Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-06-17
THESE CLOTHES FIT.
eINeLE PIECE SUITS THAT ARE SPUN
UPON THE BODY.
A Remarkable Tale of the Remnrka-
BILE Garments of SILK That Are
Worn by Some Remarkable south
American Indians.

Worn by Some Remarkable SOuth
American Indians.
Probably no country on earth Is more
interesting TO the traveller on the look
(, out for queer things and unusual expo
! riences than the silvas of the Amazon.
| and here is story about an Indian
tribe of that region told 10y Arthur AK
| tell. an American traveller, that can
hardly be beaten.
These particular Indians were contin-
ually bent on discovery and expert
| menting, says Mr.. Axtell. Somehow
they had come into possession of some
silkwOrms. These worms were not
known before i'm that country, and
most of them died before the natives
found out how to raise them. But they
persevered and by feeding them on the
tender leaves of some native plants
produced good quality of silk. not so
good as the Chinese product by feeding
| the worms on white mulberry leaves.
but nevertheless strong. serviceable
silk. certainly good enough for the
dusky bodies of these savages. for this
silk has noT yet become an article of
commerce.
and Transforming it into garments was
crude. When the moths laid the eggs,
the natives carried them in great guam
titles in belts about their bodies. thus
giving the eggs the body heat. At the
end of winter the eggs were Matched.
and the result was an army of caterpil-
lars. These We're trained TO crawl over
the naked bodies of the natives. This
was their home. They knew no other
and seemed quite contented.
During eight weeks the savage Is
covered with these yellow crawlers. 1t
would seem that thousands of creeping
caterpillars over ones body from head
TO foot would tickle one to death. Ger
talnly white man would find 1t UNI
bearablc, but IL must be remembered
these natives of Brazil are scarcely hui
man. To them il is intensely interest
ing to train these worms in the way
they should go. Small bits of leaves
are stuck on the bodies of the natives
i'm regular rows, and round and round
the worms go, feeding on the way. The
natives help each other in the placing
of the bits of leaves and in coutining
the worms to certain localities on the
body.
These caterpillar covered niggers. as
DIR. +. a. Marsh. who was of our party.
called them, sleep on their backs at
night and are careful not to turn over
in their sleep. That would he sad
calamity. When we came TO their vii
laGe. there were ten Indians. men and
women, I'm the act of raising silk cater
pillars by this unique process. They
the blood stopped flowing i'm my veins.
stood still and shuddered. Yet there
was n fascination about il. for l had
been told what the object of it was.
and l admired the savage ingenuity.
After the worms have become dizzy
with playing the merry go round on
the bodies of the savages they quit eat
ing and commence spinning the outer
covering for the cocoons. When this
labor is done. the natural process of
is interfered with. The
had found out that when the
cocoons were finished they would burst
or the worms would eat their way out.
In either case the silk was destroyed.
So the worms are prevented from max
ing the cocoons. Instead the fiber for
the outer covering is destroyed. and |
the poor caterpillars stop I'm perplex- |
lily. But they doubtless conclude the |
savages are right, and the worms are
In debt to them. for eight weeks of |
feeding. so they start soon to the spin |
ming of the silk.
The natives are now in ecstasy. They
make the worms hustle around them as |
hey have been taught during all their |
little lives and spinning as they go the |
fine filameDts of shining silk. Round /
md round crawl the worms. each one |
spinning 1000 TO 1000 yards of silk |
bread around the swarthy, savage |
neck, around each naked arm, around |
he chest and abdomen and the lower /
limbs. The work of the worm is over.
And the result is remarkable trans
From a nude savage figure,
and repulsive, with thou
ands of yellow worms crawling twist
ng, writing, squirming. to n conquer
ng. proud native of Brazil, clothed i'm
perfectly fitting garment of rich silk.
lie has toiled not, neither has he spin
led-he has only bossed the job-yet is
lie clothed in raiment as beautiful as
he lilies of the field. What feeling |
Il supremacy he must havei He has
nterfered successfully with a divine
Ian. He has turned aside the course
f nature and stands erect-in his own
mind. at least-a man TO be greatly ad-
Times.
Easy.
4, L