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Archiver > TNDICKSO > 2001-01 > 0978801193


From: Linda Hampton <>
Subject: [TNDICKSO] Re: TNDICKSO-D Digest V00 #476
Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2001 12:13:13 -0500


wrote:

> Subject:
>
> TNDICKSO-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 476
>
> Today's Topics:
> #1 [TNDICKSO] Sunday Afternoon Rockin [j <>]
> #2 Re: [TNDICKSO] Sunday Afternoon Ro []
>
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> Subject: [TNDICKSO] Sunday Afternoon Rocking
> Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 14:39:38 -0500
> From: j <>
> To:
>
> Ever wonder why those censuses just don't add up sometimes? Well we all
> have "our days" when our world is topsy turvy and effects most everything
> that happens, and I figure a census taker did too. Of course he might not
> have realized just how far reaching the effects of his bad day might be…
>
> The Census Taker's Home! (from the Sunday Afternoon Rocking series)
>
> Well, I'm surely glad to be home, that I am. I tell you another day like
> this one and I am good mind just to fill them papers out on memory and be
> done with it. Here, put these socks over there next to the fire to dry
> out, will you? Got down yonder this mornin and everyone in Household 451
> through 486 was gone. Some big shindig going on down there. Good thing the
> folks in 441 could tell me who they all was. Here, reckon you could go
> over some of the writin on this here page? Got smeared a bit in the
> rain. I think you can cipher most of it out.
>
> Then them folks down in the holler got suspicious over a census. Said, and
> derned if they had a point, what difference did it make who they was? Was
> them guvment folks up in Warshington going to come down here to say howdy
> do? So they finally let me write down they last name and first initial,
> but I think they wuz havin a bit of fun with me when they listed who lived
> in the house. Saw some winkin goin on and I believe I got the same house a
> youngins in two or three places. It been a day, woman. Honey, git that
> paper out of Johnny's mouth,will ya? I worked all day on that thing, and
> no call to let him go chewin it up.
>
> Went up the river a piece and tried to get that done fore it come a
> downpour, but run into trouble there too. Ole Man Jenkins curr dog run me
> off and I tell you, ain't no call to get eat up over such a thing as this.
> They ort to be a limit what a man does for his country. Was lucky man down
> the road mostly knew Jenkins was nigh on sixty years old and was living
> there with his woman and five youngins from his first marriage plus a
> passel from the second. We give em good Christian names. Best be doin
> something bout this pen. It give out on me halfway through. See you havin
> trouble too. Johnny! Hand that here, boy!
>
> And I tell you I would ruther fight grandpap's British than mess with that
> feller out on the ridge. He got out his shotgun soon as he seen me comin
> and I went t'other direction. Had Jones tell me about him instead, and he
> didn't rightly know the feller's first name…said they called him
> "Squirrel", and it was ok just to put that cause wasn't nobody around here
> claimin him no how, and they for sure didn't want the guvment knowin there
> was any relationship. That coffee done?
>
> Then got over to Smiths, and ole Hoss was in a nervous fit so wasn't no
> getting information there. His woman havin another youngin and he looked
> like he could run right through me when I went to askin how many youngins
> he had now. Hightailed it out of there, and Miz Hart helped me straighten
> that household out. Think we got most of the names straight, and as he has
> had a youngin a year for the last ten, ages purty close too. Now look what
> Johnny went and done!
>
> I tell you, next time this come around I ain't gonna be no where in
> sight. Farmin a heap easier, and I figger there folks round here what can
> read and write and cipher and ain't no good fer nothing else we can spare
> for this foolishness. Pass me another tater, will you?
>
> Just a thought <BG>,
> jan
>
> Copyright ©2000JanPhilpot
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> (Note: Afternoon Rocking messages are meant to be passed on, meant to be
> shared...simply share as written without alterations...and in entirety.
> Thanks, jan)
> Sunday Afternoon Rocking columns are distributed weekly on the list Sunday
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> Subject: Re: [TNDICKSO] Sunday Afternoon Rocking
> Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 15:21:24 EST
> From:
> To:
>
> Jan, this was very good. I could almost see this poor man trying to get
> names and numbers from some folks. I remember when my family and I lived in
> TN and I can just about see how it could happen his way.
> Thanks so much, it was enjoyable. Happy New Years.
> Joyce in MI

Jan, good job of mind reading! I was a census taker and crew leader in Kentucky for
the 1990 census. Believe me it is still hard to get people to reveal things they don't think
is anyone else's business. And oh the places you'll go and the things you'll see!!! I went to
a little cove once that had three trailers one that had the doors wide open all the time. There
was a dog that just went in and out whenever it wanted. The place was filthy and there were
people in there sleeping and someone from one of the other trailers told me just to go on in
that the people were in there. I went to another place that looked like a little outbuilding
surrounded by mud. When I knocked on one door another was opened with a small man
standing there who answered all my questions right there without ever opening the door
more than a crack. Then there was the young girl that was working for me who went down
an old coal road just to make sure there had been no houses built or trailers moved in, only
to catch someone parking! Yep, census workers have their work cut out for them. Thank
goodness most just try to do their job and hope for the best!
Linda H. in OH
P.S. I worked very long hours during the holidays (retail) still playing catch up with my email.

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