CHAPTER XVI 



AUDUBON'S MILL, AND FINAL REVERSES IN BUSINESS 



Dr. Rankin's "Meadow Brook Farm" — Birth of John Woodhouse Audu- 

 bon — The Audubon-Bakewell partnership — Meeting with Nolte — Failure 

 of the commission business— Visit to Rozier — Storekeeping at Hender- 

 son — Purchases of land — Habits of frontier tradesmen — Steamboats on 

 the Ohio — Popular pastimes — Audubon-Bakewell-Pears partnership— 

 Their famous steam mill — Mechanical and financial troubles — Business 

 reorganization — Bankruptcy general— Failure of the mill — Personal en- 

 counter — Audubon goes to jail for debt. 



The seven years which followed the outbreak of war 

 with England in 1812 were the most disastrous in the 

 naturalist's career. In many respects they were critical 

 for the entire country, since hundreds who were not 

 affected directly by the war were ruined by the finan- 

 cial troubles which followed in its wake. To Audubon 

 reverses came at this time in rapid succession. Bereft 

 of one and then another of his children, 1 with his family 

 in straitened circumstances in France, and reduced to 

 bankruptcy himself, he finally resolved to throw up 

 trade, for which he was never fitted, and to make his 

 avocation the real business of life. We shall see how, 

 by the unstinted use of such talents as he possessed, 

 through unremitting effort, and with the aid of his ener- 

 getic and capable wife, he was able, at the age of forty- 

 five, to turn failure into success. 



After his return to Henderson in the spring of 1811, 

 Audubon began to look for another opening in trade, 



1 While living at Henderson the Audubons lost their two daughters, 

 Rosa and Lucy, both of whom died when very young. 



247 



