I have a crick in my neck tonight because I was actually too focused at work today. For the past week I’ve been gradually transcribing a handwritten document from 1884 that outlines the numbers and occupations of Chinese in British Columbia at that time. It’s 14 pages long and the ink has long ago faded in several areas throughout.
The first part of the document was reproduced in a Royal Commission report in 1885 and I was able to track down a copy online. However, I noticed that in the report spelling and format inconsistencies had been “corrected” so I was careful to use it only as a crib sheet and be faithful to the original with my transcription. The second part of the document is a 5-page personal note from the collector of the statistics to the government official who had requested them. In it, the collector basically argues the case that there is no “Chinese problem” in BC but rather his countrymen are a huge benefit to the province. It’s really a fascinating read and I’m very eager for the project to be finished and go live.
I really enjoy tasks like this — I get to apply skills I learned in University (thank you Medieval Manuscripts class!), learn things along the way, and, when it’s done, I get to share it with the rest of the world.