Washing
ton March l. 1890. The object was I
obtain definite knowledge as to th
military and industrial strength {
the country"
This fact possesses special signit
ea1ce, because the constitution direct
merely an enumeration of the inhabi
ants 1t is not known how the pres
dent put the law into operation. On
of the reports was furnished by tn
governor OF state. There is stron
evidence that the marshaIs receive
their instructions through the govern
ors and that hence the taking of tn
census was largely state function.
The inference. says tie bulletin
lis strengthened ty the fact that
1890 the State OF Massachusetts fu
nished the printed blanks The fir.
census, as also the reports of the Sc
ond, third and fourth, was produce
without the employment Of any cleri
al force. The entire cost of the cel
sus was S44.377"
Some idea Of the growth of Il
country Inay be obtained by the stat
ment that the report of the first ce
sus was publ.3hed in one small vo
une, now exceedingly rare. To co
tain the results of the twelfth al
last census ten large quarto volume
comprising 10,400 pages, were r
quirad. The original schedules Of Il
first census are now contained
lwenty-six bound volumes.
For the most part, says the bull
tin, the headings of the schedule
we're written by hand In some casC
merchants account paper was usec
and now AMI then the schedules weT
bound in wall paper"
fhe census bureau will publish shor
ly pamphlets consisting of names
heads of families at the first census
in the st tc : of New Hampshire, We
mont ami Maryland Each state wi
form a separate part of about IL
pages Copies win be sold at 81, an
as the pamphlets will contain much {
genealogical interest, a large demar
for them is expected