192	HISTORY OF CLAV COUNTY
1881
1882
1883
1884.
1885.
1886
1887
1888

1890

892.
1893.
1894
1895.
9,039
8,840
9,227
9472


10,739
11,176
11,345
11,023
11,792
12,696
1 2,729
12,986
12,650
1896.
1897.
1898
1899.
1900
1901
1902.
1903.

1905.

1907
1908
11,511
11, 760
1 1,752

11,420
11,285
10,964
11,010
10,883

10,773
10,941
10,623
10,332
	It is seen that tlie figures for the years 1856, 1857 and 1858 are the
same for t he reason. doubtlless, that no report of the enurneration for
he latter two years was made to the state d eparhr ment so that the
dist ribution for these years was made upon the same basis as that of the
year 1856.
	In the school eni, meration, as the reader will observe. there are
apparent inconsistencies for which t he writer is unable to account. The
maximum number it, ilija element of Our population was reached in the
year 894, when it was i 12,986, p reef practially 40 per cent of the total
population. From flint time on down to the present there has been a
decline inc so that for the year 1909, it is but 10,332, or practically 27 per
cent of the total. In other words, the school population of Clay county
is now 2,654 less than it was fifiteen years ago, not withstanding a
normal increase in lie total population for tl,e same period of time>;
	The latest enumeration of the voting population, the male inhabitants
past twenty-one years of age, taken in 1907, is given by townships as
follows
Brazil, 3,095 Van Buren, r,148 Dick Johnson. 544: Posey, 895;
Jackson, 620: Cass, 116; Washington, 325; Stigar Ridge, 493; Perry.
413; Lewis,	Harrison, 1,017—total, 9414. This enumeration includes
126 colored voters, of whom 104 are in Brazil, 15 in Van Buren 6 in
Pusey, and 1 in Dick Johnson.