Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-01-10
SILK MANUFACTURE.

The manufacture Of silk is Of COM
parativcly recent date in this country,
and has but lately begun to attract much
attention Of the public. Silk-worms
we're introduced into Virginia al an
early day. it IS true though without per
nanent success All Louisiana and
Georeia raised them not many years
after. the first export OF raw silk amount
ing d eight pounds, being sent from the
latter State in 1874 But while cocoons
we're produced at the South in consider
cradle quantities, for some time follow
ing, and also Connecticut, where a com
pany was incorporated in 1778 for the
manufacture of silk, little was accom-
plished in the way Of manufacturing.
Now, however, we believe there are
several silk factories in the United States.
One Of these, possibly the largest, Is
described at length in the Protection
ist for November. 1t is that of the
Cheney Brothers. at South Manchester,
CT. and is a model establishment. A
history Of the origin and progress Of
silk manufacture pTecludes the descrip-
ton, from which we eOndense the follow
ing
The discovery of the uses to which
the cocoon Of the silk worm might be
applied, it IS said, was made in China,
2700 years before the Christian era.
Be that as it may, it is well-known
fact that when the existence of the
siIken fabric of China became known
to other countries, its manufacture had
attained 4 degree of excellence which
showed long practice Of it among the
Chinese. The silkworm itself was IN
known except to the inhabitants Of the
Celestial Empire. Aristotle and Pliny
had obtained tolerably accurate accounts
Of 1t. Pamphilia, a native Of Cos, one
of the Islands Of the Grecian Archipel
ago, was ia the habit of unweaying i'm
ported silken fabrics. for the purpose Of
spinning and weaving them anew into
lighter fabrics, such as gauze5. Her
practice vas afterwards adopted by the
ladies Of Rome, where silken materials
were greatly priced.
Ia the reign of Augustus, the article
was but little known and in the reign
Of Tiberius, silk from the East was
worn only By ladies of the highest rank,
but the thinner manufacture Of Cos was
more general during the hot season.
Men were forbidden to wear silk fabrics,
but a mixed material Of an inferior
quality was worn by both sexes. The
great cost, as well as difficulty OF i'm
porting silk to Rome, caused Marcus
Antonius, in the second century, 10
send ambassadors TO China to establish
commercial relations with that people
but the embassy met with scarcely any
success. To show the cOstllness Of the
article a silker gown is mentioned as
one Of the probabilities Of the Emperor
Holiogabolus, while dress Of similar
material was refused by Aurelian to his
Empress, on the ground that 1t could
only be obtained by It's weight in gold
About the middle Of the sixth century
( the Western world received a supply Of
worms eggs, which were conveyed from
China. to Constantinople by two Partisan
monks. This occurred about the year J52,
in the reign Of Justinian, and the eggs
we're secretly conveyed from China III a
hollow cane; these were hatched at the
+ proper season, and the caterpillars fed
F with the leaves Of the wild mulberry
tree. From this small commencement
+ spraug all the silkworms which have, up
to the present time, continued to supply
the constantly Increasing demand
throughout Europe and Western Asia
The worm was gradually introduced into
Greece and the Greek empire, fol
nearly six hundred years, became tht
great seat Of the European silk manufac
tuge. In 1147, Roger l., King Of Sicily
sacked Corinth, Athens and Thebes, anC
carried of large numbers Of the inhabi
tants to Palermo, who introduced tb'
silk manufacture into Sicily from whence
it made its way into Italy and Venice
and Florence, Lucca and Milan became
celebrated for the beauty of their manu-
features.
The introduction Of silk into Franc
IS assigned to Louis XI., who in 1850
obtained workmen from Italy and e5tab
lished the mauufature at Tours but
. did not prosper, and in the reign 0
Francis L, about the year 1921, a neI
o. importation of workmen was obtaine'
, from Milan. and established at Lyons
. where under the encouragement of tn
: Emperor, the manufacture obtained con
! siderable success. The manufactur
) spread through parts Of France, an
j England was largely supplied froT
! thence, although there was much Garlic
+ use Of silk 10 England, which f0llowe
from its successful manufacture in France
! awakened fear thar home manufactuT
} would suffer, and In the reign Of Mary
D in 1854, q sumptuary law was mad
] "that whosoeyer shall wear six In G
5 upon his or Der hat, bonnet or girdl,
D scabbard, hose, shoes, or spur leathe
t shall be imprisoned during three month";
] and forfeit ten pounds. Persons
= quality we're exempt. In the first yes
Of the reign of James l., this law wi
r repealed.
< At the commencement Of the Eigl
e teenth Century. however, the sil
e machinery Of England was still SO defe,
3 tive that the supply of thrown silk Ia
It to be chiefly obtained from Italy.
@ l71j, John Lonbe surreptitious
e visited mill in Piedmont, and obtain,
!. drawings of the machinery, but wi
D considerable difficulty and at the ri:
;. Of losing his life He returned to En
Ie land in l7l7, and erected his famous 81
Y mill on the Derwent, at Derby, viii,
% was Eve stories high and one-eighth OF
n mile in length. From this time Il
" machinery in England, as well as t
# quality Of the manufacture, continu
n to improve, SO that now silken textur
N manufactured in that country are unsu
" passed in the world.