The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-08-06
A DIRECTORY CENSUS
IS NEVER RELIABLE
Being Mere Estimates of
Race Productivity,
which Varies.

Mr.. Jesse Burtz got up directory
two or three years before his death
for the city of Gainesville, and fixed
the population of that city at some.
thing over 10000; all the while Ocala
was struggling along with a popula.
ton of something less than 5000.
Later, during the year 1914, r. l.
Polk & Co., the well known firm that
makes speciality of getting out city
directories got out one for Ocala and
placed her population at something
over 5000, which showed healthy in
crease since the United States CEN
sus of 1910.
Still later, the same firm-Polk &
Co.-has made a directory for the
city of Gainesville, and places the pop
ulation at little over 7,0OO-or near
ly 1000 less than Ocala's.
The Sun claims that there is some
thing wrong with these figures; that
within the last two or three years
Gainesville has instead of losing more
than 1900 of her population, has
gained that many, so she is really en-
titled to at least 10000.
tious, and accepts in good faith what
the enumerators give her.
According to the figures of Polk &
Co, her population is 9,04S.-Ocala
Banner.
Palatka, too, has had its experience
with directory enumerators. Only
this year one Julien d'Nazarie built
one for us. 1t was at time when
business was dull and some one told
Julian that we needed people and
needed 'em bad, so Julian brought 'em
to us the easiest way possible; he just
went off in corner and counted and
counted until he thought he had all
that the bushes would stand, then he
quit. "Palatka's population" says
this authority, '''is 1858, of which
1856 are colored"
"To the best of our knowledge and
belief" says Julian in his directory
preface, 1--WE have taken an accurate
census of the city, and our report of
the population is not based on a rule
of tabulation, but upon a count of the |
polls. We do not guarantee the alb
Solute correctness, from the fact that |
the information is derived from many
channels and it is impossible for US
to vouch for its accuracy"
Of course that lets Julian out; he
don't guarantee anything, and there
fore the people of Palatka don't know
anything except that they have been
'bilked."
The Polk method of enumeration in |
vogue in Ocala and Gainesville is diff
serent, it is based upon the eternal
of race productivity. 1t is
'eally more productive of results than
he method used by our Mr.. d'Naza-
lie.
Given a certain number of real men
md women who, during the genera
ion have been induced to secure
licenses of the county Judge,
t is easy to estimate with these
lames that if Samuel Wesley who
vas rector of the Church of Eng
and, could produce 10 children in an
ordinary pastorate, mixed people
living in Ocala or Gainesville sever
u generations later, when large fam
lies are not so much in vogue, ought
n all conscience to be good for seven
'ach without bursting their corsets. [
This is the year for the State CEN
us and the enumerators are even
low at work in the various counties.
fortunately for Putnam county, Mr..
INazarie is the official enumerator
or it, and being an honest man he is i
ctually counting noses-which is the II
My honest way, for no human has .
more than one nose to his face, tho .
We have some two-faced people.