The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-10-14
AMERICAN SILKS.
HISTORY oFTHEMANUFAOTURB
How silk Goods Are Made in the
United States.

OuiGeu DbdC6SI
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The discovery Of the uses to which the COCOON
Of the slkworm might be applied undoubtedly
sriginsted with the Chinese. Twenty seven hun
aTed years before Christ, as their written records
leelaIe, an empress of that nation was the first
10 unrayel the hlmy thread, and TO weave it into
a web OF shining cloth. Whether this be true or
Hot tits we'll attested fact that when the exist
tnce Of the silken fabric of China became known
In other countries, the manufacture was no longer
in Its Infancy, or iimperfoCtly executed, but had
already attained an excellence which could only |
be the result Of long and successful practice.
Such, indeed, was its Importance, that the people
and their country, in ancient writings, were |
named Seres, aud Serica from the Chinese word
Sc, or Ser, which signifies silk.
The most imperfect notions were prevalent in |
Western Asia and Europe in regard TO the true |
nature Of silk. Some writer's descTioe it sort
OF dOwny material combed from the leaves of |
trees but no one had any real knowledge of it, |
though the silk in its raw state was for ages ex-
ported from China, and manufactured in Persia,
Tyre, Befytus, and elsewhere, and thus the woven
fabrics n ached the several parts of Europe and
Asia. The existence of the slkWorm was un-
hBOwn except to the Chinese and to some fcw
kaFped men in the countries to which the fabrics
were exported Pliny and Aristotle mention it's
existence and Pliny asserted that II was q naive
ef Koe, an island of the Gfecian Archipelago; yet
the fact that Pamphyla, q native of that island,
was k0e QTHJ 10 rRyel Onc imported cloths the
PuIpote of spinning and weaving them anew into
nshter fabrics as guaze, seems conclusive against
this assertion. afi 70 tn.e
In luxurious Rome go beautiful fabric was
sure 10 be appreciated, though only the richer
sitiEens could wear It, by reason of the expense.
The heavier goods we're here ravelled and rcHoven
into thinner fabrics for summer use. Men were
forbidden to wear it, though mixed material,
called IHb sericvn, was in use by both sexes Its
cost and the difficulty of ODtiining il were 50
great, ,thatin the second century Marcus AntOninus
Ient ambassadors 10 China with view of estaJ-
hsbiug commercial relations with that people.
In this he was unsuccessful The immense COS,
of these fabrics may be estimated ny the fact that
the possession of a silken garment is mentioned
sc one Of the wanton prodigalities Of the Emperor
HeliOeabalus while Aurelisn refused q silken
Syess Ia his Empress on the oronnd that il woIid
cost its weight in gold.
The extreme Antiquity of the discovery in India
and China Is testified BY the fact that ali the
ancient Languages of that region have names
for silkworms 81 and ''wrought silks" and anonl,
The classes of the ancient Hndoos are those named
EsiIky worm feeders' and "reelers of silk .
The growth of silk In China for four thousand
years bas been next in importance 70 that of rice
Certain ceremonies An regard 10 both were pre
seribed in the book Of rites. by Confucius two
thousand three hundred wears apo and Invested
with religious authority. The Rtnpress annuaIIv
xoes through the initiatorv process of oatherin,
fssyssfor he food Of the yd"rS III ,biIs
the Emperor holds the 1iongh A. The animal
ceremony of planting rice Thousonds Of wears
ago Ring was deifidd for encouraring the cnIti-
Tstiop of The mulberry and : nuce1 f9r ia1nroya
neDtsin The ART Of weaving siIk Vet n wasnot
all the middle of tie sixth century that II became
known In Constantinopie and Eastern Fnrnne
that silk was the product Of a worm soma eSes
Of ms worm were then brought thitber NV tSSo
Persian monks who had been missioparies in
China, and had observed the various processes of
rearing the silkworm and preparing the silk,
These eggs which were conveyed in the hollow
Of a cane AZ the proper season were hatched and
fed upon the leaves of the mulberry tree The
monks continued 10 superinsend at CONSTANT
nople all the processes Of rearing the insects and
manufacturing the silk. And from this small
commencement the myriads of silkworms have
sprung which furnished the material for one of
the most important and constantly enlarging of
modern manufactures.
For about six hundred years the Greek empire
continued 10 be the great European seat of the
manufacture. Thence II was carried TO Palermo,
and the Sicilians became possessed of the prodta-
BILE art. From Sicily il spread into Italy, and
Venice, Florence, Lucoa, and Milan became cele.
braed for the beauty OF their silk and the extent
Of their manufactures. In Venice, such was the
esteem IN which the manufacture of silk was held
that the business Of a silk factory was considered
no degradatiun 70 the higher classes of the nhab-
itants and the three trades OF silk manufacturer
rlasspaler and druggist were elassed as mobile
eapioy'"ou'a' ,o N'' "N"o'N5 VI 'H9 "'SHo'' "'le'
Nearly all the countries OF Southern Europe