Omaha daily bee., 1920-01-25
Taking the Census In
Omaha

Omaha, Jan, 24,--To the Editor
of The Bee: When / began taking
the census for the Second precinct
Of the Seventh ward on the I'd day
of January some asked me why I
took the job. One reason I took II
Is because ! know how to do the
work well and in an expeditions
manner. Since doing the work I
have been told that ] am the cham
pion census entmerator for the city
of Omaha. Be that as 1t may, !
went into it with the determination
of making a srest showing on my
part, and In doing the work | faked
the district with fine tooth comb.
In taking the census had more fun
and pleasure than l have had In
seven years, and the exercise gave
me an appetite like q pig,
But one lady asked me to take
off my overshoes told her 1t
would take me . month 10 do the
work and take on my overshees
every time went TO a house. When
she knew who I was she was too
kind for any use, I had the door
slammed In my face about a dozen
times by women who did not under
stand me, but when their children
or neighhors told them what was
after they were willing to give me
the required information. At one
place | asked the lady who came to
the door and admitted me who was
the head of the family. She gave
me the name Of her husband and
answered all the questions until !
81 el. aI L,A hi sol
"Why, he Is dead" told her was
not after dead people.
Ny biggest day was Monday, Jan
uary 5, when | only had 10 go To
one house a second time and Sc.
cured 2S1 names up to $3.50 o'clock,
| was up several nights working on
the census sheets until o'clock,
and one night until 1880 o'clock.
But | kept up In great shape on eniy
about six hours sleep and a lot of
strenuous work that would make
young men complain of being tired.
I did not work on any eight-hour
system, for II l had 1t would have
taken me month to get through.
The younger men VITO are always
bowling for an eight-hour day and
even less ought to take some lessons
from man of 60, who was SO puny
when he was young that many said
he would die OF consumption before
he was 81, and who spit blood the
last year he lived in Illinois, II
would he better for the country il
We were back to the i0-hour system,
for more of everything needed
would be produced and there would
not be SO much time wasted at the
many one-horse picture shows. One
leading paper recently said there is
too much loafing in the United
States today. and that is just what
is the matter with he whole world
today, too much loafing and not
enough of earnest, hard work. Many
of the labor leaders, who do moth
ing but sit down and smoke, draw
their breath and salaries. ought to
be sent where Emma Goldman is
and the real workingmen take
charge Of their own organizations.
In taking the census l was greatly
impressed with the very smart chill
dren Of the Polish people. 1t has
beer long while since ! have seen
SO many smart youngsters, and the
boys and girls of American born
parents may well look to their
laurels in the future when the boys
and girls of Polish parents grow to
manhood and womanhood, for many
of them are going to be very smart
people.
Many Of the little Polish children
shook hands with me and waved
their hands at me through the win
dows when I was leaving their
homes after getting their names. I
ioked many of the little fellows by
telling them ] would know their
names before I left them.
A. little boy ! greedily read Of
the valorous deeds Of the gallant
Kosciuszko and the brave Count
Pulaski in helping our revolutionary
army in the nick of time and have
always read Of them with great
deal Of admiration, while have al
ways read with great deal Of scorn
of the dastardly manner in which
the Polish nation was destroyed by
Germany. Austria and Russia. 1t
pleased me much that Poland is
again free nation and that it is a
republic at that.
Many of the future great men
and women will come from the
humble little cottages of the Polish
people, nearly all Of them being
free from debt. We of American
parentage may well take lessons