Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-18
Utahs Population In 19lO--Estimate Of Census Returns
A DREADY Hugh A McMillin,
~ census cnumerator for Utah,
~ and his first assistant, Frank
Eldredge. arc busy Preparing

~ census enumeratOr for Utah,
n and his first assistant. Frank
Eldrcdge, are busy preparing
to count noses in Utah. And that prep
hration means a great deal OF work. al
most as much work to prepare for the
official tally as the labor of making the
census itself. Examinations have been
neId and more are to como and after
they are ALI over. cnumerators for every
city. -.wn and hamlet in the entire
state will have been selected and soon
after the first Of the year the actual
work of counting will have begun. Tho
official census made by the United
States every decade Is task of no
mean proportion. 1t includes. in addi-
tion to the actual count of every In
hahitant OF the states. an inquiry into
the industrial status of each town. the
number of its manufacturing establish
ments. its classes of tradesmen. an in
quiry into the resources OF the country
slowed away in the hills. or growing
on them. the fields. the Strcams-in fact
all that an official gifted with inluisi-
tiveness In It's ultra-superlative degree
can think that Uncle Sam wants to
know about his nephews and nieces the
enumerators Will try to find out while
they are at work Many of the ques-
tions askedin the last census were pro-
ductive of the most amusing situations.
Womenfolk, particularly thought that
the questioners were prylng a little
,,nnr ho nd nf
them refused to answer some of the
questions. When the enumerators
showed, however. that they were enti-
tied to the information. the resentful |
ones usually relented and gave up the |
facts desired.
In the last census. 1t is told by one |
who was an enumerator. an amusing |
situation arose while making the count
Entering large home in the east side
he was met by a dashing young WON
an of perhaps % years, and trailing at
her skirts was a bright little youngster
OF G. The enumerator announced the
purpose of his visit and was conducted
TO a sunny porch. Everywhere he looked
were to be seen children ranf e from
8 to 6 years of age Are IL these your
children" the enumerator inquired.
"Yes. They're all my darlings" The
expression on the face of the enumera-
tor plainly told that his thoughts were
wandering everywhere seeking an ex-
planation. And then tho young woman
added to set his mind at rest. This is
n kindergarten, you know" He did not
know before she mentioned it. but he
certainly did the moment she spoke.
And. by the way. the last census
showed that in Utah Its the little
things that count" For the total popu-
lation of the state. the percentage OF
the little things" ran far away from
the average.
DE SRET NEWS ESTIMATE.
The News has cndeavored to count
noses in the state ahead of Uncle Sam,
and the results OF this labor are shown
in the tables presented herewith The
figures cannot be official. nor can they
be accurate. But they present very
close relation to the actual count which
will be made during the forthcoming
year by the census enumerators The
method of arriving at the estimates
was somewhat complicated one. Using
tho tables of mortality used by the
larger life insurance companies, the !
natural decrease in population due to
death was estimated, using the normal
death rate In connection with the so
nti0n nf tho r1ran1cr,0 fl,o |
being an average of the rates shown in
the reports of the state board of health
Using the births reported TO the state
board OF health. the offset to the deaths
was obtained. Reports of county schoo,
superintendents were consulted and
comparisons made from year to yea
Assessors lists were scanned and IN
various and many other ways reliable
multiples were arrived at whereby the
increase In population might be esti-
mated The results of this estimate
show gains in every county of the stale
and in every minor civil division 1t Is
believed that the forthcoming census
Will not disprove this estimate. Gains
nave been heaviest In the north. CEN
tral eastern and southeastern counties.
The gains are due TO a variety of
causes. The opening to settlement Of
new lands under irrigation have ac-
counted tOr the greater increases In
the north, east and southeast portions
The commercial and Industrial progress
In the central portion and In the north
central portion OF the state is chiefly
responsible for the gains there Boost
ers in Salt Lake and Weber counties,
and In Salt Lake City and In ogden,
particularly. protest that the gains
shown are not high enough. 1t has been
the aim of The News to present a con-
servative estimate of the states popula-
ton and In doing so some localities may
have suffered slightly, but not very
much The tables herewith presented
by The News are based upon the most
reliable information obtainable and are
the results of palnstakIng inquiry and
labor.
Substantial gains are shown every
where IN the state for the decade The
population of the state as shown by
the census of 1900 was 276749. The pop
ulation OF the state as estimated by
The News is now 357.657. shown more
In detail in the accompanying tables