Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-27


/ scientists dcgpaired Of ever being able to
I solve.
( There was a strong incentive FOR soma
! one to solve It, however for the manu.
| facturers of Great Britain had dubbed
/ together To o4ter standing reward Of
! SlO,CO TO the man who could invent some
way of turning a spiders web to profit
able manufacturing account In spite or
the reward, and the prospective fortune
from the solution OF the puzzle, no one
could make anything OF IL, until a French
man named Cachot. who had for many
years been studying the question, hit
upon way by means of which both
difficulties coeld be overcome
NJ. Cachot discovered that the only
thing necessary to make the spider as
sist in the robbery of its own web was
TO get the thread properly started in the
right direction. The spider will always
gOod-naturedly unwind himself as long
as the pulling power that draws the web
from him keeps up the strain. NJ. Cachot
designed machine containing diminutiye
bobbins, kept constantly revolving by
a delicate running gear. BY means OF
this machine he solved the great problem
OF how to wind the thread. All former
efforts to wind the web had been made
after the spider had spun il in the way
they had wound the silk Of the silk
worm. But the spiders web being much
finer than that Of the silkworm, every at
tempt to wind ii had resulted only In q
hopeless tangle, the breaking OF the
thread, and finally in exhausting the
patience of the experipenter. NJ. Cachot
proposed to let the spider do the winding.
He caught the end Of the web while II
was still attached 10 the body OF the
spider and fastened It firmly TO the bob.
no, Ia Inc. "A
I'm motion. The spider finding hts web
reding away from him. apparently OF
its own volitlon, naturally pulled in tho
opposite direction to get away. This was
the crucial point of the experiment II
the spider pulled with sufficient force TO
break the thread the experiment would,
of course, be a failure. To NJ. Cachot's
great delight he found that the spider
seemed to enjoy the process. and did
not pull harder than was necessary to
keep the web moving. The tiny thread
continued TO wind off on the bobbin until
the spider had been completely deprived
of its web. Then another spider. and still
another were treated in the same way.
until enough thread had been wound on
to I'LL the bobbin. when n new one was
put on the machine and the process re-
peated When a sufficient quantity OF
the web had been collected TO make
test OF its fitness for manu-
purposes. the thread was woven
into fabric. IL was found TO be the finest
quality OF silk and experts 20 whom II
was submitted declared 1t 10 possess Q
high market value.
NJ. Cachot claimed and received tho
reward from the British manufacturers,
and has exhibited the new fabric In
many of the large manufacturing cities
)f England and the Continent, where IL
hos avcitad livplieSf interest
NJ Cachot has arranged 10 begin tho
OF spider's-web silk on a
arge scale, and has taken a factory in
Paris for the purpose. Here he will
Seep his spiders and will work them at
'egular hours. When a spider Is used
Up he will be fed and petted back TO
again. while another Will take
his place on the bobbin. An expert
who knows all about the habits OF the
insect will be placed In charge Of the
pider department OF the factory. and
t will be his business to see that they
re properly cared for. fed. and housed.
md provided with everything that puts
spider In good humor with himself and
III the world.
NJ. Cachot has advertised for spiders,
nd will purchase as many as are brought
o him, thus giving the world an entirely
lew industry. in addition TO that OF
ne spider sllk-tne INDUSTRY OF SPIDER
atching. II the supply exceeds the de-
nand, NJ. Cachot says he will study the
lfferent varieties OF insect life. with
lew TO finding out which produces the
nest quality OF silk. and will gradually
reed out those that are not blessed with
fine web. He will also experiment with
arious diets 20 ascertain whether %
OF il is possible 10 train the spider TO
I've forth web that is an Improvements
n the ordinary product. lie declares
nat he is only on the edge OF his dis
)yeries I'm the spider-web industry, and
ltends 10 continue his experiments I'M
he has secured a quality OF silk that
III eclipse anything that has hitherto
zen turned out from any looms In the
orld.