The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-02-13
THE SILK BOUNTY.
The Course 1t Is Likely TO Take in
the Assembly

the Assembly.
A great deal of attention is being at
tracted by the proposition to place a
bounty on silk, and the ladies who
have the matter in charge have won
over some members whose votes they
did not expect. Opposition, however,
will be strong on the ground this prop
osition partakeS of the Objectionable
features found in every bounty propo-
sition.
THE COMMITTEES REPORT.
On the proposition the committee on
manufactures and commerce made the
following report:
Mr.. Speaker-Your committee on
manufactures and commerce, having
duly considered H. B. No. 90. A bill
for an act for the encourag cement of
silk production and paving bounties
therefor beg leave to report the same
with an amendment l. e., insert
(which" in lieu of who in line 1. sec
ton of the printed bill, with the
recommendation that as amended the
bill do pass. The following statement
OF the history and results of sericulture
In Utah in the past was made officially
by the Utah silk committee to the gen
eral silk committee Of the Worlds fair,
and, as it is believed to be a correct
statement Of facts, is incorporated in
your committees report as a part
thereof.
STATEMENT OF SILK COMMITTEE.
At a very early period in the settle
ment OF this territory Brigham Young.
It's founder, became convinced that the
soil ana climate were well adapted to
SILK culture; and when governor of
Utah, in 1855 or 1856, ordered a supplv
of mulberry seed from France, and in
few years fifty acres of mulberry
trees were planted out in orchards or
groves, some in the suburbs of Salt
Lake city and some in Utah county.
besides numerous shade trees in the
yards and on the sidewalks of the city.
From that time mulberry trees have
bees grown in all parts of the territory.
IN nearly every town and village, and
they have fourished luxuriantiy. 1t is
estimated that there are at least two
hundred and fifty acres of mulberry
trees in Utah
Several cocooneries were built. and
silk worms were imported from France
and Italy, and later were procured
from the Agricultural department at
Washington, D. G. Governor Young
built a large two-story adobe cocoonery
on his Forest farm of mulberry trees,
and secured the services of Mr.. Bert
rand, an experienced sericulturist from
France, to take charge of the estab-
lishment. The quantity of cocoons
raised under his management is not
known, but Mrs. Dunyon, who sue
ceeded Mr.. Bertrand in experimenting,
raised in six weeks 200 pounds of CO.
cOons which at that time We're worth
$500 per pound in France
Individual efforts we're made by wo-
men in their respective homes about
the same time, and with excellent re-
suits, by means Of primitive methods
Mrs. Nancy Barrows. formerly of Con
1.~a1.v- .~1.A IL
silk-wormS' eggs from the east in 1858
She planted out mulberry trees. and
while waiting for them to grow. wher
the worms Matched, fed them lettuce
upon which they thrived we'll The fol.
lowing year, 1859, she reeled silk ano
wove a dress-pattern on 4 loom made
for weaving carpets. This was the
first silk dress made in Utah She alsc
made other articles, and a quantity OF
sewing silk for her own use Wor1er
from the very first have taken the lead
in practical sericulture, and MANY Other
women in different places later Oh
made silk for home wear in the same
way. Dorinda Robinson, of Farming.
ton. was one of the first to manufac.
ture silk dress goods; one of the dresses
made by her from the cocoons. is now
On exhibition in the process department
of the woman's building in Chicago.
The elegant silk lace fichu presented
TO Mrs. Hayes Cwife of President
Faves). a souvenir OF here visit r.
pure silk. raised, reeled and prepared
in this city by Mrs. Anna Brown. Com
petent Judges pronounced the sill
beautiful and of superior quality
Hundreds Of instances could be cited
where women have raised from sew
enty-five to 100 pounds and more Of
cocoons, and manufactured the silk