St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-06-01
THE WORK or A WORM.
Origin Of SILK Making and 1ts Progress
Throughout the World.

ThrouKhou the World.
About two thousand s.vcn hundred
years before the Christian era Ti-Ling-
Chez. empress of China. conceived the
idea that a beautiful. new and Won
dcrful fabric might be fashioned from
the cocoon of the ungainly worm which
infested the imperial gardens at Cher
Tong, on the Yellow river. and annual
~ destroyed SO many mulberry trees.
In pursuit of this theory the empress
and her maidens unravelcd the queer
wove a strange and lustrous material
which was stronger and more beauti-
ful than anything they had ever seen.
The officers of the court took it up. and
soon silk weavers and manufacturers
were plentiful in China. 1t became the
badge of wealth and rank. Only the
aristocrats were allowed to use it, and
they used it not only for the adorn.
ment of their persons. but draped their
homes in the sheeny folds of the new
fabric.
That was more than four thousand
years ago, and it is a commentary up
on the Chinese nation that very nearly
the same rules and methods are en-
ployed to-day as in that far-past cen
tnrv. Silk is still the possession of the
noble, and but little improvement is to
be found in the manufacturing Of the
coveted article.
For centuries China jealousy guarded
the secret of silk manufacture and en-
riched herself by commerce with ma
tions who eagerly bought. but could
not procure the secret of the fabric.
However, nothing can remain for
ever a secret in this world. So grad
ually the information spread to Persia,
India and Arabia, and they also be-
came manufacturers of silk, and
rivaled China in the markets OF the
civilized world. Alexandria invaded
Persia and India about three hundred
and fifty years before Christ. He thus
obtained the secret of silk culture.
which the Greeks used to advantage,
and, like the other countries possessed
of the golden fleece" closely guarded
the precious secret
Not until fifty-six years before Christ
did Rome fall into line with the nations
already familiar with the open sesame
of wealth and influence and produce
the material. the rustic of which was
certainly golden, for even in the third
century of the Christian era silk was
worth its weight in gold.
In 1856 Roger, king of Sicily, in
vaded Greece. He took prisoner sew
eral silk weavcrs and manufacturers.
whom he compelled to teach the citi-
zens of Palermo the secret of the
weave. About twenty years later ST
cslian silks were famous for their
beauty. They were interviewer with
threads of gold and silver and richly
with gems
Christopher Columbus heard the mar
velous stories of Marco Polo, who, while
the court of China, became ia
miliar with the silk worm and its uses
was one Of the few who cred
tied the distinguished travellers narra-
tive, and twas partly to find an easy
route to the land Of silks that the great
discoverer embarked upon the hazard
Gus voyage which was destined to give
a new world to civilization.
The history Of silk begins in America
as early as 1929. when COrtcs, ruler of
cultivated the mulberry tree
and raised the silk worms in that warm
climate.
with the Aztecs before the invasion of
the Spanish, but it is generally con-
ceded to have been a texture woven
from the fibers of plant and lacking
the luster and softness of the genuine
article.
England began the raising OF the
in l5is, when James !. Or
dered the planting of mulberry trees.
Only the raw material was produced,
which was sent to Italy for weaving
and manufacturing. However, in
IT'S John Lombe. young English
man, visited Italy for the purpose Of
procuring for the English government
the secret of silk manufacture. lie
by bribery in obtaining the
coveted information, and, being de-
tected, was forced to flee for his life,
and returning to England erect ed the
first silk mill. Lombc was finally poi
soned by woman sent from Italy for
that purpose.
England encouraged the culture Of
the silkworm in the colonies of Amer.-
"a, but prohibited its manufacture.
All raw material was sent to England
for weaving. This effectually checked
such enterprise in America, although
many young ladies raised enough Of
;hc silk to have their wedding gar
nents made therefrom. ~
In 1855 Mrs. Pinkney presented the
princess dowager Of Wales with q silk
iress, the material for which was
.aised by herself near Charleston. In
no Su.annah Wright gave Queen
Charlotte a similar costume. Thus
.wice was American silk worn by roy
llty at the British court.
After the revolution silk culture,
which had died ont with the war, began
slowly to revive. In the course of
,ew years the United States produced
IN inferior quality of sewing silk, sold
n skeins.
Philadelphia began the manufactur-
ng of tassels and laces for coaches in
193. and in 1915 undertook TO furnish
;ilk laces and dress trimmings.
South Manchester. Conn.,, produced
pun silk in 1928. The same year con-
,ress took up the subject Of silk manu-
acturc, and ordered an investigation
ind report upon the question, but did
title more to aid the infant industry
for life in the busy nation.
In 1887 the silk-worm craze swept
ike wildfire over the states. Large
schemes were set afoot whereby the
of the cacoon into dol
ars and cents was a foregonc conclu-
lion. The white mulberry-tree was in
and . rich harvest reaped by
he propagations of the speculation.
were set afloat of their wonder
,ul properties: farmers converted their
ields into orchards Of the white mul-
,erry: men. women and children nursed
he previous worms. In few months
while the craze was at its height for
.unes were made with ease which sa-
,ored of the incredulous. For instance,
,ne thousand dollars invested in white
,,,,l I>o1rry %hSS SonSnp xyov,l1 hriun SiY