Dexter Kenfield <dekester@mindspring.com> wrote in news:s9sr5usq1fpth0ptk53i7lhq2pk7m5vioe@4ax.com: > I'm having trouble reading an entry for Occupation in the 1920 census. > > The relevant portion of the page is at: > http://dkenfield.home.mindspring.com/graphics/blowup.jpg > > The line below the "none" entry is the problem. > > It looks to me like the first word is "Examiner" and the third word is > "House." > > Second word? Meaning? It makes little sense to me. > > This is a Russian Jewish family in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Taking clues from the words I could read, it looks like the 2nd word is "waist" although I don't know what a "waist house" would be! See the way the "W" was written on line 99? (Waiter in restaurant) Although what I think *might* be a "T" at the end of that work isn't written as open in the listings you show. The letter in the next column is most likely a "w" for "worker" as opposed to the "emp" for employer. I did a google search for "waist house" - you don't want to know what 3 of the 5 hits related to - but I did see one genealogy site that was a transcription from an 1870 census for Moore, Northampton Co, PA - the person was a clerk in a waist house. So I guess now the trick is to find out what a waist house is!!! Sherry

On Mon, 04 Feb 2002 03:07:55 GMT, "C'est Moi" <sherdh@excite.com> wrote: Is it waist house or waste house? Some of the other people's employment was working for a cloak manufacturer. Something to do with measurments of men's clothing...waist house? > > >Taking clues from the words I could read, it looks like the 2nd word is >"waist" although I don't know what a "waist house" would be! > >See the way the "W" was written on line 99? (Waiter in restaurant) >Although what I think *might* be a "T" at the end of that work isn't >written as open in the listings you show. The letter in the next column >is most likely a "w" for "worker" as opposed to the "emp" for employer. > >I did a google search for "waist house" - you don't want to know what 3 >of the 5 hits related to - but I did see one genealogy site that was a >transcription from an 1870 census for Moore, Northampton Co, PA - the >person was a clerk in a waist house. > >So I guess now the trick is to find out what a waist house is!!! > >Sherry

> > I'm having trouble reading an entry for Occupation in the 1920 census. > > > > The relevant portion of the page is at: > > http://dkenfield.home.mindspring.com/graphics/blowup.jpg > > > > The line below the "none" entry is the problem. > > > > It looks to me like the first word is "Examiner" and the third word is > > "House." > > > > Second word? Meaning? It makes little sense to me. > > > > This is a Russian Jewish family in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. > > Taking clues from the words I could read, it looks like the 2nd word is > "waist" although I don't know what a "waist house" would be! > > See the way the "W" was written on line 99? (Waiter in restaurant) > Although what I think *might* be a "T" at the end of that work isn't > written as open in the listings you show. The letter in the next column > is most likely a "w" for "worker" as opposed to the "emp" for employer. > > I did a google search for "waist house" - you don't want to know what 3 > of the 5 hits related to - but I did see one genealogy site that was a > transcription from an 1870 census for Moore, Northampton Co, PA - the > person was a clerk in a waist house. > > So I guess now the trick is to find out what a waist house is!!! > > Sherry I found the same Google results -- including the <blush> unmentionable ones -- however I pushed a bit futher with "waist" and found at least three instances of a shirtwaist factory using the term "waist". This one http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/57/ is about a tragic fire -- it gives a description of what was in the building. I think it's a safe bet the waist house was a shirtwaist factory. Maybe search business directories for the area for that time period. As for the ending "t", look at the "t" on student on line 84. It's a bit more the same style. Gabrielle David Ajo, Arizona