New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-26

Silk i'm the UnleO1 States.

Silk in the Unlsed States.
More than one-half of the silk products
consumed in this country during the year
that has just closed were of native manu-
facture. The fact is probably q surprise to
most people, and may we'll draw attention
to branch of industry which, within .
decade and Q half, has made astonishing
progress.
Repeated attempts to found silk factories
in the United States had been prosecuted
with skill and capital; but these, for the
most part, proved unremunerative up to
the outbreak OF the civil war and the high
tariff regime which followed. The neces.
sity of importing the raw material was q
disadvantage, but the relative high price of
labor seemed to present more insuperable
obstacle to the success OF the undertaking.
A larger proportion of handiwork was, and
still ie, indispensable in twisting and weav-
ing elk than in 0tner textile industries.
Much of this, undoubtedly. may be done by
women, but they could rarely be hired for
less than 81 q day, or ten times the sum
paid to silk thrOwers in China, and from
three to five times the stipend of female
operatives in Italy and Southern France.
American ingenuity, however, had con-
trived to measurably neutralize these
drawbacks by improved mechanical appli.
ances. Before 1910 Nathan Rixf0rd patented
silk reel of his own invention, which was
material advance on the Piedmont instru-
ment. A number of these reels were soon
sfterward sent to China, and although
their introduction was attended with some
difficulty, the desired change was at length
effected; and Shanghai and Canton silk, re.
reeled by Rixford's process, is now legu-
larly consigned to manufacturers in the
United States. A more decisive improve
ment ON European apparatus is presented
BY the so called throwing machine built At
understood that the technical word COM
prehends the various processes of wind
ing, cleansing, doubling. twisting, re.
winding and reeling the raw silk.
The adoption of this and other in
genious inventions has enabled American
manufacturers, under the tariff of 1868. to
offset the excessive cost of labor, and COM
pete successfully with foreign fabrics. Thus
their demand for raw silk twenty years ago
fell short of 81, 900, coo, whereas this c0un-
try at that date ps'd more than $50, ,OOO, 900
for the products of Chinese and European
looms. By 1875, however, their consump-
ton of the crude material had nearly quin-
tupled, while the imDortati0n of manufac
tured silks had slrunk to less than
$20, 900 900. The aggregate value Of the silk
fabrics produced in the United States du-
ring tu0 k8St y08I ID COM puVoU ~ V~S ,VVV,0VOp
OF which fraction was actually exported.
We may add that although our manufac-
turers are working under . tariff of sixty per
cent ad valorem, yet, owing to the strong
competition st home, the price of certain
goods, for example dress silks, ribbons, and
sewing eilks, was never 80 low as now.
The market for the last named product is
mainly controlled by domestic manutac-
lures. Our sewing silks and machine twists
In SnR fn
the foreign article, and we may mention
that the substitution of spools for skeins
was started in this country. 1t may be,
however, that the remarkable evenness and
freedom from kinks secured by stretching
machines-an American inventiOn-are
offset by certain loss of strength
and elasticity. The Italian staple rarely
needs artificial correction of this sort,
but its high cost substantially pro-
hibits it's employment in our twist factories
The relative excellence Of American twists
and sewing silks seems to be generally &C.
knowledged, since, during the last four
wears, they have been exported in increas-
ing quantities. Ribbons and millinery eilks
likewise constitute important features of
this industry, their combined annual valua-
tion exceeding $1,000, 900. What is more
noteworthy, because an exoeptional amount
of hand work is required in the production,
| the demand for braids and fringes is largely
supplied by native fabrics. Even grOs
grains have lately been made with profit,
| but it must be said in general that tor broad
| goods and the heavy grades of dress silks
| the outlook OF American manufactures il
not favorable.
When we consider it's beginnings and i'm
| pediments, the present state of our silk in
| dustry may we'll appear remarkable. II
gives employment to 1S, 900 operatives, two
thirds Of whom are women; 0oo IT. It represent,
a fifth is credited to New York. somewha,
more to Connecticut, and q third to thu
city of Paterson, New jersey, which, in 9
modest way, might be called the Lyons o.
America. The town was recommended BY
its water facilities, and being already th'
seat of factories. could offer, in the wivel
and children of its operatives, the precist
quality of labor requisite in silk works at {
minimum rate of wages. Among othe
manufacturing centres may be named Soutl
Manchester and Mansfield, in Connecticut
the latter place being intimately associated
with the history of American silk culture.
Silk culture, indeed should not be who'll,
overlooked, although in the Atlantic State
1t has ceased to engage much attention
Yet it held Q much larger place in the hope
of English settlers than the cotton crop
and James I. studiously endeavored to sup
plant tobacco by the mulberry tree. Th
growth of the white mulberry and tn
breeding of silk worms in Virginia wer
encouraged by large premiums; and abou
the middle Of the seventeenth centur.
| q member of the House of Burgesses sal
he had 10000 mulberry trees on his estate
The cocoons, however, proved 80 muc
less profitable than tobacco, that thei
production rapidly declined, althOug
it was no infrequent occurrence down
the time of the revolution for q delegat
to the Colonial Assembly or q great lad
appearing at colonial Governors recel
ton to wear garments woven of native sill
During the eighteenth century Georgia an
South Carolina made conspicuous p" gret
!, in silk culture, the export OF the raw m,
| terial to England in 1895 having exceede
10000 pounds from the former colony al0n
In quality the staple seems to have bee
equal, or superior, to the Italian; and it
recorded that Mrs. Pinckney, lady
Charleston, took with her to London son
admirable silk which che had grown an
raised on her estate, and presented dress
, woven of it to the Princess of Waels an
to Lord Chesterfield. With the develo
ment of cotton planting which followed Il
revolutionary war, silk culture disappeart
in the Southern States; but it was subs
quently revived in Connecticut and carrie
on with considerable spirit during part
, the present century. In the town of Man
, field, for instance, between the years IL
. | and 1880 the silk growers are said to ha'
| received, mainly in barter, about Isl, 900 p
| annum. The production of cOcOOns in Il
. | United States eliminated with the NOR
:. multicaulis mania, having attained the
! tonishing valuation of 81, ,40O, 900, or
: most one-third of the sum invested