Cañon City record., 1901-12-12
SILKS VERY CHEAP.
WE ARE GAINING I'M THE
WORLDS MARKET.
"ondsrful Dsvslopnsnt OF the Indusssy
Hero from Few Hand-Loom Fas-
teriss In New Enxi.nd-New wsrs
Seeking Market. Abroad.

nation may wear q silk gown In these
Gays. and that. as Minister WI Ting
fang told the silk merchants of Am
erica here some few months ago. is
not the case even in China, the home
OF silken gowns Never before were
women's silk dress materials SO
cheap as they are now. Never were
satins, velvets. plushes. ribbons and
sewing silks at SO low price in pro-
portion to quality as at present Silks
both OF domestic and foreign weaving,
are being sold in the retail stores in
all the principal cities OF this country
at prices below the cost OF manufactur-
ing. Never before have artists tried SO
zeeiously In producing the creations
which women can make such dreams
OF delight and never before have the
prices been so Irresistible to the femi-
nine heart.
II IL all due to the rise of the
United States among the silkweaving
nations of the world. rise so rapid
and so irresistible that the two dis
tinguished Swiss manufacturers--one
OF them the largest In the world
who served on the jury which awarded
the Paris exposition silk prizes were
moved In their report to the govern
ment to call attention to the swiftly
increasing competition Of the American
weavers In the markets OF the world
and to predict nothing but disaster to
European competitors from It, Silk
goods OF our own manufacture are rap
idly monopolizing the domestic market
and now are also finding an outlet
abroad. No other country, the manu-
facturers agree. Is now so well equip
ped as ours for the low-priced produc-
ton OF silk goods. so great has been
the Improvement In power loom max
Ing here, and now, though the condi-
tions have not been favorable in the
main either to labor or capital in the
silk industry In the last two years.
American manufacturers are supplying
at least rs per cent. of the silk fabrics
in the domestic market and in ribbons
are making actually 80 per cent of
the supply. When the silk Industry
was started in this country In the
early forties It seemed to have poor
prospects. By long acquaintance with
silk weaving the French. English.
Swiss and Italian manufacturers had
every advantage over the budding in
dustry. II has been American me-
chanical genius which has pulled the
Industry here out of the hole. THE
best factory gets the most work" is
an axiom In the silk trade and Ameri-
can manufacturers get to work to
make theirs the best factories. In 1875
there were 1.6o5 looms. and all hand
looms at that In this country. In 1880
there were 3.153 hand looms-double
the number-and there were also
5.32i power looms. turning out silk
fabrics at double speed. In 1890 the
number had increased TO 20. .s22 power
looms, and 1.747 hand looms. Last
year. there were 10000 power looms
on broad goods alone and 1000 more
power looms were turning out rib
bons. The use of hand looms had
dropped till there were only $50 OF
out specialties in narrow trimmings.
The SILK Association OF America in Its
annual report issued few weeks ago
estimated the value of the product of
the silk looms of this country in the
last year at 500. 100000. More than
500 factories were turning out this pro-
duct In every state in the union be-
tween Maine and Delaware. In 1850 .
few small factories In Connecticut were
turning out the whole product OF the
industry here and 1t was valued at less
than 81. 0O0.0 900. In New Jersey alone
last year there was S3o.000.0O0 capital
.Gl
most as much In Pennsylvania: 44.z50
operatives were employed in the two
states, drawing $i3.50O.000 in wages.
and in the whole country there were
nearly "a. 900 operatives who earned
more than 10000 900 Other weaving
industries. in which silk Is largely used
half as many more men, women and
children were employed and half as
much capital again was invested. Yet
the silk industry Is passing through
crisis Just now and its dificulties have
been the Ill wind which has blown
good to the consumers alone. The
United States In the last two years has
imported one-third OF the worlds sup
ply OF raw silk. but at an increased
price and under the competition Of
rival mills equipped with highly pro-
ductive machinery the market for the
finished goods has stayed down. That
is why silks are cheap here and per-
sons OF moderate incomes benedt
thereby. while foreign manufacturers
year by year see themselves outbid and
outclassed in what was one one OF
their most profitable markets,
.Iaps Find Now Hsiand
According to the Japan Times new
island has been discovered in the Sea
Of Japan. From statement appearing
In the Nichi Nichi It appears that the
island ia situated at point between