The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-08-12
The noRus luLTioAuLls MANIA
A Day when the People weat VIVA over
the Question Of "silk.Calture."
iIarneris N,.arInsl

ADay when the People Went VIVA oysf
the Question Of "silk. Culture.n
IIaEpcr's Masallnal
1 The year 1890 marked the origin OF
the Mor4s NalliGsulis lnAnia, whi.h
raged as a fever from lSdO until It cul.
minated aud collapsed in 1853. Con.
grcss had referred an inquiry on silk
culture, In 1872, 10 the committee on
agriculture, which, In tS9G, nporied in
ia or Of its promotion, stating in tho
report that the imports OF SIX goods
In les5 we're nearly double the OK.
< ports Of breadstn s-a fact scarcely
I credible now The slme year Giieon
y. Smith, Of Balnmore, planted thUro
whit Is claimed 70 ha Q been thd inst
horis Nuititaulls treo ia America The
4 Secretary ol tic trpasury; Richard Rush,
was directed 70 royida 4 MANUAL on
silk,clltlre, and the famous ".1sh let.
ter was acecri hgIysis saof in 1928, 10.
gethcr with several other trdatisSs, aud
circulated tFosdra + In 1850 m aftl.
ole ~ d ~. asealis, on the Moras
AsuitieantiS, ID The American Journal Of
\ Science, dirsrtly started the mulberry
fGyOr Tho Massachusetts legislature n
lslS3l provided for 'nauual of silk.cult-
ltyp shiohNas madG by a manItapt.
1 tter 0l De1liRGI t.E Cobb, and mostDt
! tho statgs began to offer Counties and
premiums on trees, tocOOnS and reeled
sitk-tommoniy 10 cents pound on
cocoonsand II CeutS on silk.
A report to congress in 1850 PROPOSED
q grant Of SlO,ODO to one NJ. irilo.
mergue for the establishment OF nor.
NAL school OF tihturo ut Philadelphia,
whero sixty young men might have gTa.
tuitons instruction for two years. and
for travelling about tue country to teach
silk.growing to farmers; and this silk
bill, though defeated in tso2, and 70
ported against Gs unconstitutional in
SO, woald not down till 1887, when
still another committee reported MS a
substitute scheme TO lease public lands
without rent Tor the cultivation of the
mulberry tree or the sugar beet.
The whole country now went wild.
The fever seemed only to get fresh fuel
Of excitement from the panic Of 1887.
Orchards Of tie Multicaulis wero
planted in every state; farmers every.
where set their wives and children 10
feeding worms; multitudinous books,
public ,ocumeRts, periodicals on silk,
culture constituted the bulk Of tho read
ing Of the day; stock companies for
raising and manufacturing silk sprang
up like pu balls; silk conventions were
held, and nited states silk society
Was organized.
A thrifty nurSeryman on Long Island
gave help 10 the excitement by a Canny
plan. After Sellinga considerable sup
ply o, the tees TO CIV ngland dealers,
he started of one night by tile Proyi.
dencc toat, aud with great prCtense Of
eagerness made the rounds OF all his
customers, CxciiGdly offering so cents
apiece for trees II course he. didn't
get them, but he presently was able ia
sell all hO had for 81 instead of so cents
apiece. In Burlington n. j., over SOO,'
900 trees were raised aud sold; in 10.
CCm,Gr, ! 81, 0 crings ut 81 per tree OF
per twig were refused at Roston sales,
and 50 was sometimes got for trees one
season old.
1t was satisfactorily provcd-again or
paper-thatan n rO of trees was good
for $l,0JJ worth Of silk, but the price
Of trees had no relation TO fig
urcs, even lle most rose ColOred
One farmer sold : 1000 worth OF treo,
from thrce.Quartors OF nm acre. In a
single week in Pennsylvania $500, ,OOJ
worth were sold. In 1888 tho bubble
burst, and tho biIers were bitten.
Among them was the speculative Ionl
Islander. lie had caught tho disease by
which he had prOtitel. and had sent an
agent to trance with 8 O,DnO TO buy
l,OOO,OOO more trees. When they came
they were worth part Of a cent apiece
for pea brush
ONE spectators cndoavorrd to gct
even with fato by shipping n cargo from
tho east to Indiana by way Of New
rleanS in an unseaworthy ship heavily
insured, hut tho goods unfortunately
reached their destination. Multitudes
of mon were ruined by the crash. But
Americans havO a faculty of falling OF
their feet, anil some OF tho unhappy
mulberry growers of the thirtiCs became
the successful manufacturers Of latel
davs.
Tic Wonders oF n Great Industry
l7s N G9be.l
In 1896 tho state Of Massachusetts
made in round hunters, 5000, 900
pairs OfboOiSaud shoes; in 1914, 100000.
OJV; in ls1i, 5000, ,OOO in 1854, 81,
O10,O0O in 1914 5H,OoO,OJO; in 1889,
;stOO),OOO, and in 1884 (estimated),
over 100, 100000. IL this is not prOgro,s
it would bo difficult to say in what prog.
resS consists
Tho value OF this vast product is csti.
mated at $4,000 900; and good au.
thoritV oven placGs IL at tho supyrlatiye