The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-12-25
Agriculture Census Taking
Rather Disagreeable Job
Stearns County Farmers Are Coop
Grating Splendidly-Cold Wealth
er Big Hinderance

Taking the agricultural census is
not an easy matter, but the enumer-
ators in this district are not meeting
with some of the major difficulties
which those in some Of the districts
Of the state have encountered, &C
cording to A. w. Dampier, agricul-
says Saturdays St. Cloud Times.
The last few days of extremely
cold weather has slowed up the prog
ress of the work to considerable
extent, because a number of the
enumerators have decided to postpone
their labors until travelling through
wind swept country is slightly more
pleasant. The winter is practically
certain of being broken up with a
few fairly warm spells of weather
when the enumerators believe they
can manufacture the proverbial hay.
Cold weather has formed the most
formidable barrier to census taking
in this district, Mr.. Dampier has af-
frmed. Cooperation of the farmers
has aided greatly, whereas in other
districts anything but cooperation
had been met with by the farmers
cludes guns, pitchforks, knives, harsh
words, and a general defamation of
the country's prohibition laws and the
enforcers of the prohibition laws. In
fact the eighteenth amendment and
its subsidiary rules and regulations
is the basis for the weapons of
which the enumerators are made tar
gets; and the whole trouble in those
places seems to be that several farm
ers have received the impression that
the census takers are prohibition
agents, preparing for raid.
The census is something designed
/ for the ultimate benefit of the farm
ers and in no way possible can be
used to harm and farmer in the land.
The farmers in this district seem to
realize that fact, according to reports
returned from the enumerators, and
are willing to assist and cooperate
with the work.
state are forced to do their work on
foot, but every enumerator in this dis
trict has one or team of horses or
an automobile with which to get
through the country. Word has
been received of what was believed
to be the most difficult district in the
state, if not in the entire country,
not only to canvass, but to procure
an enumerator for. That was the
district in the Northwest angle, west
of Lake of the Woods. Several
weeks passed before communication
could be established with the Oak
Island postoffice, the postmaster
there, man was finally procured to
make the territory on foot. The man
will averagae some 20 miles between
farm houses, and some cases travel
farther than that without seeing an
other person.
Although most of the work will be
completed by Jan. Is, Mr.. Dampier
believes that the work may drag out
to March L, even in this district.
Some enumerators are unable to
complete their canvassing in the time
usually taken. Bad roads, excessive
snow and cold, and other items make
canvassing in some places impossible
during the middle of the winter.
When the last census was taken, Mr..
in a Central Illinois district. He
found it necessary to keep the office
open for two additional weeks to
wait for single enumeration to COM
plete his work.
In Stearns county the work is pro-
crossing quite rapidly. Six enumer-
ators have completed the canvass of
their territories, and several others
are almost through. The six who
have completed their work are: Paul
Winter, Albany township; John
Knopp, Krain township; Frank C.
Payne, St. Cloud and St. Joseph
township; John M. Gelltizer, College
vile township; William j. Bach,
Luxembourg township; Frank Schafer,
Maine Prairie township. That the
work will be completed here before
it will be through the rest of the dis
trict is quite probable.