Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 117, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 May 1920 — ENUMERATION SHOWS LOSS [ARTICLE]

ENUMERATION SHOWS LOSS

3,989 ATTENDED SCHOOLS IN COUNTY IN 1919—3,925 THIS YEAR. The Jasper county school enumeration just completed by County Superintendent M. L. Sterrett shows that 64 less attended school in Jasper county in the year 1919-20 than in the year 1918-19. . Barkley, Hanging Grove, Union, Walker and Rensselaer show slight increases, Rensselaer leading _in growth with 21, and Union being second with 15. Two townships, Jordan and Newton, had the same number of pupils as in the previous year, but the remaining townships showed a loss. Carpenter lead in this respect, with a loss of 34 being recorded. It is a coincidence that in 1910 when the last census was taken, there were 3,925 students in the county—the same number as the present year. Although it is often remarked that figures don’t lie, it is evident that the 1910 figures do lie, for it is unreasonable to suppose that in a period of ten years of advancement such as Jasper county made, there are not more students within the cobnty’s borders now than there was ten years ago. It is said to have been the practice among the trustees ten years ago to pad their enumeration records that the county might make a good showing, and that is no doubt what was done. The school enumeration can generally be depended upon to supply a pretty safe estimate on the population of a community. If the figures of ten years ago were accurate, then basing the population of the county upon the number of children attending the schools of the county, Jasper county has made no population increase, which is undoubtedly untrue, although no great increase is expected among forecasters. The enomeration 1920 Barkley 426 434 Carpenter 280 246 Gillam • 215 194 Hanging Grove 119 145 Jordan 175 175 Kankakee 127 123 Keener .---------’J’jo Marion 254 239 Milroy 108 101 sr 1 Walker 239 243 Wheatfield 174 158 Remington — --266 Wheatfield town 88 78 Rensselaer -638 659 TOTAL 3989 3925 Total loss in the county, 64.