Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-17
FUNNY AND SERIOUS
Incidents in Experience Of the
Census Taker.
OBSTACLES IN THE WAY
Woman Enumeration Unable to IN
derstand Chinese Responses.
MEANS OF DETERMINING DATES
Man Five Years Old when the
Stars Fell''-Courteous Recep- 1.
ton Accorded.
OBSTACLES IN THE WAY
MEANS OF DETERMINING DATES

Laughable incidents and serious ones
| market the experience OF 25S census
enumerators making the house house
the thirteenth census of the United States,
begun Friday in every section of the Dis
trict.
A woman enumerator entered Chi
nese laundry and producing her blanks
began to interrogate the Chinaman as
to his name, age and other things. She
succeeded in getting the celestial's name,
but there she was compelled to stop, as
she could not understand a word the
Chinaman volunteered in reply to her
questions.
William S. Broughton, supervisor of
census for the District, said yesterday
that the Chinese census Of Washington
will be taken after the enumerators
have completed their work. 1t is pro-
familiar with the Chinese language and
send him to the establishments in China
town and to the laundries scattered about
the District He will be supplied with
copies of Chinese consular proelama-
ton, printed in Chinese characters, and q
table for converting Chinese dates Of birth
into their English equivalents. On the
table are dates of the Gregorian calendar
corresponding with the first day of each
Chinese month.
Arriving at Dates.
China in two ways: First, by cycles OF
sixty years each, and second, by the
reigns of the successive emperors. The
ic fhA ~
70 or 30 days. Each month is known
by its number. as first MONTH" second
month"; etc. The translation of the con-
sular proclamation states that His Elk
cellency Chang. His Imperial Majesty s
envoy extraordinary and minister pieni-
to give the enumerators the desired in
formation.
Another woman enumerator had a sa-
loon in her district. She entered and re-
ceived over the bar the information she
sought. being treated with the utmost
courtesy. and politely declining an invi-
tation to have a soft drink
How old are you?" an enumerator
asked man who appeared to be intelli-
gent.
II don't know exactly" was the reply,
but my parents told me was five years
old when the stars fell"
He evidently referred to one OF the great
meteoric showers which caused such con-
Etern0I1On IN th1S country years ago, ana
which were termed failing stars
Invited to Lunch.
woman enumerator rang the bell of a
dwelling in the northwest section. and to
the matron who came to the door said
she was a.. census enumerator seeking in
formation for the census of the District.
1--WE are just about to have lunch,' the
matron said, and you must come in and
join U.s.
The enumerator explained that she did
not have time to stop for lunch at that
time.
You. must have lunch with US" the
matron replied, "or else we will not give
you the information you are after
The enumeration gracefully surrendered
and participated in a dainty spread of
good things. during the course Of which
the matron gave her all the information
she desired and much more. She went
into family history and peculiarities, and
| when the enumerator left the place she
was stocked with data enough to last her
| all summer and far into the winter
Foxy Census Man.
A hard nut for the enumerators to
crack was the matter of jwomens ages.
In many instances the women who were
asked How old are your" became in
"AlI right, madam Cor MISS" the
knowing enumerator would reply. Il
will then have to record you as about
fOrty-five."
The foxy census man always placed
the figure away above the womans ap-
parent age, and the scheme worked to
perfection, as the woman would usually
declare:
why, am not that old. l was
only twenty EIGHT my last birthday"
: An enterprising enumeration observed
that family was moving into a dwell
while the wagons hauled the furniture
to the premises, and an hour later met
the head OF the family. only to find that
hustling enumerator who had started
on his route early in the morning had
secured the census data from the family
at the house they had just vacated.
One of the difficulties encountered by
the enumerators was the tendency to
gossip. Some of the women Intercepted
not only wanted to know all about the
asked the prescribed questions the Cos
sips .countered by asking the census
women or men all about themselves and
their families.
How old am 1? Now, really. how old
do you think 1 look? Why, my hubby
told me / do not look a day older than
twenty-five, when in fact l am several
years older
This was by a woman who has long
since crossed the forty mark and is well
up to the half century mile post, accord
| ing to the opinion of the census taker.
| Some Queries Resented.
| One census enumerator nearly precipi-
tated a free fight in East Washington by
asking a storekee2er If his property was
mortgaged, according to the printed que
ries on the blanks. Another East Ender
became indignant when an enumeration
| innocently asked
Are you deaf or dumb?
| One of the enumerators with an eye to
! business went around his district three
DAYS in advance of the first day Of census
| taking and distributed the census blanks
instructing the people how to fill the
spaces AS a result he did a land
Office business yesterday in turning in the
data required.
Supervisor Broughton said that as a
rule his enumerators have been SO far
| generally well treated by all classes OF
persons. He called attention to the law
which makes it a misdemeanor to refuse
| to answer the questions propounded by
| the enumerators or to answer them I'M
truthfully. The penalty provided is a fine
1 I'M to 800 An enumeratOr who who gives