During the coming years things began to change somewhat; it began to appear certain that our hoped for canal would fail to be built. All kinds of produce went down, and no sale for nothing could be obtained, even the staple wheat.
For the purpose of giving you some idea of the condition of affairs from 1841 to 1847, I will now give you some of my experience. During the years 1844 and 1845, by John A. Tanner and others, besides myself, there was raised 4,500 bushels of wheat upon our farms. I bought a threasher and threshed the crop on the ground, cleaned and stored it the best we could, but there was no market for wheat. I had two pairs of horses and when ever I could get any loading back from Detroit, we went with wheat and stored with Wm. Newberry.
We finally had delivered 400 bushels of wheat, and in the fall they began to buy wheat at 44 cents in 'St. Clair' and 50 cents in 'Wildcat' money. No doubt many remember the many wildcat banks, so called. Finally sold for 44 cents per bushel in 'St. Clair' money. This bank had stood all the wildcat pressure and was considered the best bank in the state.
The night before I left the city, the St. Clair went down. I sold my money for 50 cents on theh dollar, thus netting me 22 cents per bushel in Detroit, with the expense yet to be deducted.
This state of things made rather blue times. The balance of crop we sold in Howell to Bush, Harman & Hewett, for 35 cents per bushel, delivered. You could not sell the best fat cow in town for live dollars in money.
Tomorrow, how the village was 'depopulating.'
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