Hard to read, can it be improved?

[Erato]

It took a lot of paging through old land registers, but I finally found what I was looking for:  the purchase of the ancestral farm in Medina County, Ohio.  My gg-grandfather Robert Logan and his brother-in-law Anthony Conning bought 133 acres in York Twsp. in 1844.  It cost $600.  It was part of the Connecticut Western Reserve land, and they apparently bought it from a land speculator back east.  They split their parcel into two side-by-side, 66-acre farms.

The county clerk had pretty good handwriting but the scanned image is very hard to read.  I've tried to bring out the text but I'm not getting anywhere with it.  Can the experts please have a go at improving the contrast.

The original images [#72 and 73] are here:   http://www.rootschat.com/links/01suu/

[Mike in Cumbria]

A bit easier to read, but what horrendous writing.

[ShaunJ]

My version.

Not too difficult to read if you magnify it a bit

[Erato]

Much improved. Thanks to you both. I'm going to work on the transcription bit by bit. It's a good example of too many curlicues squeezed into a small space.  With handwriting, as with so many things, less is often more.

For anyone interested, you can see these farms as they are today in reply #4 at:

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=811558.msg6717575#msg6717575

[dobfarm]

 Bit darker (More middle part)

[Erato]

Thanks, dobfarm.   

[Peter L. Mitchell]

Hi Erato.

I've found it helps to transcribe information like this if, as well as viewing it on a computer, I print it out and then use a magnifying glass to view it. It also helps to have a small torch to shine across the text as this can sometimes more easily highlight letters and words.

The other method I use is to write it out in pencil, leaving spaces for words I can't work out. When I go back to the missing words I've often used context clues to decipher them. When all else fails, I turn to the amazingly talented community of experts on RootsChat!

Good luck!

Peter

[shanreagh]

Just following on from Peter's suggestions about printing it out.  I was also advised that sometimes it is easier to read if the page is turned upside down.  Apparently tricks the brain into reading what is there as opposed to what you think might be there.   

I wonder if it would work online by rotating the page so it reads upside down. 

[Erato]

Thanks to all for the improved contrast and for the tips.  I have transcribed this document.  I didn't do it all in one sitting - too headache inducing for that.