The Washington times., 1910-04-20
Parrots Not Counted This
Year, Census Taker
Tells Woman.
FAIR STATISTICIAN
FINDS FUN IN WORK
Declares Members of Sex Are
Natural COmedians-Tells
Of Experiences.

Miss Sadie Pryor. one OF the best OF
Supervisor BrouEhtOn's women census
enumeTators, wouldn't have missed be-
ing census-taker for anything, not
because she gets % cents name, but
for the fun she is getting out Of IL IN
speaking today of her work she said
she is getting a great lesson in human
nature and character reading, and she
viii be sorry when the task IS COM
pleted-
Women are not generally looked upon
as comedians Miss Pryor said. and
no one takes them so seriously as they
a themselves, but since working as a
cersUs-JaLer 1 have decided that the
far sex is made Up Of many natural
comedians II is not intentional with
them, and that makes 1t ali the funnier.
Il called at the home Of a middle
aged woman who lives win her middle
aged bachelor brother After getting
their names and gLe other data about
them asked If there were any more
members OF the family and the woman
replied
oh YES. there's Betty Don't for
get her
Who's Bettv2" 7 asked.
Who Betty Is.
Betty IS our dear little baby She is
the Cutest and best little thing: and so
bright. too the woman said
After preparing TO record the infant
OF Ehe house and questioning the woman
further. I discovered that dear Betty"
was a parrot Now. that woman was
really IN earnest when she mentioned
1ne bird for enumeration I had 2 hard
time convincing her that We were not
counting parrots this year as part Of
z
disappointed a. the uuiutentiolaI slight
upon her pet bird that I told her We
were considering taxing q special census
for pet birds next year.
I don't know what opinions the other
enumeration have formed, but IT the
majority OF cases, where I have 10 re-
Ceiz-e nv data from the woman Of the
house, u Is hard 10 get away. After
having difficult tins getting them 10
answer me questions pertaining 20 the
census nave 70 make any number Of
breaks 10 leave They seem 10 II nix a
census enuToerdtor wants 10 know all
the family history backwards and side
ways as well as anything exciting a bout
the nelEhDO
"A sweet-faced old woman who was
born IN Virginia answered ali my cues
loHS Win pronprneSS- although with
much more dignity than was necessary
until I asked her If she owned the house
she was living in The question seemed
20 hurt her, and she replied with the
saddest kind OF a voice, that she did
not, and added
ms owned three houses in his time one
q taem on the best street in Norfolk
My rather owned one of the 1aU1Su-7as~
snd most costly houses N Virginia be-
fore the war He was a planter s77
owned thousands Of acres and sIsvss
and
Had 70 Break In
7 hated 10 Go r. but just had IN
break In. OF else she would have been
giving ne the real estate census Of Viz
GINA for half a century ago / rushed
on the steps while she was CATCHING
her breath
some women are very ugly about an
F7-esins he questions. but in most casas
you Can generally bring them around
EnG maybe when you are getting IN 70
70. they VIII invite YOU 10 Iurch- How
ever, one woman Of this kind. exceDr
1or the luncheon part. refused r7of7r-
plank to answer any Of the qUest ions.
II was necessary for ne to can Al +ra
house three times and then she 80
patTonizlngly gave me her naue-ss
head OF the family. too-her husband
and the servants
Are there any Children I rDeeszIv
--That is none OF your 5,szirzzs -,-.
woman told me
AF-eT interviewing her further N, tbyz
point ! decided that the woman haT
that she had had several I walked s,z-py
ana when I got out OF sight Of ~
mouse recorded the house as beinsZ
1t must be awful 10 be an arrnv- Of
.lcer VIE They must get sfr5- ~
hunting new home in 4 new section
OF the universe every other wear m
one mouse visited I met an army Of
hceTs wife She was de1Ichtf1lL and
When We got down 70 the child Uv7er-
ton. she thought for 2 moment and
SAID she had had twelve and that nine
OF them were living.
Reticeut As 10 Age.
But when IL came to recording where
each child was born she had an awful
time. I guess every army post in this
country and the provinces was the
birthplace Of one Of those children /
After much thinking. guessing, and re-
fcrring TO old papers. We got this point
Strengthened out
AS for age, think 30 per cent Of the
women knock OF a few years when thev
answer that question Some Of them
CeCilne TO answer Of course. YOU re-
cord he age from guesswork and you
cant help making the woman much old
ar. just for spite However, 7 find the
real young women are worse about an
F--crinE the age question than are the
ass known as Old maids
-Acn always treat You fine and answer
Grr and an questions with real frank
3 - and pleasure.
Its a pity 80 many Of them are per
hitting their wives 20 be recorded a 6
'aeed o. the house / guess il Is their
nature