21. Eugene, finances

The navigation opened on the first of May. Then, shortly after this rigorous winter, we had a burning summer, which was almost as difficult to stand, as we were plagued by diarrhea, mosquitoes, and a feeling of lassitude, which made one long for Autumn. What made this time even more trying was that Fanny was pregnant. She didn't know how to find relief; and, to make matters worse, we had to have a fire for the meals and for the washing.

As the time for her accouchement (delivery) approached, we felt the need to find a girl, or a woman to come and work for us. We found enough servants; but as soon as we told them that we wanted them because of the coming birth, they refused to come, and so we had no help.

I had spoken with Dr. Berthier and with a Mrs. Candaux, a Vaudoise, who offered to come to us for the needed hour. The evening of the 19th of July, Fanny was suffering with pains, so I went to get Mrs. Candaux. She came; but when the pains came on she said, "That is nothing. Wait till you scream with pain. You will have to scream." I asked Fanny if I should go for the doctor; but, under such influence, she answered, "No!" Toward morning, I could no longer stand it. I went for Dr. Berthier -- a long way down the town on 7th Street. He came at once. He found that the water, which should precede the birth, had not come; and that the pocket which contained it would not have been ruptured, except after much suffering. He lanced the pocket; and the child was born. It was the 20th of July, at five in the morning. After this all went well; and, in proportion as I had suffered anxiety over the arrival of the day, so was I rejoiced at the deliverance.

There was I, happy to have a son, and to see my wife getting well so promptly. But during the first night, I had often gotten up; and, whether it was from fatigue, or from a draught, I had a blood-shot left eye. A doctor came in for his watch, and advised me to apply a little ice. This I did, and the eye seemed better. But when I removed the ice, the eye became redder and more feverish than before. I continued to apply the ice, which put the eye into a sad state. It became as red as beefsteak, and swollen to such a degree that the lid could no longer cover it. It resembled a piece of meat, into which one had put a gray' button. I couldn't see clearly with this eye; and when I looked with the other, I had severe shooting pains. Thus I was almost blind. I couldn't open the store. All the left side of my head was affected. My hair fell. All remedies were without effect. Then, at the end of three weeks, my eye was well again, and I could work. This was my first eye trouble.

I knew in the Springtime that my brother George was very poor. He had left Brockport and established himself in Boston as a workman. He was not prospering in the United States. Having a wife, and soon to have a child, his position was sad enough. I was looking for a place where I might establish him; and some time before our baby's birth, I learned that a watchmaker at Prescott was quitting. I thought that I could buy many things from him. and take over his place for my brother; but owing to my wife's coming delivery, and my sore eye, I could not go to Prescott until August 13th. There I learned that an Eastern watchmaker was coming to establish himself. As the place was too small for two, I gave up the idea. Thus my bad eye had been a blessing to my brother and saved me from doing a thing which I should later have regretted.

The memory of the year 1857 will last a long time in the United States, as a year of serious depression, and a year of ruin for many fortunes. During the preceding years business had been greatly developed, founded on credit to those who owned a house, or a lot on which he had a mortgage, for each one counted that the future held prosperity for all. The entire population was the victim of this sweet illusion. That year several of the large banks failed, then others followed; and fear seized hold of all financiers.

Each wanted to be paid; everyone wanted to sell. Furniture was offered at low prices, and still found no buyers. In fact, there was no more confidence, man to man.

There were in the United States more than two thousand banks which put out banknotes. When one of these banks closed, the notes lost a quarter, or sometimes even a half of their value. And in this financial crisis, it often happened that a dollar bill, which I had taken in the morning, would be worth only seventy-five cents by afternoon.

Several merchants gave up their business. Rents lowered. All this happened toward the end of the summer. I saw that I could easily find a better store than the one I had. I talked with Spicer, and later to Dr. Day, whom he had appointed as collector of rents. I asked for a reduction in my rent; but could obtain none. So I gave up my place and rented the store of Whitney, on the other side of the street, above Cedar Street, where I paid thirty dollars for a better store, and for better living quarters in the back. We moved in on the 1st of December. It was a great joy for Fanny, We had the sunshine in the store in the mornings; and the living rooms were drier, higher, and better lighted than those of Spicer.

Before moving into the new store, we made inventory. We found that I had made two thousand dollars, of which we had spent one thousand two hundred. As far as the expenses were concerned, we had had more because of the birth of Eugene. And also one hundred dollars was paid on a lot at St. Antoine -- which we sold without profit, after paying taxes on it for thirty years. Such was our financial position, upon entering our new store.