The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-07-01
American Silk.

industry of the United States. Hall
dozen special reports on different sublecOs
have already been printed by the census
Department, but none of them snow
more careful research or more extensive
and painstaking investigation than the
volume of thirty-two pages relative 10
the origin and development of the IN
dustry prepared by Mr.. Wyckoff.
South Carolina followed Virginia IN
the attempt to successfully cultivate SIX.
Between 1871 and 1855, however, only
PSI pounds of raw silk were exported
from North and South Carolina to En-
gland. In the last-named year Mrs. Pink
ney took to England some silk'that she
had raised and spun near Charleston'
from which three dresses were made, one
of which was presented to the Princess
Dowager of Wales, one to Lord Chester
field, and the other remained as an herr
loom in the Pinl1ney. family over half a
century.
The silk industry was introduced into
Louisiana next after South Carolina, and
John Law, of the historical Mississippi
Company, fathered the cultivation of the
mulberry there. When Georgia was
made separate province, silk culture
was one of the first industries estab-
lished, and it gained much congratulate
tion in 1734-35, when Gov. Oglethorpe
took with him to England eight pou,sfs~,
Of colonial silk and presented it to Queen
Caroline. 1t was woven into a dress,
which the Queen wore on the Kings
birthday in 1885. The. silk industry IN
the colonies was at its hight from 1750to
1772.
The history of silk culture in Pennsyl-
vania is given at considerable length. In
1925 John Logan recommendedit to the
Penn family as Extremely beneficial
and promising The British Parlia-
ment, few years later, desired to re-
strain the increase of wooden and other
manufactures in the colonies, and it APP
pears to have been ultimately regarded
as an expedient to encourage silk culture
as a means for preventing manufacture.
In 1884 the British Board of Commission
ers on trade and plantations addressed
a letter to Patrick Gordon, Deputy
Governor of Pennsylvania, asking him
what encouragements should be given the
colonists to engage in industry that would
not interfere with the trade or produce
of Great Britain, and Mr.. Gordon replied,
among other things, that the culture of
silk should be encouraged.
BENJAMIN Franklin and John Hughes
were the first to take an active interest
in silk culture in Pennsylvania. The
American Philosophical society of Phila-
delphia, gave much attention to the sub
iect in 1860, and in 1910 DR.. Frank
lin, then in London, wrote letters to Cad
walader Evans in relation to the growth
of the mulberry tree, etc. A public fla
ture was opened ON Seventh Street, be-
tween Arch and High, in ITO, and about
2,300 pounds of cocoons, two-thirds of
which had been raised in New Jersey,
were brought to the filature in I'LL.
The report says: A considerable num-
Der of successful attempts at silk culture
were made at this time in Pennsylvania,
several of which have passed into history.
Susannah Wright, of Columbia, Lancas-
ter County, Quaker lady of some lit
erary celebrity, reeled and wove from
homegrown cocoons piece of mantua
sixty yards in length. A dress was made
from this fabric for Queen Charlotte, and
for the second time the wife of British
sovereign honored the colonies by ap-
pearing at court in American silk. 1t is
. further recorded that Susannah Wright
had 1,500 worms in 1772, land could
have raised large quantities if encour-
aged;" she also made sewing silk.
Another Quaker lady, Grace Fisher, who
was a noted preacher, made some silk
fabrics which were presented by Cover
nor Dickinson to Mrs. Catherine Macau-
ley, the historian. There are several in
stances about this time of Pennsylvania
ladies raising the material for their own
clothing, and at least one of a bride thus
providing her own wedding garment;
but, it is significantly added, ''the best
dresses worn with Us were woven in En-
gland" ...
The Revolutionary war, preceded by
British legislation hostile to the develop
ment of manufactures in the colonies,
put an end to the silk business in Penn
sylvania for many years. In 1898 the
making of fringes, coach laces, and
tassels began in Philadelphia, and in
1915 it was expanded to include silk
trimmings of various kinds by VIM. H.
Horstmann. The great difficulty during
the period was in properly reeling do
nestle silk The attention of Congress
was directed to the subject as early as
1925. The House committee on agri-
culture in 1880, made report proposing
a grant of $40, 900 to John D'Homergue
for the establishment of a normal school
of filature at Philadelphia. The bill was
not passed, but while it was under con
sideration, Peter s. Du Ponceau, who
accompanied Baron Steuben to this coun-
try. started small filature of ten reels
and twenty operatives in Philadelphia,
under the direction of M. D'Homegue
Among the first fruits of his industry
were the American flags that were pre-
sented respectively to the legislature of
Pennsylvania and the United States
House Of Representatives.
As the result of the experiments in
Philadelphia, the subject of silk culture
attracted general attention, and the leg
islatures of several States passed bills for
the encouragement of the new industry.
Six stock companies were organized in
Pennsylvania to carry on the silk bust
ness, but after short existence all
failed. Speculation began in the growth
of mulberry trees and the production of
silk, but the bubble burst in 1889, and in
1211 a hl;orht Nf 4, fra,,arnI ~, 80 ato,. ~