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were soon after destroyed. The infant industry, after such a hope¬ 
ful beginning, waB left to languish for years. 
At the Centennial Exhibition, held in Philadelphia in 1876, 
California was represented by a silk culture display. Mr. Neumann 
and Mrs. Keeney collected specimens of our cocoons, and took with 
them to the East two Hags made by Mr. Neumann of American 
grown silk and some skeins of reeled silk, and illustrated the 
industry by a display of silk worms, in their various stages of 
development. Our cocoons, it is said, were examined by Professor 
Henry, of the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, who pro¬ 
nounced them superior to any that he had eversccn. The President of 
the United States is also reported to have been so favorably impressed 
with the conviction that this iudustry should be built up in 
Californio, that he was willing to favor an appropriation of 20,000 
dollars from the agricultural gifts to the states for the encourage¬ 
ment of silk culture in California. But the most happy result 
of the exhibit at the Centennial was the interest created in the 
minds of a number of influential ladies. They were subsequently 
induced to organise the Woman’s Silk Culture Association of the 
United States, having for its object the gratuitous dissemination of 
information cil this subjbet, and the building up of silk culture as 
an American iudustry for the benefit of American women. 
While women in Eastern States were moving to build up this new' 
iudustry, a large number of patriotic ladies in California organised 
an association for the same object. The years 1879 and 1SS0 saw 
thousands of our people unemployed. Men paraded the streets of 
our cities asking for work. Hungry women and children were 
begging for bread. Mrs. T. H. Hittel, of San Francisco, read a 
paper before the Horticultural Society, show ing the importance of 
silk culture. Another article on the same subject, prepared by her, 
was read by Dr. C. A. Hnckbee before the Academy of Sciences. 
In these discussions it was shown that the industry could be worth 
millions to the State, and help tens of thousands of women and 
girls to earn their bread. A score of patriotic ladies organised the 
California Silk Culture Association. Correspondence was opened 
with silk growers in many lands. Information was given to the 
people ; manuals of instruction were published. Many women 
began the work, and in two years good cocoons had been raised in 
thirty two different counties. This association found in 1S82 that it 
needed some powerful aid. A filature was absolutely necessary, to 
which the cocoons might be sent, the raw silk extracted ftorn them, 
and the work of the people put in a condition suitable for manu¬ 
facturing purposes. 
In this emergency an appeal was made to the Legislature of 
California. The State (government determined once more to reach 
forth a hilping hand to this industry. It appropriated DO00 dollars 
for the first year and 2500 dollars for the second year and created a 
State Board of Silk Culture to administer the trust. Tin's important 
commission was directed to establish a Filature with as little delay 
as possible. It began its work in May last, too late to give all the 
assurance to eultuiists throughout the State that they needed, that 
there would be a market for their product; hut in time to remunerate 
all who prosecuted the work. The State board, fortunately, is not 
