3o6 History of the 



friendly to the movement lent his scales to weigh out the goods, and 

 the members carried their tea-caddies and cofifee-canisters to the 

 room, to save the trouble of wrapping the articles in paper. Their 

 business continued steadily to grow. Many more were becoming 

 alive to the advantages which the system offered to working men. 

 The more careful and industrious amongst the operative classes 

 flocked to the new Store. Still the business grew, and the upper 

 room was found inconvenient, and quite unsuited to the carrying 

 on of an extensive trade. A meeting of the members was called, 

 and it was decided to take the entire building on a lease for twenty- 

 one years. At first it was under consideration to let off the back 

 part of the shop at fifteen pence per week, but more members 

 continuing to come in, they abandoned their intention in this 

 respect. In the course of a few years the premises were found to 

 be too contracted for their trade, and had to be enlarged by the 

 addition of a frontage to the shop ; and even growing beyond these 

 bounds, the society resolved to build a Store of their own, — the 

 present handsome and commodious building, to which they 

 removed in 1863. 



Great were the difficulties which the early Co-operators in 

 Rossendale had to encounter in introducing and carrying out their 

 favourite theories. They were unpopular with the multitude. 

 Stereotyped Ignorance shook its head and called them Chartists 

 and infidels, innovators and levellers. Their visionary projects, as 

 they were at first considered to be, were scouted and laughed at ; 

 and many were the prophecies of speedy insolvency and disgrace. 

 Their shop originally was open only in the evenings. This was a 

 necessity, as the shopmen, who were chosen to serve for three 

 months at a time, were employed in other manual labour during 

 the day. They received no remuneration for their time and work 

 at the Store. In the face of the opposition which was displayed, 

 and feeling their inexperience, considerable diffidence was at first 

 manifested by the men in the discharge of their duties ; and it was 

 a common practice amongst them to draw cuts who should remove 

 the shutters from the windows on opening in the evening. Their 



