WANDERINGS FROM YOUR PRESIDENT
BY GAYLE STUART
I am assuming that everyone that has a mailing address received a 2020 Census form in the mail to fill out and mail back. This takes only 5 to 10 minutes of your time. A few days ago I read an article in the newspaper that stated Iowa and Nebraska were #1 and #2 in returning this form. Did you return yours? This was a simple form, but it will help with the amount of money we will receive as a state based on population figures.
The following was found in The Walnut News on July 8, 1880: “The incorporated town of Walnut contains 734 inhabitants; 347 of whom are males and 387 females. During the year past there have been four deaths. In Layton township, outside the corporation of Walnut, there are 754 denizens; of this number 431 are males and 323 are females; there were three deaths in the township during the past year. If there is anyone in the town or township whom Mr. Emmons has not visited, they can be enumerated by notifying him of the fact. Mr. E. has found that the woman folks, as a rule, were much better posted, not only in regard to the place of nativity, birth, ages, etc. of the family, but also of the products of the farm, dairy, and the business qualities of the hens.
Once in a while Mr. Emmons comes across a woman who declines to give the necessary information, fearing it is for the purpose of taxation, but a dint of persuasion and assurance that the children are not going to be taxed like so many dogs, generally elicits the desired intelligence. Lincoln township will be completed this week probably.”
From The Walnut News, July 15, 1880, p. 3: “Mr. W. B. Emmons has completed his labors for Uncle Sam, and now informs the public that he will be at the court house at Council Bluffs, on the 21st and 22nd of July, to make such corrections to the census as are necessary, by striking out or adding to. If anyone believes they have been imperfectly enumerated let them appear and have the correction made. Mr. E. had 2116 names in his district; in Lincoln township there were 628; in the entire district there were 247 farms and 12 deaths during the year.
A large majority of the cities have been disappointed in the number of their inhabitants since the census has been completed. Verily, a census enumerator is worse than yellow fever to thin out the population.”
I wonder if we would learn some of these things from today’s census?
gbs