120                 HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

                Printing.........................$ 33.40
                Labor and lumber................. 333.16
                Merchandise for town.............  73.35
                Building schoolhouse............. 423.00
                J. R. Painter.................... 943.75
                Garlick and Collins (for cinders) 512.86
                C. A. Knight, services...........  40.00
                Hauling dead animals.............  40.10
                Percent on disbursement.......... 177.99
                Balance on hand..................1991.71
                                                ---------
                Total...........................$8899.59

    By 1873 the town of Brazil had a population of three thousand. Those
who remember the town of that date can recall few improvements that had
been undertaken or completed by the corporation which could be con-
sidered noteworthy in the history of municipal progress. The most
important town institution, and the only one which had cost more money
than the regular revenues had been unequal to meet, was the town school.
The nucleus of the school system had been established during the exist-
ence of the town corporation. Some attention had been given to the
improvement of Main street, a layer of cinders having been spread over
the natural road-bed. This was in the nature of an improvement, but
on the whole the streets of the town were extremely muddy in the wet
seasons and dusty in dry weather. Some side-walk ordinances had been
passed by the town trustees, and along the principal streets were board
walks and a few flag-stone walks. Most of the crossings were still con-
structed of boards. Except for the voluntary efforts of the citizens,
there was no fire protection. Not even fire cisterns had been provided.
The question of public sanitation had not yet risen. Garbage disposal
was by primitive methods, and the rain waters were drained from the
streets by surface ditches, or often collected in pools and remained until
evaporated by sun and wind.
    With a population of three thousand people, and with the begin-
nings of some important industries and other promises of growth and
civic expansion, the agitation for a city charter during the winter of
1872-73 was opportune and met with little opposition. It was argued
that the code of laws governing cities was vastly superior to that pro-
vided for incorporated towns, and that under the town system it would
be impossible for Brazil to develop municipally and receive the benefits
to which it was entitled by reason of its commercial advantages. The
city charter, it was urged, was necessary to the establishment of ade-
quate water and sewerage facilities and fire protection, and it was also
claimed that the new form of government would not raise taxes, on
which ground the principal objections to the charter were raised.
    The town board, in response to the campaign for city government,
after deciding that the population within the corporate limits was suffi-
cient as required by law, fixed the day of election for the voters to choose
or reject the proposition on March 3, 1873. So little antagonism had
developed toward the movement, that the total vote cast on that day was
small, and was in favor of city incorporation more than six to one. The
detailed vote was as follows: