Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-09-12

REDS CENSUS
is DIFFICULT
HARD TO MAKE INDIANS SIGN
REPORTS
WOMEN HAVE PROVED THE FIST
ENUMERAToRs
Citizens of Oklahoma Fear the Special
Census Will Not Show a
Large Enough Popu-
lation

c,IrTHRIE okla. Sept 1.-THE men
| from Washington who were sent 10 the
| new state for the purpose Oh taxing .ne
| special federal census are meeting WIN
novel experiences. When 1t was decloeu
| to take the census it was not left Tor 10
cal persons to accomplish, but the heads
of departments and leading statisticlans
of the census bureau were sent to supf rim
| tend the work.
| The man in charge is WiAiam G. Hunt,
chief statistcian, and under him as the
heads of the various districts are Hart
Momsen, expert chief of the agricultural
division in Washington; Charles s. Sloane,
| acting chief of the geographers' division;
r.. G. Lappin, expert chief of the depart
ment of vital statistics, and several other
officers of the census bureau, all experts
in their respective departments.
Following the announcement OF the CEN
sus of Muskogee as 1881, prominent
physician of the city rushed into the oftlce
of Mr.. Momsen, in charge of the third, or
Muskogee district, and vigorously COM
planned that the population was not big
enough, stating that he and his family
had been missed by the ward enumeration.
Turning to the ward returns, the names
of the caller and his family were soon
found, and he backed out in hurry.
Hard to Enumerate Indians
l.
that an exact census of the Indian tribes
of Oklahoma and Indian Territory be OBJ
tanned and it was arranged that enum-
orators, wherever possible among the
tribes. be either Indians or persons speak
ing the language. The census count has
never balanced with the tribal rolls in the
possession of the interior department.
Soon after the work of taking the
census began, however. the full-blooded
Indians became stubborn and refused
to answer questions. For ages the
full blood has been the victim of the
CRATER and the land-grabber, and in
order to protect him Indian Commits
sioner Leupp and other officials had told
him never to sign any kind of papers
unless so instructed by some one in
authority.
So, when the census enumerator ap-
peared in the full-blood settlements of
the Seminole, Chickasaw, Choctaw and
Snake tribes, and began asking questions
the full-blood Immediately became sus-
picious and closed up like clam. He
would have sworn that it was new
scheme to rob him of his land, and it has
been necessary for Director Hunt and the
men under him to resort to various
methods to get the enumeration in these
settlements.
In some instances full-bloods have been
employed to accompany the enumerator,
assuring the Indians that this census
means no harm to them. Mr.. Hunt even
worked on Secretary Garfield to help
him in this work. the latter telling the
Indians that they had nothing whatever
to fear from the census man.
The bureau men in charge of this
work have taken every precaution to
prevent frauds The department of JUS
tice early instructed the United States
marshals and the United States district
a n render the aid air
power to Director Hunt and his men. 7
but so far as known only one arrest
has been made. This happened in Mus
kogee, a local politician being detained
at police headquarters on a charge of
impersonating census enumerator. He
claimed to be on the staff of Mr.. Nom
sen of that district; and it was at Nom
sens request that the man was arrested.
He was trying to find out, in the guise
of census enumerator the politics and
religion of numerous citizens.
The federal government gave no rea-
son for taking the special census of the
proposed new state beyond the fact that
the correct population should be known
prior to the states admission.
This is the only instance, with one
exception, where the enumeration has
been taken prior to states admission.
In the case of Minnesota, the exception
noted above, just half a century ago,
a
purpose of determining how many con-
gressmen it should have upon being
admitted to statehood.
The 1900 federal census gave Oklahoma
Territory 39S,331 and Indian Territory
392060, total of 790,391. A census taken
by county assessors of Oklahoma in 1905
showed this territory to have 1922 or
an increase of 67A per cent, and in ar
irving at a population of the new state
in order to make a legislative apportion-
ment. the constitutional convention es-
timated it at 1,3S3.OO7. Some citizens OF
the new state are now placing the census
at 100000.
1t was shown by the federal census Of
1900 that Oklahoma Territory had drawn
much of her population from the northern
and northeastern states, while Indian Ter
ritory was populated from the SOUTH
Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas fur
nished big portion of the Oklahoma
population, whereas Texas, Arkansas and
Missouri populated Indian Territory.
Taking eleven northern states most heav-
lily represented, Oklahoma Territory has
126,931 more people therefrom than has
Indian Territory, while the latter terri
tory, from ten southern states, has $3.50
more people than Oklahoma. The COM
bined population from the eleven northern
states was shown to be 1887, whiie the
ten southern states had a population OF
327,714 in the territory.
Indian Territory has 1924 more people
from southern than northern states
adapted for the comparison, while OKLA
homa Territory has 4O,3lI more peopie
from the north