you can attach your switch rope and pull the cars out. I am glad to hear this discussion brought up in the Western Railway Club as I think it will bear fruit. It has been talked of among railroad men in general, and there have been objections made to removing the link slot on account of not being able to take or pull the cars out of a sharp shop curve, but everybody must admit that it is not the M. C. B. coupler that is the cause of the breaking of the lugs or the knuckles; the links that are used in connection with the M. C. B. couplers have caused the damage to the knuckles.

MR. G. W. BROWN (C., M. & St. P. Ry.): My friend, Mr. Smith, made reference to certain makes of cars that he has seen in the past, that have rings on the corners. I think, perhaps, those cars may have been Pennsylvania, they may have been Baltimore & Ohio cars, but the occasion for the use of those rings arose from certain conditions existing on those roads many years ago, where they switched with horses instead of engines.

The discussion on the closing of the slot in the M. C. B. coupler is all right, and it is opportune; it is going to come. When the link and pin disappear there will be no further need of the slot, but just how to pull the cars that are in the yard off the curves we do not know today. Discussion may show some good way, but until that time comes, and we may trust American ingenuity to show us the way, the switchmen will take one brake chain, and if one brake chain is not enough they will take two, and they will get those cars off the curve. It appears to me that with the coming knuckle the problem will be, in some manner to reduce the excessive friction that now exists, and prolong its life by a hardened face. As I say, those things will be the result of development, and the discussion of today will be the cause of development in the future.

THE PRESIDENT: If there is no further discussion on this subject it is in order to adjourn.

Adjourned.

The David L. Barnes Library

Special Notice

The David L. Barnes Library of this Club, at 1750 the Monadnock, Chicago, is open for the use of members and their friends, and we hope it will be used freely It is open on week days from 9 a. m. to 5:30 p. m., except on Saturday, until 3 p. m. Books must not be removed from the Library, but the Librarian will assist visitors in finding information and will promptly reply to letters from out-of-town members desiring information from the Library. Donations of books and technical publications will be gratefully received.

TRUSTEES TO THE LIBRARY.

List of duplicate copies of the Proceedings of the Western Railway Club which are in the David L. Barnes Library and are for sale or exchange :

1888-Sept. and Oct. (bound in one).

1889-Oct., Dec.

1890-Feb., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.

1891-Jan., Mar., Apr., May, Oct., Nov.

1892-Jan., Feb., Apr., May, Sept., Nov., Dec.

1893-Two complete volumes; also single copies of Jan., Feb., Mar., May, Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.

1894-Jan., Mar., Apr., May, Oct., and Index of subjects discussed by the

Club.

1895-Apr., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.

1896-One complete volume, also single copies of Jan., Mar., May, Sept.,

Nov., Dec.

1897-Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.; also one complete volume.

1898-Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.

1899-May.

Correspondence relating to the Library donations of books, periodicals, etc., for the files, or duplicates sent for exchange should be addressed to H. de K. Woods, Librarian, 1750 Monadnock, Chicago.

The Trustees of the Library wish to acknowledge, with thanks, the following gifts to the Library, received since October 1, 1899:

Mr. S. F. Patterson, Secretary: Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Convention of the Association of Railway Superintendents of Bridges and Buildings, held in October, 1898.

Baldwin Locomotive Works: Record of Recent Construction, Nos. 15, 16 and 17; also Circulars No. 1 to 11, inclusive.

Mr. Charles C. West: Sibley Journal of Mechanical Engineering, for 1899-1900. Mr. John P. Meany, Manager: Copy of Poor's Manual of Railroads for 1899. Thirty-second Annual Volume.

Mr. J. W. Taylor, Secretary, Proceedings Master Car Builders' Association for 1899, Vol. 33.

Mr. J. C. Whitridge: Photograph for framing of new locomotive for North Eastern Ry. (England.)

Mr. Edward A. Moseley, Secretary: Statistics of Railways in the United States. Eleventh Annual Report for year ending June 30, 1898.

Mr. William Forsyth. Bibliography of Railways for Sept. and Oct., 1899.

OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS

WESTERN RAILWAY CLUB

Organized April, 1884

Incorporated March, 1897

Published monthly, except June, July and August, by the Western Railway Club, 667 Rookery Bldg. Club meets third Tuesday in each month, except June, July and August.

HE regular monthly meeting of the Western Railway Club was

Auditorium Hotel, Chicago. President H. G. Hetzler in the chair. Following are the names of those who registered:

PRESIDENT HETZLER:

Traver, Wilbur H.

The minutes of our last meeting were sent

to the members, and, if there are no corrections, they will stand approved as published.

I will ask the Secretary to read the names of new members who have been approved by the Executive Board.

The Secretary then read the following:

Chas. McShane, Griffin & Winters, Chicago.

Chas. Henry Davis, Consulting Engineer, New York.

A. W. Gillespie, C. C., P. A. Dept. K. C., P, & G. Ry., Kansas City, Mo.
H. D. Luse, Rd. House Machinist, Union Pac. Ry., No. Platte, Neb.

H. A. Callan, Latrobe Steel Co., Chicago, Ill.

W. B. Wheeler, Devoe & Raynolds Co., Chicago, Ill.

Jno. Gill, M. M., C., R. I. & P. Ry., Trenton, Mo.

E. A. Drake, Drake & Wiers Co., Cleveland, Ohio.

PRESIDENT HETZLER: Under the head of new business, I will ask our Secretary to read the action of the Board of Directors. The Secretary then read the following:

At the meeting of the Board of Directors, held today, it was decided that the restrictions on the newspapers, in regard to not publishing any of our papers and the discussions thereon until after the Proceedings were issued, should be modified to the extent that the technical papers be permitted to handle the matter in any way they see fit, after the papers have been presented and discussed at the Club meetings, with the understanding that the papers and discussions are subject to the revision of the members presenting them.

PRESIDENT HETZLER : We have with us this afternoon Professor Goss, our second Vice President, who has been absent for a number of months. While we have been obliged to forego the pleasure of having him with us, he has been enjoying himself in a trip abroad, and I take this, our first opportunity, to welcome him and to ask him to share with us his pleasures by telling us of them.