Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1901-09-27
THESE CLOTHES FIT.
SINGLE PIECE SUITS THAT ARE SPUN
UPON THE BODY

A Remarkable tale OF the Remarka.
bic Garnenis OF snk That Are
Worn BY soIae Remarkable south
American Indians.
Probably no country on earth is more
Interesting TO the traveller on the look
out for queer things and unusual expe-
rlences than the silvas Of the Amazon,
and here Is a story about an Indian
tribe OF that region told by Arthur Ak
tell, an American traveller. that can
hardly be beaten.
These particular Indians were contin-
unlly bent on discovery and expert
mentlng, 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 a good quality Of silk, not so
good as the Chinese product by feeding
the worms on white mulberry leaves.
but nevertheless a strong, s~erviceable
silk, certainly good enough for the
dusky bodies of these sayages, for this
silk has not yet become an article Of
commerce.
Their method Of obtaining the six
and transforming 1t 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 IN army Of caterpil-
lars. These were trained to crawl over
the naked bodies Of the natives. This
was their home. They knew no other
and seemed quite c%ontented.
During eight weeks the savage is
covered with these yellow crawlers. 1t
would seem that thousands of creeping
caterpiilars over ones body from head
to foot would tickle one to death. Ger
tainly a white nan would find 1t I'M
bearable, but 1t must be remembered
these natives Of Brazil are scarcely hui
man. To them It 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
in 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 combining
the worms to certain localities on the
body.
These caterpillar covered niggers, as
DR.. +. 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 be a sad
: calamity. When we came to their VII
q lage, there were ten Indians, men ant
women, in the act of raising silk cater
4 pillars by his unique process. The!
4 were a sight to chill the blood. / know
the blood stopped flowing in my veins
I stood still and shuddered. Yet Their
was a fascination about it, for hat
: been told what the object of it was
and l admired the savage ingenuity.
= After the worms have become dizz
- with playing the merry go round" o
- the bodies of the savages they quit eat
ing and commence spinning the QUITE
I, covering for the cocoons. When TIL
I labor Is done, the natural process c
:, silkmaking Is interfered with. tn
~ savages had found out that when til
~ cocoons were finished they would buri
~ or the worms would eat their way on
In either case the silk was destroyel
- So the worms are prevented from NAL
ing the cocoons. Instead the fiber fl
~ the outer covering is destroyed, an
. the poor caterpillars stop In perpie
81 ity. But they doubtless conclude Il
W savages are right, and the worms a
W. in debt to them for eight weeks
'S feeding, so they start soon TO the spi
" ming of the silk.
ny The natives are now in ecstasy. Thu
ne make the worms hustle around them
Ih they have been taught during all the
ne little lives and spinning as they go I
ne fine dlaments of shining silk. Roui
yer and round crawl the worms, EACH o
MS summing 1000 TO 1000 yards OF 81
'ot thread around the swarthy, sava
no neck. around each naked arm, arou
ieu the chest and abdomen and the low
my limbs. The work Of the worm Is owe
W. And the result IL q remarkable tral
formation. From a nude savage hgu
n's loathsome and repulsive, with thu
sands Of yellow worms crawling, twi
ne ing, writhing, sQuirming. to a conqu
ich ing. proud native Of Brazil, clothed
a perfectly fitting garment Of rich 81
ose He has toiled not, neither has he sp
Jon ned-he has only bossed the tob-yei
ne clothed in raiment as beautiful
my the lilies OF the Geld. What a feel
J. ! Of supremacy be must havel He
interfered successfully with a div
iore plan. He has turned aside h cou
Of nature and stands erect-in his o
'erc mind, at least-a nan to be greatly
to mlred.-Philadelphia Times.
lid -
ect- Easy.