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Cardons and the Silk Industry in Utah

Heart Throbs of the West

They were quick to see the similarity of conditions in Cache Valley and their native northern Italy, and as they were both familiar with all of the branches of silk culture they decided to try it here. Mr. Cardon sent to France for mulberry seeds. These were planted and the trees grew well and were the first ones to be grown in northern Utah. When they were large enough to produce leaves, Mr. Cardon sent to France for eggs of the silk worm. These eggs were hatched by putting them in a bag and keeping the bag warm by hanging them around their necks. These worms grew and others were raised and when the supply was sufficient they began to reel the silk. Mr. Cardon made the reel and Mrs. Cardon did the reeling. It was the twisted reel and was much better than the flat silk. The silk was sent to Salt Lake City to be woven and was found to be of such a high quality that President Brigham Young called Susanna on a mission to Salt Lake City to teach others to reel silk. She left a baby a year old and six other small children and spent three months in Salt Lake City, without pay, in this work.

In 1878, the Relief Society of Logan decided to try and raise their own silk and Mrs. Cardon furnished the eggs of the worm and taught classes of young women to care for the worms and sell the silk. This was all done without any pay, but as service to her Church and community.

The biggest and best worms were saved to let the moth come out to lay more eggs, and this silk was used to make coarser clothes. The other cocoons were placed in tubs of hot water to loosen the silk and was then reeled into hanks. Mrs. Cardon's silk was of a very high quality and she received medals for the excellence of her silk from New Jersey, California, Chicago and St. Louis.

Mrs. Cardon gave over two rooms for the silk industry and kept at this work for about 15 years, when it was found to be no longer practical and was discontinued.-Cache County.

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