HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY	59

township, and thence by way of New Brunswick, or as near that point as
practicable, to Howesville, in Clay county, Indiana, and that the auditor
and sheriff give notice thereof, as by law directed.” County Auditor
James M. Hoskins then proceeded to give notice by publication of the
pending of such election, to be held, as ordered, on Thursday the 20th day
of January following. During the thirty-five days of interval from the
time of first publication to the day of election the supporters and opposers
of the proposition waged a campaign pro and con, speakers having been
sent out both to persuade and to dissuade the electors of the respective
townships. The proposition failed.by a vote of two to one, as shown by
the following figures:
	Townships	For. Against.	Total.
	Posey	15	371	386
	Dick Johnson	10	106
	Van Buren	10	233	243
	Jackson	3	233	236
	Perry	0	243	243
	Lewis	19	202	221
	Harrison	256	56	312
	Washington	330	42	372
	Cass	7	69	76
	Sugar Ridge	20	159	179
	Brazil	230	133	363
	Totals	900	1,847	2,747

	The work of Dr. Winslow S. Pierce, president of the company, and
his corps of promoters did not cease with the result of this election. Soon
thereafter petitions were filed asking the board of commissioners to call
elections in Brazil, Harrison and Washington townships, which had given
majorities for the subsidy at the county election. In compliance, elections
were ordered to be held in Washington township on the 12th day of March
and in Brazil and Harrison townships on the 19th day of the same month
of the year 1870, the proposition carrying in the three townships. The
tax was levied and collected in Brazil and Washington townships, then
refunded to the taxpayers in 1874. It was not levied and collected in Har-
rison township. The actual work done on construction of this road within
Clay county was the building of the grade, or roadbed, from the north
line of the county to a point between the National Road and the Vandalia
Railroad, in the east end of Brazil. On this grade, twenty years later, was
laid the track of the Chicago & Southeastern Railroad. An enthusiastic
meeting for the purpose of unifying public sentiment and advancing the
prospects for the success of the road was held at Middlebury on the 27th
day of June, 1871, at which Brazil, Sugar Ridge, Harrison and Lewis
townships were represented, W. H. Long presiding, with Henry Bolick,
secretary. This meeting proceeded to locate the line from Brazil south
through the county by way of the course of Birch creek through Sugar
Ridge township, crossing Eel river at or near the Feeder Dam, thence by
way of Middlebury, New Brunswick and Howesville. A committee of
three from each of the townships represented, including, also, Perry, was
constituted, with Elias Cooprider, chairman, to meet the board of direc