Customer Reviews

Tricking the Tallyman

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Phineas Bump was a Tallyman and he was heading into the town of Tunbridge to count the people, but he was discouraged because he didn't have any "paper, ink and quills." No one wanted to be counted either and that was a real problem. When he tapped on a door in the "District of Vermont" a woman slammed the door in his face claiming the Tunbridge was "a town that won't be counted." He asked the woman for lodging and the door didn't even open a crack. Even more discouraged he had to sleep in the woods. The first United States census of 1790 wasn't going very well, not very well at all.

The towns would have to pay more taxes and the townsmen would be conscripted into the military if they were all counted. The town was going to have to trick the Tallyman and young Boston Pepper had a plan. Mrs. Pepper hid her children and then when Phineas knocked, she let him in. She claimed she was a widow and had no children. "Not a one." Phineas then took his count on the back of a letter his own wife had sent him. "One free white female thus counted." The count had to go on, but everyone in Tunbridge tried to foil it. "That house is empty, Mr. Bump," called out Mrs. Pepper. With all the trickery and shenanigans going on how on Earth was the Tallyman ever going to take his census?

This is a funny story based on historical fact. It wasn't easy for the Tallyman to take an accurate count of people because there was a bit of fear and trickery going on. I enjoyed the historical aspect of the story as will many young readers. The art work gives it just the perfect light comical edge the story required. In the back of the book there is information on the actual 1790 census and questions that were asked (including asking how many slaves lived in the home). In the end there was a count of 3,929,326 in the United States. Are you ready for a Phineas Bump to count you in the upcoming census?

Cute depiction of the first Census. I gave it as a retirement gift to a friend who was retiring from the Census Bureau. She loved it!