dorsey film conversion questions and estimate

[R. Rankin]

The estimate may be high, but a word of warning.  The estimates for Dorsey's
Quapaw and Kansa lexical files were both low by a fifth.  Both were at least a
thousand entries higher than the number listed.  My guess is that the estimates
were made by Ray DeMallie back about 1970 when he cataloged the Dorsey
Collection for the Smithsonian.  After initial measurements, it's probably based
on the number of boxes of slips.

Bob

----- Original Message -----
> > No, the 20,000 figure is rough estimate of the total number of words,
> > and it's probably high.
>
> The estimate antedates microfilming.  I think they probably took an inch
> of cards, counted the cards in it and multiplied by the number of inches
> in the file boxes.  At least that's what I would have done. I doubt they
> counted the actual cards, and I don't think Dorsey did, either.