No. 151.] 165 



We have been in the habit of looking upon the steam engine as 

 indispensable to our wants, and we admit, that no human calculation 

 has ever yet given to that power its due importance; still we could 

 dispense with the steam engine, and in fact with. all other machines 

 excepting the " wheel distaff," with less inconvenience to man, than 

 with that time honored machine. 



To dispense with, and discontinue the loom, would be not to un- 

 clothe a world entirely, but to send civilized man back into a state 

 of barbarism; at least to clothe him in sheep skins and goat skins, 

 the habiliments of baroarism. 



Whether therefore we consider the loom as it relates tb extent of 

 its productions, its utility and usefulness to civilized man, or the 

 beauty of its fabrics, it is in either case, the wonderful loom. The 

 productions of the loom continue to receive the highest honors of 

 the Institute. 



In the meantime the progress of improvements in machinery for 

 spinning purposes, has been equally rapid and important; indeed the 

 ratio of increase has been vastly beyond that of the loom, in which 

 improvements, cam motions bear a conspicuous part. 



Like the loom, machinery for this purpose was stationary for thou- 

 sands of years; the idea of working more than one spindle by a sin- 

 gle person, has been conceived within the space of eighty years. 

 Richard Hargrave, of England, invented the spinning jenny in 

 the year 1767, of eight spindles, worked by hand. In 1769, Rich- 

 ard Arkwright invented the use of rollers in spinning; the former 

 was upon the general principles of the large spinning wheeh of oup 

 forefathers, and the latter was upon the principle of the small or 

 foot wheel, and was the first power spinning frame in the world, 

 and the commencement of what is now called Throstle spinning. 



In 1779 Samuel Crompton combined the qualities of both of the 

 previous inventions together, and therefore called it a mule. 



The spinning jenny, by the invention of the condensing carding 

 machine for wool, has been entirely laid aside in our most improved 

 factories. The other two hold on the even tenor of their way. 



In the latest improvements in mules for spinning cotton, one per- 

 son tends a frame of a thousand spindles, at a rate of speed in each 



