In a message dated 6/16/05 5:48:21 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: > 1. first 3 letters or more plus asterisk in given name field > 2. first 3 letters or more plus asterisk in surname field > 3. both of #1 and #2 > 4. Blank names and search towns instead > Good tips. I think most of the transcribing errors occur when the transcriber just plain can't read what the census enumerator wrote down...and often the writing has faded anyway.. Overall, whoever did the transcribing really did well considering some of the pages they had to work with.