Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-06-21
A SUCCESSFUL SILK CLUB.
How Some Philadelphia Boys Enjoy
ed Themselves in Profitable Way.

! "The Bows Silk Culture Association
of America" has large room over a
corner store in Philadelphia. You might
suppose it to be large company. But
it has only five members.
! When we called at their Office, we
were fortunate enough to see the Presi-
dent of the Association himself,a bright
looking boy of about fourteen years,
who explained everything very politely.
The center Of the room WAS occupied
tby large stand of about five tiers of
trays, made of light wooden frames,
with network of twine on each.
Here lay sheets of paper covered with
the little grayish eggs, not as big as a
pin-head. On some the eggs had hatch
ed9and the little brown worms were
already feeding ON the finely chopped
leaves.
This is a very late brood" explained
the young culturiSt. at is lot of eggs
We sent to Paris for, because we had
more orders fer eggs than We could fill,
and they were delayed"
Then he showed US his jars of cOcoOns,
looking like fresh peanuts, and the
twists Of reeled fix, softer, finer, and
more shining than the most beautiful
golden hair, and piece of satin, with
the initials "B. S. C. A." embroidered on
it in silk of "Our own make"
1t WAS interesting to watch the cater
pillars feeding. In the last stage they
are smooth and whitish, and two or
three inches long. We fancied we could
actually hear them chewing, they ate SO
greedily.
"Do they ever sleep?" we asked.
81 never saw them at 1t. And, by the
way, the leaves disappear during the
night. L don't think they take much
time for sleep even then"
Here worm in the center of the tray
stood up on its tail and waved its head
from side to side.
What does that mean?" We asked.
as he tired of eating at last?"
Yes; he is ready to spin now" and
the boy carefully dropped the worm in
to paper cone, where it at once began
to spin its delicate threads and fasten
them on the paper. "SOme people let
them spin on twigs," he added, "but We
like, the cones better. We made them
in the evenings last winter"
At one side of the room stood the reel
which the boys had invented and made
themselves.
You won't find reel like that any
where else" said the President with
pardnnable pride. when l planned
that had never seen silk reel"
Then he showed us the very first silk
they had retltd. and a specimen of the
later reelinss. which an expert had pro-
nOunced eqaal to the best.
The boys had also experimental with
chemicals. and had dyed some of their
silk in bright colors.
In the corner stood what looked like
an old spinning-w
That's a twisting machine" he ex-
planned. "A gentleman who visited our
place gave it to us to twist our silk on"
"Why, really, you do everything hers
but weave" we could not help remark
ing.
Yes" said he, "a2d we are not going
to stop till we learn weaving, too"
How long have you been interested
in siik-worms 1--WE next asked.
About three years." he replied.
do you find your interest in your
interferes with your stu
disss" we asked.
Il never let it," was his reply. when
I'm in school, l attend to my lessons;
and when am here, l attend to my
silk worms. l always keep them sep
arate. We give the worms enough
leaves in the morning to keep them busy
till we get back"
Who could help admiring such spi-
lit? st. Nicholas for June.