Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1841-11-13
From the Western Farmer.
SILK BUSINESS f..
Ar. PLEASANT. Jan.


You have no doubt been Informed that conmen
ced the business some eight or ninc years ago
AT that tins there was no hulticanils lever nor
any silk fever 10 the country. ! soon became
convinced that the business not only practi
cable but tha, il would soon becoaie very protia
bic, and finally great national source OF wealth.
/ came 10 this conclusion by the force of expert
mental facts that developed themselves from year
Ia wear as | experimental IN small way tho
native leaf. About four ycars ago extended my
oDerations md raised and manufactured 50 yards
Of pongee handkerchief; this done under
every disadvantage that was possible to DO en-
countered and overcome BY human exertIon, with
the exception that fortunately became ncquaint-
ed with Mr.. Robert Fox, skilful silk weaver,
who woye my web had every difficulty to en-
counter that human patience was competent to
endure. Limited IN my means, sickly family
10 attend 10, two OF whom died soon atter-noth-
ing but the native leaf to depend uPoD, and they
scattered the fields and woods of four or five
miles square; no Knowledge Of the art Of reeling,
throwing training OF silk, nor any work on The
subject that could obtain any knowledge from
embarrassed IN my circumstances, and viewed as
a maniac by most Of my neighbors on account of
my engaging visionary project, as they
tcemed the six business to be.
Such the circumstances under which
commenced the business; and, independent of
such circumstances, | have witnessed enough 70
convince mo that the growing of silk is profitable,
and will become q great source Of national
wealth.
Within the last two years very respectable
number Of the farmers Of this vicinity have be-
como equally "riSionary," and preparing TO
engage in the business Of growing sk-You
aware tina, j. w. Gill took hold and assis ed in es
tabshipg a factory in this place, which got
into successful operation last August and if any
doubts had existed in relation to the success of
the business il must now vanish, for we have sue
ceedcd beyond our most saHgulne expectations
am, t,o~e".- "A" lnnger tnd IN 'hA faotnrv
here, but about 10 transfer my operations TO
Wheeling, having taken stock IN company u
bout to be chartered at that place My residing
here will not I'M Irousy effect the establishment.
Mr. Gill is fully satisfied with the profits Of the
business and he has never lacked enterprise
when there fair prospect of reward
Wheeling possesses advantages in tho manufac-
turing line that this place can never enjoy, and
az intend TO devote the balance of my time TO
tho business, wish to locate where can persue
i, with the least possible inconvenience.
You inform me that tho trade in Maltcaulis is
dull in your place, and wish TO be informed how
It is here. The trade here is jus. it ought TO
10; trees sell at fair prices in small lots to praci
cal men no want them for their own use, not for
speculation. This specializing in the trees has
done more to iniure the silk business than all the
preachers Of 'thumbug'' who swarm the country
from Maine TO Georgia. No man ought to touch
a mulberry tree unless he intends to 60 TO feed
ing worms, if he does, he is only curse TO the
business, for he causes hundreds of well disposed
citizens to doubt there bsing any reality in the
raising of silk. and thereby retards its progress.
But the speculation in trees IS over, thank hca-
ven, and think the silk business is over also,
but in that thew much mstaken-It is
jus, about to take fair start. All sensible men
who have trees will quietly hold on TO them and
90 10 feeding. There are but few trees that will
not produce twenty five cents worth of leaves per
10 tho stalk grower, and unless he has
more foliage than he can use, II Is folly for him 10
sell for less. All things, whether political, com
mercial or financial, they now working
will only tend to make US one os the greatest silk
growing nations on earth, and second only to Chi
ma in point of wealth. Suppose we had been
silk growing nation ten years ago, and had sup
piled ourselves with the article during that iimn
we would have saved about two hundred millions
Of dollars thu. has been supplied 10 Europe to
pay for silk alone. This enormous may be
saved TO this nation very few years, and
have doubt will be- We may not only save
fcenty millions year, but we may pay ex>
changes 10 the amount of twenty or thirty mil
lions annually 10 silk, and in less than forty years
we will do it. No doubt you think am a vision
nry man; many thought four years ago when
told !hem could coiho ourselves in silk Ia
king the amount of labor standard of value
atn less expense than we could IN cotton goods
the is proved--the other riU be- The
political action of our statesmen has crippled. il
not destroyed, the commercial and financial IN
forests OF the country 1t IS true; but that has not
Injured the silk business: ii has only reduced the
price of mulberry trees little. which has rather
benefited il, il has caused hundreds TO their
aueation TO the business who ii $ not xe ely would
have done if they could have got dollar n
bushel for their wheat; and these the persons
who will do some real good at it. | bought fifty
dollars worth of eocoons of farmer last fall
who told me that his little daughter. about twelve
thirteen years old, had done all the business oil
rearing Them and that he had not blade the
Tess his farm. Every farmer in our country
who has daughters of that age may do the Same
thing. Sir, rhe time is not distant when every
en,erprisng, iuiellgen, farmer, will esteem a
mulberry orchard necessary appendage TO
his farm, ms he does his fruit orchard; but in
order to effect this the growers go feeding
worms, and bring in their cocoons TO the factory
then the farmer W i'll see there is a reality in the
business; this is now the IN this neighbor-
hood. and may soon he the every part oil
the Uuion, II those who have trees will 60 to us