Page 137 - The_story_of_the_C._W._S._The_jubilee_history_of_the_cooperative_wholesale_society,_limited._1863-1913_(IA_storyofcwsjubill00redf) (1)_Neat

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In the Valley of the Ouseburn.
away from the extremes of this viaduct to a httle tidal river in
the depths of the valley. This is the Ouseburn. An old, humhlo
stone bridge crosses it, connecting the decaying thoroughfares that
straggle up to the fine new highway. Standing on this little
bridge one sees the broken walls and desolate arches of what was
once a foundry. The stream, between muddy banks, upon which
outworn keels lie rotting, curves around its idle wharves.
Bounding
the empty weed-grown yard on the eastern side is a derelict
Foundry Lane. Here is all that remains of what was once the
Ouseburn, and afterwards the Tyne Engine Works. The foundry
was in other hands after, as well as before, co-operators held it, and
merely the buildings may have been abandoned. But abandoned
they are. The vaulting roadway, with its electric standards, carries
the traffic of the city over and away. Not far off the sirens of
steamers are heard on the busy Tyne, but the shallow Ouseburn
is now a profitless creek. Cottages round about that once housed
mechanics and artisans have become common lodging-houses and
marine stores. Two or three men, too old for the modern work-
shops, stand forlorn at the street corners, or wander aimlessly across
the little, disused bridge. You speak to one of them.
"Aye," he rephes, "that was the engine works. I knew the
timekeeper there. He lost £50."
The dismal valley seems to represent the trough of those years,
and the strong viaduct, with its many piers united for one purpose
the federation that carried more than one society safely over the
time.
The engine works was an outcome of a prolonged strike of
Tyneside engineers in 1871. The battle was for a nine-hour day,
but the agitation had been badly met by the employers, and their
contempt was also a grievance. Dr. Rutherford not only threw all
his great uifluence upon the side of the workers, but got hold of the
Ouseburn Works, and organised an engineering society to employ
strikers on the terms for which they were fighting. Northern and
Yorkshire co-operative societies took shares and loaned money, and
individual and worker shareholders completed the society. T)r.
Rutherford frankly confessed that he knew nothing of emrineering
and had no liking for commercial hfe. but he was made both chairman
To obtain more capital he founded the
and managing director.
Industrial Bank also, and, smce the works produced excellent engines,
initial losses, while the money came in, could be treated philosophi-
cally. When the Congress met at Newcastle in 1873 the delegates
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