If post threads are downloaded in MSWord, then converetd to PDF, they will be machine readable. Same for scanning the clippings and running a good OCR engine on them.
I've copied and pasted all 33+ pages of the Saint-Gaudens thread into MSWord files for each page. Then I've removed all the extraneous graphics and format lines. I end up with the poster's name, date. time, any quotes, and the poster's content. I've completed about 2/3 of this thread, but have not done it with other threads here or elsewhere.
When I've completed this thread, I can send a copy to anyone who wants it.