Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-10-27
TAKING THE CENSUS
First Important Step in the
Gigantic Task was
Taken To-day.
All Appointments Will Be on PrOba-
ton, Subject to Termination at
the End of One Month or
Any Later Period.

Washington, D. c., Oct. 23.-The
first important step in the gigantic
task of taking the thirteenth decen-
NAL United States census was taken
today, when civil service examinations
were held in New York, Boston, Phil
ade1phia, Atlanta, New Orleans, Gin
cinnati, st. Paul, San Francisco, Den
yer and several other large cities for
the selection of the first bath of the
three thousand temporary clerks VINO
are to be appointed in the Census
Bureau Very few appointments from
today's examination will be made be-
fore the first of the year, and not
many will be made until next April.
The maximum force will be drawn
about next August.
Those 5000 appointees will be given
salaries of about $500 per annum at
the beginning, but promotions to $500
per annum, at least, will be reasona-
bly, rapid for those who render salts
factory service. ALI appointments
will be on probation, subject to ter
mination at one month or any later
period, if the appointee does not come
up to the requirements.
During the period of greatest activ-
:ty about 4,5O0 clerks will be employed
IL, the Office and $1,000 in the field.
Tnis force represents larger body
than the combined population of New
York and Boston 12O years ago, when
the first census was taken.
The enumeration of 1890 cost $44,-
600, and at that the money ran out
and the names were never printed.
Next years census has behind it an
appropriation of $1O,GOO,000, and an
emergency fund of $4,000,OOO addition
al. In other words, the design is to
proceed regardless of cost, efficiency
being of more Importance than econ
ony. The aim is to make the census
of 1910 the most efficient ever taken
in the United States.
The first census numbered the m
habitants Of the thirteen original
states On the whole it was vastly
more difficult to take the first census
than it will be take the forthcoming
enumeration Of 1910. Conditions were
much more difficult. Ali work west
of the Alleghenies was practically
abandoned, in spite of the fact that
there was an important interest in the
Northwest, but Detroit was not re-
ported, neither was Vincennes.
Philadelphia was then the capital
of the nation, and Washington was
still paper plan without name, but
popularly called the Federal City"
Only one wall Of the White House had
been built, and the site for the ma
tional Capitol building had been
scarcely surveyed.
The enumerators employed to take
the first census were not even pro-
vided with blanks, and they used such
odds and ends as they CHANGED to
have, or could beg or borrow, such as
butchers brown paper, bits Of parch-
ment. the back of wallpaper, or slips
pasted in long ribbons. One of the
greatest difficulties in taking the
enumeration was a religious supersti-
ton. Many of the preachers were vio-
lently opposed to a census, because in
Biblical times curse fell over the
land when the children of Israel were
numbered.
The first census showed a popula-
tion of 100000 whites and 100000
slaves, or, every fifth person in the
country was a slave.