The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-19
AGE QUESTION IS
STUMBLING BLOCK
Census Taker Up Against Heavy
Odds Putting Queries to
Women.
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SPINsTER BORN AFTER WAR
One Lady Tells Year of Birth and
Lets Enumeration do the
Figuring.
PINsTER BORN AFTER WAR

How old are you. madam"
Beg pardon
How old are your
what do you want to know that
for?"
The government desires the infor-
nation and / am bound to have II.
III that's the case. III tell you 1
was born on March IS. isss. and you
can make your own calculations.
This Ia a sample Of what the census
man is up against, and no wonder
some Of them have got cold feet and
quit their jobs
One spinster lady, residing on West
Grace street. near the college, grew
indignant when the age question was
preached by the census man Tues
day.
by whose authority do you ASH
that question p she queried.
by authority Of Uncle Sam" an
swered the census man.
----'Ts tfar SO -snHpped the spfuster
lady.
ut certainly u.s." returned the emu
merator, n man somewhat past mid
die age, with little thought of friv-
eiity.
II was born after the war" finally
capituiated the spinster. land now
you can do your own calculating.
Gave Her the Doubt.
Noting that her hair was almost
white, the census man gave her the
benefit of the doubt and totted down
fortysfiye, but he did not let the
spinster lady see the figures.
Strange to say, the census man has
found married women just as reluc-
tant to give their age as the spin
stcrs.=
At a fashionable East Franklin
street boarding house the enumerator
called at the breakfast hour early
Tuesday morning and was greeted BY
he lady OF the house. After. getting
the desired information from her. he
asked for the names of the boarders,
several OF whom were still In the
arms OF Morpheus. The names were
promptly furnished and then the
census man, grasping at everything
within reach. wanted to know their
ages.
That's question you will have
to ask them" the lady answered. TO.
you are very much mistaken ii you
thin | am going to tell you"
Most OF the men beardefs had al
ready left for their work. and the
census man deemed 1t the better poll
Icy to call again.
Find Men Easier.
Some of the census takers finding
women rather hard problem to
solve, especially as to the age ques-
ton. are working overtime after the
supper hour and thus find their road
easier by putting questions to men on
their return home from business In
nearly every instance. the census man
says, male members OF honsehol.
give out Information cheerfuily, and
special delight In giving their wives
ages when the latter happen to be
absent.
An interesting feature in connection
with the census taking Is the number
OF cases in which the wife insists on
being recorded as head of the family,
According to the enumerators, in a
majority of cases. wives generally win
their point. the husbands graciousls
and humbly asserting.
Al one home In the East End Mon
day the enumerator was compelled to
listen to lengthy argument between
wife and husband over this point.
Who Is Head?
one OF the questions ON the sneeIs
to be Allied out refers to the head
OF the family" In this particular
case the husband. who commence
to fill out the sheet started to write
his name in the head Of the family
column. and 1t was at this point that
his wife interrupted him. saying:
"Oh. no. you don't! have some say
around here. / own the house and
the furniture and the child Is name
after me. and you give me your
money. so ] guess my name belongs
there"
II know, dear. that you own the
home" the husband respectfully re-
piled, with as much force as was
wise, but according to the law the
husband lis always recognized as the
head"
That's all right about the law
the wife replied with emphasis. but
the census wants the truth. and only
factn."
The argument ended by her name
going In the column under protest,
and the enumerator smilingly went
on his way.