John S. Enos

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John S. Enos
Enos c. 1892
1st Commissioner of the
California Bureau of Labor Statistics
In office
March 8, 1883 – March 9, 1887
Appointed byGeorge Stoneman
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byJohn J. Tobin
Member of the California Senate
from the 13th district
In office
January 5, 1880 – January 8, 1883
Preceded byMulti-member district
Succeeded byMulti-member district
8th District Attorney of Fulton County
In office
November 1853 – November 1859
Preceded byJames W. Dudley
Succeeded byJohn M. Carroll
Personal details
Born1825
Fulton County, New York, U.S.
DiedMarch 30, 1898 (aged 72)
Sonoma, California, U.S.
Political partyWhig (before 1854)
Republican (1854–1875, after 1888)
Democratic (1875–1877, 1881–1888)
Workingmen's (1877–1881)
Other political
affiliations		Liberal Republican (1872)
Anti-Boss (1886)
Non-Partisan (1892)
Citizens' Independent (1896)
SpouseSusie T. Willis
Domestic partnerRachel Jane Snyder
ChildrenGertrude
RelativesBenjamin A. Willis (relative)
OccupationAttorney, politician

John Summerfield Enos[1] (1825 – March 30, 1898)[2] was an American attorney and politician who served as the eighth district attorney of Fulton County, New York from 1853[3] to 1859,[4] in the California State Senate from 1880 to 1883,[5] and as the first commissioner of the California Bureau of Labor Statistics[6] from 1883[7] to 1887.[8]

Enos was an unsuccessful candidate for district attorney of San Francisco in 1877[9] and judge of the police court in 1886,[10] 1894[11] and 1896.[12] He was also nominated for Congress in 1880[13] and 1890, but declined the nomination both times.[14] During his career, he supported several third parties attempting to break the rule of political bosses in the city.[10][12][15]

California Bureau of Labor Statistics

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In 1883, state assemblyman William J. Sinon (like Enos a member of the Workingmen's Party of California) authored legislation establishing the California Bureau of Labor Statistics,[16] the ninth such agency in the country.[a][18] Governor George Stoneman appointed Enos as its first head, drawing criticism that the office had been created specifically for his benefit.[19][20]

During his tenure, Enos opposed convict labor on the grounds that it created competition for free laborers.[21] He supported the eight-hour workday and recommended public works be administered directly by governments instead of contractors.[22] He also recommended the state avoid sericulture for the excessive amount of cheap labor it required, and promoted the production of beet sugar and sorghum to bolster the economy.[21]

Enos v. Snyder

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Main article: Enos v. Snyder

Enos died of a heart attack in Sonoma, California on March 30, 1898, aged 72.[2] At the time of his death, he had for several years lived with Rachel Jane Snyder, to whom he was not married. In his will, Enos instructed that the disposition of his remains would be left to Snyder. After Enos's death, Susie T. Enos and Gertrude Willis—his wife and daughter, respectively—demanded that Snyder release his remains to them. When Snyder refused this demand, they took her to court and won custody of Enos's remains.[23][24]

Works

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  • First Biennial Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of California. Sacramento: California State Printing Office. 1884.
  • Second Biennial Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of California. Sacramento: California State Printing Office. 1886.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The first was in Massachusetts, established in 1869.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Mohan, Hugh J.; Clough, E. H.; Cosgrave, John P. (1880). Pen Pictures of Our Representative Men. Sacramento: H. A. Weaver's Valley Press. pp. 42–43. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "JOHN S. ENOS STRICKEN DOWN". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco. March 31, 1898. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  3. ^ "WHIG NOMINATIONS". New-York Tribune. New York. October 28, 1853. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  4. ^ Frothingham, Washington (1892). History of Fulton County. Syracuse: D. Mason & Co. p. 124. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  5. ^ "John S. Enos". JoinCalifornia. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  6. ^ Enos, John Summerfield (1886). Report of John Summerfield Enos, Commissioner of Labor Statistics of the State of California, to His Excellency Hon. George Stoneman, Governor of California, upon an inquiry as to "The Condition of the Laborers Employed by Contractors on the Seawall at San Francisco" Etc., Under Senate Resolution of March 3, 1885. Sacramento: California State Printing Office. p. 1. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  7. ^ "SACRAMENTO". The Morning Call. San Francisco. March 9, 1883. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  8. ^ "THE LABOR BUREAS". The Morning Call. San Francisco. March 10, 1887. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  9. ^ "District Attorney". The Daily Examiner. San Francisco. August 31, 1877. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  10. ^ a b "ANTI-BOSS RATIFICATION". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco. October 19, 1886. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  11. ^ "IT IS ELLERT". The Morning Call. San Francisco. September 29, 1894. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  12. ^ a b "CITIZENS' PARTY TICKET". The Examiner. San Francisco. October 2, 1896. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  13. ^ "THE BATTLE FIELD". The Morning Call. San Francisco. October 23, 1880. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  14. ^ "GOOD TICKET". The Evening Bee. Sacramento. August 15, 1890. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  15. ^ "WILL SWEEP THE CITY". The Morning Call. San Francisco. November 5, 1892. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  16. ^ "SACRAMENTO LETTER". Ontario Fruit Grower. Ontario. March 28, 1883. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  17. ^ "Founding of the Bureau of Labor Statistics". guides.loc.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  18. ^ "CALIFORNIA WORKINGMEN". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco. December 13, 1884. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  19. ^ "WORK FOR WORKINGMEN". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco. April 11, 1883. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  20. ^ "SENATOR ENOS DIES SUDDENLY". The San Francisco Call. San Francisco. March 31, 1898. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  21. ^ a b "CALIFORNIA WORKMEN". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco. December 13, 1884. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  22. ^ "IRISH DEMOCRATS". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco. September 22, 1886. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  23. ^ Enos v. Snyder, 131 Cal. 68, 68–69 (1900).
  24. ^ Barish (1956, p. 42)

Sources

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