The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-01-22
A Costly Carload.

One of the most valuable consignments that
ever passed "across the continent" arrived in
Chicago yesterday afternoon, through the
American Express Company, via the Central
Pacific and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
railroads. The public will be startled to learn
that one freight car contained goods ("time
goods" they were marked) whose value exceed
ed S2. 900. The enormous cost would be
in itself circumstance worthy of note, but
the peculiar character of the goods gives to the
affair additional interest. The consignment
was nothing more nor less than a carload Of
silk worms eggs, en- route for France. They
were purchased in Yokohama by the French
Government, and arrived in San Francisco
December 18th. Only three days were lost in
transferring them to the freight-car, and De-
cember 18th the precious packages commenced
their trans-continental journey. The train was
due at Chicago at quarter of three yesterday
afternoon, and a reporter of the Tribune was
enabled to obtain glimpse of the cargo.
In this country very few are familiar with
the silk-worm and can have no idea of the ap-
pearance of the eggs. In England, where the
climate is less subject to extremes of tempera-
ture, the silk-worm is as common pet as q
canary bird Boys and girls all boast a box
of thriving silkwornls, and take as much pride
in winding off the golden thread from the
cocoon as the youth of this country in the
silk-worm's egg is about one-quarter the size of
a pins head, and the reader may gain an idea
of the number of eggs now on their way to
Paris, when he learns that on this car there are
nine and half tons of eggs. Mr. Whitney, of
the American Express, met the Car at Omaha
and accompanied it to Chicago. He will not
leave it until its arrival in New York, when its
contents will be transferred to a steamer and
landed at Liverpool, to be thence forwarded to
Paris. 1t is consigned to Messrs Stopped &
Ferrar, who have followed the precious goods
from Japan, and will not feel comfortable until
the Government of France has given them a
receipt in full. Two other Frenchmen are
with them, and one Jap, from not one of whom
could the reporter elicit word of information.
The JAP refused to speak a word of English,
and the Frenchmen made only an occasional
remark in mixed and scarcely intelligent
dialect The eggs are packed in leaves, layer
upon layer, and placed in air-tight tin boxes,
which are in turn covered with mating. The
car is kept at temperature below the freezing
point and no light is admitted The mating
covered boxes are piled on either side There
is nothing to be seen there but mating, and
the appearance of the boxes is certainly not
indicative of the value Of their contents. This
is the first attempt yet made to import silk
worms vio the United States, and if human
foresight avails anything there is every reason
to look for success The car was switched on
to the Michigan Central track and started for
New York by the quarter-past five train. The
public will look forward with interest to the
announcement of the safe arrival of the pre-
cious insects in Chicago Tribune, Dec.
25M, 1878.