Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/12/84; site mit-hermes.ARPA
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!mit-hermes!jpexg
From: jpexg@mit-hermes.ARPA (John Purbrick)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Possessive plurals of last names
Message-ID: <2475@mit-hermes.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 12-Sep-85 12:52:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: mit-herm.2475
Posted: Thu Sep 12 12:52:30 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Sep-85 03:25:40 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: The MIT AI Lab, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 12

Our local newspaper uses anomalous punctuation of plural possessives 
attached to people's last names.

Thus: "The students' possessions were destroyed in a fire."
But: "The Johnson's possessions...."

	where there are multiple students and Johnsons. 

I'd treat last names as though they were nouns in this case. ie,
"The Johnsons' possessions..."

What do others think?