Final answer:
The quote is most likely reporting the crash of the stock market.
Step-by-step explanation:
The quote mentioned in the question is describing a situation where stocks were being sold at much lower prices due to a widespread panic or hysteria. This implies that the country is experiencing a major economic downturn. Based on this information, the most likely event being reported in the quote is the crash of the stock market. This kind of panic selling and the significant drop in stock prices is a common occurrence during a stock market crash, where people sell stocks in large quantities, resulting in a rapid decline in stock values.
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