Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-20
NATIONAL IMPORTANCE OF SILK
CULTURE

read before the silk convention in WITCH
ita last week by Mr.. II. E. Bidwell, an
though little tardy in giving it to TIL
EAGLES readers we do so now, and com
mend the many valuable points to thei
careful attention:
In the original state of man there wa
nothing but the earth and its variou
substances for his support. with hi
latent ability to adapt them to his use
In the past "what shall we wear:" hal
| been asked as often as '.what shall w,
eat:" and in all time TO come the ques
ton of clothing mankind must be one Of
primary Importance; hence market FOL
the sale of dress goods must be broad
| enough to include the world and long
enough to reach to the end of time.
If we keep up with the march of i'm
provement going on in the world, very
well, if in advance by reducing the cost
Of material and its manufacture, so much
the better. That is progressive America
Kansasized.
The first garment made by mankind
dates back to the first day of his de-
pendence on nature, and though simply
made of fig leaves was more difficult of
construction for the want of necessary
appliances than a silk dress is today; it
was at time, too, when fig leaves were
the best to be had, and needles and
thread had to be replaced with thorns
and bark, and the sewing machine,
with bare hands and fingers.
Gathers, seams and cores are modern in
novations SURPRISING the glory of Solo
mon, for in his day an outer dress was
simply a square piece of cloth buckled
together over the right shoulder, not su-
perior to the blanket of our Indian tribes
today, except in costliness, the best of
which, with gay colors, were very ex-
pensive, costing then many times what
they would now.
The first discovery of the use of silk
was made by princess in od the days
ago, and its growth and
manufacture into clothing has contin-
ued to this day, and doubtless will be to
the end of time. Improvements have
been gradually made in its manufacture
from the beginning, and will continue
until you can put bushel of cocoops in
one end Of mill and take out ready
made garments at the other end.
This piece of silk which | hold in nv
hand was one of the first pieces of silk
produced wholly in Kansas, and if yon
will go to work to accomplish silk cul-
ture and manufacture as Jacob Miller
did in Washington county, but a few
years will eiapse before silk goods will be
our most plentiful commodity. If one
family can grow, reel and weave on
loom as good piece of silk
as there is in Wichita, which represents
the best looms in Lyons, Marseilles and
Patterson, what might not Wichita do
with her matchless perseverance and in
genuity?
The question of our ability to grow
silk from our Usage orange hedges all
has never been raised by clti-
zen of Kansas, and / am glad to an
nounce at this meeting that Hon, Philip
Walker is equally positive of his ability
TO furnish the eggs as needed. | have
just ascertained that a few ounces of
nitrate of ammonia, costing but
a few dimes. with two quarts
Of water will reduce the tenn
perature of a tight box
long time and by evaporating the
and again all summer.
Mr. Walker has kindly offered to
furnish persons here in Kansas the eggs
as needed all summer if he is satisfied
they will make good use of them. They
have in cold storage 2,506 IA ounce
boxes containing upwards OF 5000 eggs
each. These cost the government about
So an ounce, and were purchased in the
South of France and North of Italy
Lyons house. The first sent
out went to Florida, February 10, and
Matched March 5, so per cent. They
will be fed there mulberry
which | think will not equal
the Usage grown here and is indigenous
to our state.
California with her appropriations is
making haste and Utah is growing and
silk from mulberries
rapidly. The industry is comparatively
new in Kansas. We grew but 200
pounds of silk last season. 1t ought to
be IL, 900 this and 100000 next year.
No industry ever started that has such a
of increase by multiplication.
with one-fourth ounce of eggs
and increasing them by natural produc-
ton in three years you have over 100,-
0,000, 900, and counted into silk you
have over 200, 100000 pounds product.
The cocoons are now worth upwards of
81 pound and we are quite sanguine a
protective duty will be placed on raw
silk next congress, which will increase
their value. We have great faith in
this administration, as we have in Kan
sas.. We want a % per cent protective
luty would prefer 50) to exclude cheap
China silk.
The department had valuable exhibit
1t Cincinnati and also in the senate
chamber during the recent tariff debate |
or comparison with the best filature silk |
rom Lombardy and Japan. and that |
rom the department was as good as the |
pest.
Mr.. Walker has made some valuable |
on the Serrell automatic !
eel. Four reels are run to each basin |
If cocoons, which are divided into four |
PARTS, four to twenty strands of silk are |
eeled together to make one thread of |
ilk 1t requires 900 pounds of dry |
.ocoons to make it profitable to run one |
If the reels. Reeled silk is worth $3.50 !
pound.
The station at Washington received its
irst appropriation in 1884. They receive |
his year $50, 900, and not $50 900, as see !
he papers have it.
The Women's Silk Culture association |
Il Philadelphia has government appro-
'rlation of 5000; Joseph Newman of
california So, 500; and the Ldaies' Silk |
culture association $500 more.
Silk culture was established in Sicily |
when it was part of Italy, some two |
hundred years ago, and subsequently in
rance and Italy proper. The first five
ears, beginning with 1870, they spent |
o encourage silk culture $3.50, 900 a
ear. The Italian government |
las ninety stations The central /
tation at Padua oversees the others /