They would only have a tick mark in one column. Mike in Ohio clifto wrote: > I just noticed. In the 1880 census, there are two columns, one for "Cannot > read" and one for "cannot write". What does it mean for a person to be able > to read but not to write? (And probably rhetorically, what about a person > who can write but not read?) >

Michael Kenefick wrote: > clifto wrote: >> I just noticed. In the 1880 census, there are two columns, one for "Cannot >> read" and one for "cannot write". What does it mean for a person to be able >> to read but not to write? (And probably rhetorically, what about a person >> who can write but not read?) > > They would only have a tick mark in one column. Mike in Ohio I have several people who have tick marks in both, and a few with a tick in only the 'cannot write', thus my question. -- God help us all. Because we're down to PIAPS, B. Hussein or McStain, the next President of the United States can only be a liberal Democrat,

"clifto" <clifto@gmail.com> wrote in message news:cms385-f6q.ln1@remote.clifto.com... > Michael Kenefick wrote: > > clifto wrote: > >> I just noticed. In the 1880 census, there are two columns, one for "Cannot > >> read" and one for "cannot write". What does it mean for a person to be able > >> to read but not to write? (And probably rhetorically, what about a person > >> who can write but not read?) > > > > They would only have a tick mark in one column. Mike in Ohio > > I have several people who have tick marks in both, and a few with a tick in > only the 'cannot write', thus my question. Maybe they can't hold a pen in their hands?

"D. Stussy" (spam@bde-arc.ampr.org) writes: > "clifto" <clifto@gmail.com> wrote in message > news:cms385-f6q.ln1@remote.clifto.com... >> Michael Kenefick wrote: >> > clifto wrote: >> >> I just noticed. In the 1880 census, there are two columns, one for > "Cannot >> >> read" and one for "cannot write". What does it mean for a person to be > able >> >> to read but not to write? (And probably rhetorically, what about a > person >> >> who can write but not read?) >> > >> > They would only have a tick mark in one column. Mike in Ohio >> >> I have several people who have tick marks in both, and a few with a tick > in >> only the 'cannot write', thus my question. > > Maybe they can't hold a pen in their hands? > > I remember a program about the Middle Ages mentioning that reading and writing were seperate accomplishments. Clergy had to do both, but at least in spiritual matters a layman only had to read scripture. Brendan