New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-28
SILK FROM WORMTO WEARER.
SOMETHING FOR EVERY WOMAN TO READ.
HOW SILK GOODS ARE ADULTERATED-THE SILKS
THAT ARE BEST TO BUY-sOME COMMON BE-
LIEFs DESTROYED.

mare been spiders WeDS; OF pnna lnaI
shell-hsh which under the sea spins its own sken
thread with instinct that Outws the cleYerest spinner
that touched disaff: but creature has ever
cqualcd In beauty and utility, the silken web spun by
the smallest of caterplars. The sikworm, unlike the
slk-spider and -mOusk, eaTes its thread like
workman ready be reeed and spun into cloth
after it IL freed from the vscid substance which pre7ehts
It's ENHANCEMENT Spiders silk and pima silk, though
into goods and made into garments are Of little
practical Taue and chiefly exhibited as curioses
TIE FIRST SILK WORMS SEEN BY EUROPEANS.
It is than three hundred years since couple o.
Christian monks tramping through China saw for the
first time with cnyious eyes the silkwOrms feeding on
the white mulberry in the Enclosures of the royal
palace at Canton Strange stories had been told of the
origin of the usrous seres" which reflected the light
Of the and worth triple its weight In gold Here
guarded with scrupulous care the silk-worms had eS-
listed, according TO Chinese tradition for cons of time
since old Queen Hang-o, with her sacred fingers
first unwOund the slken web from the cocoon. The
familiar story need hardly be repeated The monks who
became the guests of the empire Stealthiy obtained
small number of silk worms eggs. and concealmg them
IN hollow fed hastily TO the borders of the
try and thence to their royal city Of COnsantnOpe
and presented the grains" to the reining sovereign
Justinan.
The little colony of silk worms thus hazarlonsy in
troduccd into Europe increased slowly in numbers
They endured many yicssitudes Outlawed or pro-
tectcd as shifted the within the reignng monarch, and
What lady I'm our land does possess dress more gor
gcous than that Aurean refused his empress What
bcggar does not possess sken ribbons that princess
might once have enviedi
ApULTERATIoN SILKS.
In these latter days of manufacture when fabrics have
reached uNuriance that too often borders on decay
di-tr1l, has arisen silk goods, which is not without
Foundations Authorizations rife in all species of dry
goods and have reached such point in black silk that
honorable merchants refuse to warrant the goods sold
their counters This state OF manufacture has been
brought about by the demand for cheap snowy goods
which comes largely from our own republican Land
poor shop girl aims to Guido in style the rich
mironnaires daughter and the wife Of the salaricd
attempts to rival in dress the opulent merchants
wife, and even the poor girl who scrubs your door step
scorns the pretty frocS she proud Of In sunny
lands across sea- her scant earnings to buy
a tawdry brOcade for her Sunday gown.
Manufacturers are driven TO their last TO pro-
,ucc fabrics which will make the possible show ~
the possible price This demnud fer cheap fabrics
has tended decrorae values in all silk goods The
cosc-t silks much affected by certain kinds Of
adulteraton rs the cheaper grades. lady who buys
an expensive silk wishes stiff and nsrOus enough TO
show the difference " in value. higher lustre and
heavier goods demanded by fashion than It Is possible
10 make Of pure silk Hence large quantities Of metallic
DIVES are used give the desired weight and lustrc Ia the
goods This wcightng IS done always in the yarn. be
fore the SILK Is woven The popularity of soft silks has
/
The weighted silk Il carefully softened by the usc OF oils
and heat.
Weighing Of -k yarn only carried on 10 any con-ld
cradle extent IN the manufacture OF black silks which
comprise more than half the silk goods sold C0lored
ak yarn only gains weight from two to four ounces to
the pound after dyeng onct"uth Of this acquired weight
being again o-t in cacndcring while ordinary black -6
yarn which + woven into drc-, goods gains from o'r 10
sixteen ounces weight AFTER is bath OF dye or j. often
those cheap black six fringe, which pnspatlo mystci
ousiy and In the poorer grades o. ribbons and other trim
GOOD, which are thirds dye and ouc-thrd silk no less
than hry-wo being added To- each pound of LIN
by the process ~ dycnS Ait' dirnE 3Iack slH; IN,
co0rcd silk e. calcudcrcd and loses the tTl q" one TENN
tbc yri ,r heated cylinders Of steel which render Il
! sof and plilhc The DYER II he bc inscriptions. now
If, ,d o,trnn; harsh portions OF TIC yarn 81 maize
use Of sapouaccou- substances. which ar" the cause OF
that unwclcomc CLOS, and greasy appearance seen soon
after wear In some of the most costly SILKS ~ wei 49, III
! cheaper goods.
SILK NEVER BOILED II OH
| The Old notion that tine black ribbon, AMI silk wrr"
bor I'm oil 3. without Foundation IN fact II arose prob
ably from tale invented by clever shopman 10 sell Iil~
! good. SIX yarn or good, would be completely do
! stroyed by the process, IA wool or cotton cloth
There are silks market unwcightcd with dye bat
they are so hopcicssly mixed with adulterated sood that
tbc most con-ccntou. buyers are continually swndcd
lbs thcm and more important than this shoppers tempt
| merchant, To buy silks that known 20 he weighted
with dyc by their unvlmcncss 10 pas for legitimate
goods The standard ma;cr, Of tlis year may another
season driven by the pressure OF cheap demand MANI
fturr -llh s worthless that formerly sold under
then na1' Vas HE Nt uollV consist. in boiling
sample i'm water half hour Il 1t retain IT, Sub'ianr'
after TIN, process II Is not "'riNclEH.,u WIN ~ l
! cxcc., of dye IN cheap fuu-"s and tlmmnS7 may 'r
readily determined by soaking piece IN warm water
and squeezing II IN the hahdAci'hEL '9nll"h I'u'
n.nii,factuy method OF testing silk, -to burn ro-
ton OF the rvclng@ Il The good. be nu;G sllk 'hfH
viii burn into hnr clmrro' nnt II weighted VIII
enough to detect any except heavily adalicI9tgd TX
| country. which have Justly earned rrpnlati2n ioi
! strength but they have scarcely more hNtrc imam
PoPn 1 R%a .I ni i" n VSgciGS be which prob
aby the herb known 10 the hotai- ~ HrhcH q specie
Of Et,t India nrttlc, the oark ot winch i u't" III 'I'
| Grating silk
THE SILKS THAT WEAR LONGEST.
After the silk passes rom the dyor1 hands te manner
! I'm which Il Is woven Is OF essential Importance All
other thing, being equal, goods woven with an 'an1l
WEI, and wool +, the durable hence the strongest
silk IL the old fashioned tacta or g'ncc silk OF gen
GRAFTON ago Corded silks are beautiful Int between
the reps OF the goods nrr,ticra for the dust I" col
rct in which, II allowed to remain, speedily cuts ih'
tb, ,bric and no corded good, can DE made without
some uart of the weave being heavier AMI eNcrtins
strata ON the lighter portion Ta'ra silks from the
u,hturs- Of their construction, are usually hand made
! goods Large quantities Of inexpensive striped ana
cnccLcd ahetas, known summer silks, are woven IN
switzerland in circuit OF about tnfty me, 2onHu
Including the man of the jolse ms VIC son, an" 'u\'
| daughters. employed togtlltl H manu- l"oi'N \
rhrrrd tIHrta under dollar Will usually outNrdr N''
,rlI silks which range IN price from ~ To - yard ana
o made a, silks at this pnCc usually ara" ny the les,
durable processes of the power loom where the weaver
never stops to tie thread ANA iir delicate hnrr OF ,ng
.Il must be- tightly twisted tn bear the strain OF thc
| nom cher handling ~ wholesale work.
"a ,,,os ruuoly ms strong tailrtu Is India fOu.1r
! s,n,euc- called handkerchief silk These good. are
,,,y,n Inn a country where the hcJtHcn WurAmcu nave
MOI ,rt learned the clever shuus which are pTactNcd m
! IlH.tilu Lands Al ouIrd Silks are dyed and Stamped
ALTER they woven, except IN the c9-e of p9nsgr ,iE
,,Lir il the natural color OF the rcccd sk-Wcb French
fouaul- are inferior, machine-madg goods M" arc
,I with lgrg. quantities Ot chuppc,' or short Sih
lrbirh l. rough and liable 10 break apart nc slight
| strain ,.. AZ, hill, A. ,l,o oo,,ip-
nous thread spun uy the worm and roc.rd on at me mat
mn being composed of the waste OF the hntuIc.
the silk which broken or tangled IN itclng me rnHn
] ~ ..L.r LMl lLL -lLA