Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-01-23
SILK GROWING.
The Raising of SILK In America Inciuding
Coiorsdo--Ts ~ Crasey



silkworms by her discovery Of the rails
ing. Keeling aud weaving the delicate
fibre in which that worm wound him
s.yf.o he transformed. Whether or not
this be the exac. date, II Is certain that
two thousand years later, the extensive
manufacture OF silk in the cities Of
Tyre and Berytus received all their
raw silk from China, through Re-id.
Ancient historians tell us that the fibre
was generally supposed TO be fine hair
growing from trees, aud a. the txporta-
tion of the insects was forbidden by the
Celestial Empire under pain OF death.
the shrewd, secretive people guarded
their secret well from all outside bar
barians.
Two monks, fresh from n missionary
expedition In the far-of land. brought
10 Jurtinian at CoDstantinople some
mulberry seeds and told him the secret.
His liberal promises and influence
finally prevailed, aud they returned
to China 10 bring away more than
they len, the tiny eggs, (more than
GOLDEN, hidden away in the hollow OF
| their walking canes--their pilgrim
slaves" Turkey bad the silkworm.
Later on, returning crusaders took
back to Western Europe as the fruit
Of another religious enterprise. the
! tree and the worm, and Lyons and
/ her sister cities grew upon the new,
/ strange industry.
! America tried Ii a little. beginning
soon after the landing of the Pilgrims,
and thence ill thirty years ago. There
was a fair profit found In IL, in spite OF
| the necessity OF sending all the raw
material in slow sailing vessels three
Thousand miles in search Of European
manufactures, Till interruptions spec
ulatorslare they always nnscrupulOus?)
| lifted themselves TO positions OF wealth
4 by stepping upon the neck Of the in-
dus,ry.
( Increased facilities for Transports
ton. ready means OF communicating
| from one part Of the world 10 the
other, now make IL impossible to ask
and receive twenty-five dollars for one
mulberry tree as was done III the
/ nOrus niuiicaUiis era. We have, too
three hundred and eighty silk factories
! ia the United States, all active and do
| ing good business. The present pros
! porous condition of things throughout
the country point to this as "a good
/ time 10 put upon sound basis All in
/ dustry that will give employment 10
thousands of Idle or ilIy-occupied
1 hands and keep within ourselves the
| ciVhfv-jire million doHurs that America
now cxpends yearly in various kinds
Z of silk goods. Political economy
would suggest the introduction o.
every profitable industry while the
/ pulses of the nation are beating with
IT. young, vigorous life. Bye and bye
+ when eiiete despotisms shall have
emptied themselves still more upon
our shores and population teens where
now only sparse settlements are found
( il viii bc much more difficult 10 inaug-
urate new enterprises aud guide the
the million hands To self-reliance and
wonauly sclf.support than il now il TO
! guido the thousands.
But, the incrcdulous say. "when
/ the silk is raised it Is of 80 inferior n
quality Ia the silks Of Southern
/ Europe that ii will not command u
first rate price
The Womans' silk Culture Associa-
lion Of America II now in the third
year OF busy and hopeful existence.
The summer of 1851 found them ia pos
session OF cocoons from twenty-one
states 81 the Union. After Keeling,
this American-rais,-d silk was found
equal IL not superior, TO the best elias
sio silk OF Italy" subsequently,, Amer
lean Hiil1 has been sent to tue various
silk factories on the continent, and the
fibre Itself has been pronounced lby
those experts who would fain have ii
otherwise) more excellent than that
grown among themselves.
Under the same auspices Is silk ox-
hibit was held for two weeks last win
ter, at 81. Georges hall in Philadel-
phia, During this exhibit, visitors
saw the whole silk process; the egg,
the tiny worm, the greater worm, III
winding sheet COCOON. the
new reel throwing of fine
golden threads from the cocoon,
and the marvels Of the weaving.
There was a loom making plain BLACK
silk. another satiu-maryelien, aud
stlll another plush. which won the
commentator of Importers. There
were elegant COSTUMES OF American
design aud execution, handsome table
covers and curtains of oriental designs.
a rich variety OF uphoistering geo :.
aud my feet covered with cv
cry variety Of silk handker
chiefs, gay or delicate. inter
wrought with butterflies and flowers.
There were exquisite ,lrc-s trimmings
sprays of rose buds that almost bust
into bloom under the eye, embroidery
and sewing silks, and glass eases iillei
with embroidery oii silk and s.ltlu.
JaIs Of cocoOns with "a skein of rcelei
silk IN the top OF each jar stood await
Ing 'hc decision Of the judges as 20 the
best quality, Premiums had bcon
offered 10y Strowhridge Il Ciotiiet
amounting 10 500.
These premiums hIrvc been renewed
for the current year. The agricultural
state board of Pennsylvania has alS,
offered premiums for c'oc0uns and fol
worms az work,
II 4 significant az the tendency O
public opinion that such man a. Mr
lsorin Blohgei; should have nade rs,
of these words I'm All address before ths
franklin institute:
"The SILK industry, which | take 4
toe ti1e true significance of the word.
silk caliurc. i the third great indnstr,
, OF the textile class la this country
amounting Ia Si0Ul1 ot9, Is co1unafet
, with S2S1, tNAi, tttl ia cotton, aud s3n
| ob1O1o VA value ia wool manngae
lures, The importation of six good,
Is about SSj,un,0tl In value, maxim,
, with home manufactures about s.
! ORa elo, the value OF silk goais enter
Z Ing into consumption in this eountr,
: FOR ono Year The industry Of slit
, manufactures has grown very rapidly
! from very moderate proportions, ter
OF ilitren years age. 80 80 0au,up1. a
, least according 10 tie census of iss1
: In cottou aud wool We produce III,
, raw material Of these vast indnstriu
here, but In silk We stand in iii.
J anomalous condition ofproducing. a
Yet, nothing OF consequence IN tht