History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ... portraits ... and biographies ... History of Michigan ...

236

HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY,

STORE PRICES IN 1831-2.
Gradually the old-time trading post of the A. F. Co. gave place
to the more cizilized pioneer store. Those were little bee-hives of
industry. Every necessary article, as well as a few luxuries, were
kept in stock, and business conducted on well-defined principles.
The following is a list of prices:

Whisky per gallon
Young Hyson Tea, per lb.
Coffee "
Pepper "
Cloves
Allspice "
Nutmegs
Men's boots
Boys' brogans
Venison hams
Beeswax
Meat of one coon
Sugar
Indian knife
Small bell
Large bell
Fisher skin
Muskrat
Pocket pistol
Pocket hkf.
Blue cloth, per yd.
Shawl

sd
2 9
9 6
16
20
80
26
18 0
24 0
80
20
18
20
6
20
60
240
80
20
60
56
240
70

s d
Skein cotton thread 0 6
Plaid factory, per yd. 2 0
Blanket 36 0
Martin skin 8 0
Calico, per yd. 1 6
Arm bands, per pair 32 0
Socks, per pair 2 0
Brown shirting 1 0
The meat of one small deer 8 0
skates, per pair 4 0
Buckskin 14 0/
1 brl. flour $7.31Y/
1 bush. corn 1.00
Tobacco, per lb..25
Fish-hooks, per 100 1.25
Pork.10
Hog, weighing 204 lbs. 12.24
Brl. potatoes 1.122
Beef, per lb..0412
Salt pork, per lb..10
Pay for splitting 1,000 rails, 5 to 7.50

It appears from this that the word " shilling " was in use among
the Indians, as in the foregoing list the price of all the small articles
is marked in shillings and pence. In 1831 one of the store-keepers
introduced the words " dollars and cents," and henceforth the
ambiguous term " shilling" fell into disuse.
SEASONS OF SICKNESS.
Among the numerous troubles which the pioneers of Saginaw
had to encounter was the common ague, generated by miasms
arising from the lowlands along the bank of the river, and from
the decaying vegetable matter of swales in the vicinity. This disease, known also as the "chills and fever," formed a stumbling
block in the path of progress, being one of the great arguments
presented by the American Fur Company against the settlement
of the district by the American pioneers. This disease was a terror to the men who did come here. In the fall of the year every
one was afflicted, every one shook. Respecting neither the rich
nor the poor, it entered summarily into the system of the settlers
and became part and parcel of their existence. They all looked
pale and yellow as if frostbitten. It was not literally contagious,
but owing to the general diffusion of the terrible miasma which
was so easily absorbed into the system, it was virtually a most disagreeable, if not dangerous, epidemic. The noxious exhalations of