To show the extent of the use of the Let-off motion, the speaker said he had sold rights to use the motion on 53,868 looms; principally the Bartlett Let-off. Some complaint had been made with reference to the operation of some of the other Let-off motions, on particular styles of goods; but the Bartlett Let-off on fancy goods, cotton duck, and almost every kind of weaving, has given entire satisfaction, so far as was known, and all things considered, is the best motion for a large variety of goods.

Mr. CONGDON, of Woonsocket, said he had used the Young motion in weaving goods with 52, 64 and 96 to 100 picks to the inch, on No. 32 and 35 yarn. The cloth would remain with an even tension when the weight was changed to correspond with the number of picks per inch.

Mr. DRAPER said that, by changing the weight as occasion. requires, you can get along very well with the Young Let-off, on such goods; but since there is a motion that works well without any change of the weight, this of course is preferable.

The Bartlett motion sets the catch at one beat, and lets it off for the time being. The Young motion can be used successfully, by holding the beat, on the thickest of the goods.

Mr. CONGDON said he had used the Young motion on goods with 64 picks, and was now using it on heavier goods with 96 picks. His weaver thinks that the Young motion weaves more perfect goods than the Bartlett motion. The speaker thought it not only better, but cheaper. With the Young motion so arranged as to hold at the beat, we get a better quality of cloth, and there are less joints in it to give and wear, than in the Bartlett motion..

The CHAIRMAN said that the main objection to the Bartlett motion appeared to be that there are so many parts in it to wear; the bill of expenses for repairing this motion is very heavy. Both the Shepard and the Young motion were designed to overcome, so far as possible, this objection; but practically there were found some objections to them. If the arrangement Mr. Congdon speaks of overcomes the objections, there is something gained.

In reply to a question from one of the members, Mr. DRAPER said he had with him a model of the Young Let-off motion, and

invited the members to come forward and examine it. Some little time was occupied in an examination of the model,- Mr. DRAPER explaining the operation of the motion, and wherein it differed from others, and answering such inquiries with reference to its working, as the members propounded.

Mr. LABOUNTY, of Lowell, inquired if it was in order to discuss any kind of Let-off motion. The Chairman replying in the affirmative, he said he desired to call the attention of the members present to a Let-off which had lately been invented.

Some time ago he conceived the idea that a positive Let-off could be made to run successfully, and that it was the only true method of letting off the yarn. The Let-off referred to was positive so far as a belt would make it. The belt does not slip a particle, because the power required to drive this Let-off is so slight that any belt one-quarter of an inch in width is amply sufficient to do the work.

The whole arrangement is simple and very effectual. It has been running about a year, and there has been scarcely any variation in the width of the cloth woven.

The positive motion can run and will run as soon as we can overcome our prejudices against it. The idea that the weather affects the yarn, so much as to make the positive motion an impossibility, is absurd.

Our yarn will vary from one number to two, but this variation in a number or two of yarn makes no difference in the operation of this Let-off. There is no perceptible variation in the tension of the yarn: it remains the same in an easy position, just enough strained to keep it smooth continually. The Let-off needs no regulating, and cannot fail to go right when once started; there are but two or three gears about it, and these are common cast gears.

This Let-off can be seen at any time, upon three or four looms at the Appleton Corporation. One has been running for trial on 4 harness goods- very heavy and it works perfectly well on these. It has been tried on 36-inch goods, and works well there. One of these Let-offs has been running for a year and is hardly worn at all. The belt is moved on the cone as the yarn decreases on the beam.

It makes no difference whether the yarn is wound on the beam looser or tighter, except that if it is tight, it will not turn so fast.

WM. POTTER and L. J. LABOUNTY are the inventors of this Let-off motion.

Mr. SAWYER, of Lowell, said that at the Appleton Company's Mills, they had mainly friction Let-offs. The Bartlett Let-off he believed would answer all purposes, but was too expensive. He had been glad to try the Let-off referred to by Mr. LABOUNTY, and one of the looms to which it had been applied has been running for a year. There is no chance for the weaver to tamper with it, and whenever he had examined the cloth he had found it all right. It is a cheap Let-off, constantly in motion, and entirely dependant upon the diameter of the warp-beam for the amount of yarn it lets off; the Cones do not move the warp-beam; they simply allow it to be moved as the Take-up requires.

Mr. BURKE, of Lowell, said the idea of using a belt and cones for a Let-off was not a new one; it was tried as long ago as 1830, and the belt was moved on the cone by a lever which rested upon the yarn beam. He could hardly see how it could move continuously and weave the cloth evenly; but if Mr. SAWYER endorses the Let-off as being practicable, it is very good evidence that it is all right.

Mr. SAWYER said that he had three running, and had given orders for a section. He thought the Let-off well worthy of the attention of the members.

The CHAIRMAN said that it was remarked at a meeting of the Directors of the Association, a few weeks since, that there was a want of a more perfect Let-off than had yet been brought out. While the Bartlett motion, in particular, is giving general satisfaction, it is not yet perfect. He was glad to know that there is another motion being brought out, and that parties interested in this question are still at work. He trusted the time may come when we may have a Let-off and Take-up motion nearer to perfection than any which had yet been invented. Even Mr. DRAPER, he presumed, did not claim perfection.

Mr. DRAPER said that he had not seen the Let-off referred to by Mr. LABOUNTY, and knew nothing about it. He could say

how the positive Let-off motions that have been tried, work. There are 400 looms running at Southbridge, on thin goods, with the positive Let-off; and others were run at Dover; and on the goods there made it answers well. The idea of having a Letoff motion positive in connection with the positive Take-up, is

not a new one.

Mr. KILBURN, of Salem, said that he had made goods varying from 2 to 10 yards per pound, and given the matter of the Letoff motion considerable attention; with all the motions which have been tried, he found that the combination of the friction with the pawl to force the yarn off the beam had given the best result. With the wide range of goods he made, he gave the Bartlett motion the preference.

Mr. KILBURN, of Lonsdale, said he had tried several motions, but never had had one that would weave without leaving thin places in the cloth.

Mr. SMITH, of Manchester, said that he had been trying for twenty years to find a positive Let-off motion, but had not found it. If any gentleman had one that could be used, and would send it to the Manchester Print Works, he would be paid for it.

Mr. CUMNOCK, of Lowell, said he had altered a loom at the Boott Mills and put on the Bartlett Let-off motion; had watched it carefully for six months, in every possible way, and Mr. DRAPER'S man had also been to see it. After a careful examination and comparison of the cloth made with the friction Let-off and with the positive Let-off, the speaker came to the conclusion that the friction Let-off cloth looks better than the

cloth made with the positive Let-off. He was in favor of the positive Let-off as a matter of principle. Mr. RICHARDSON, Superintendent of the Lowell Machine Shop, and himself were at work to get up a device that will move the weight on the lever mechanically, according to the size of the beam; so that the weaver will not have to tamper with it. If that can be accomplishedit will be a decided advantage. The idea of the difference of temperature in the Mills affecting the weaving, as we keep our Mills, is all a humbug.

Another statement made by the speaker was, that you can get a smoother face on cloth woven with the friction Let-off than on cloth woven with the positive Let-off. Cloth made with the

friction Let-off has not the harsh, wiry appearance, which it has when made with the positive Let-off.

A member inquired of the speaker if he had ever seen goods made with the positive Let-off that did not look harsh and wiry. He replied that he had.

Mr. BLAKE, of Chicopee Falls, said that in working fine and coarse yarn, say from No. 6 up to No. 40, the variation is so great that it is almost impossible to get a Let-off motion that will work well on so large a range of goods. He had used a variety of Let-offs, and started up one mill with the old goose neck, and it worked well then. A Let-off motion works differently where there are four shades, two up and one down from what it does when there are two shades. One motion that works well on fine cloth might not work well on coarse. If gentlemen who apply their ingenuity in this direction would get up motions for different numbers of yarn, they would hit it. The best Let-off motion is a cast iron beam-head with a smooth iron face friction; and take an old cotton bale rope and put on, and it will work right off. We are trying to do too much, to have one positive motion, made to run on certain kinds of goods all the time.

Mr. DRAPER said that the changing of the temperature and change of circumstances amounts to a great deal. As to the question of the face of the goods, he was not aware, if the warp is held at a suitable tension, that it makes any difference in what way the cloth is held back. He had intended to furnish a Collins motion, in connection with the others, but it was accidentally omitted from the box. This motion works very much on the principle of the Bartlett motion, but is simpler and probably would not cost more than one-half as much.

Mr. BORDEN, of Fall River, said he had run the friction Letoff, the Shepard, Young, and something very similar to the Bartlett. His experience with the friction Let-off on print cloths was, that it caused variations in the width of the cloths. The smoother cloth is woven with the friction Let-off. On light goods the Young motion was the best he had seen used; he was running about 900, and something like an equal number of the Shepard Let-off.