er ▁drove ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁to ▁fight ▁back , ▁and ▁mob s ▁attacked ▁the ▁power - lo oms ▁that ▁were ▁seen ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁decl ine ▁in ▁status ▁of ▁the ▁work force . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 6 ▁almost ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁were ▁reported ▁as ▁' att ack ing ▁mach in ery ' ▁in ▁Has ling den . ▁A ▁tro op ▁of ▁caval ry ▁was ▁station ed ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity , ▁and ▁ring - le aders ▁were ▁arrested . ▁It ▁was ▁reported ▁from ▁Has ling den ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁year , ▁ 1 8 2 6 , ▁that ▁' a ▁great ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁un emp loy ed ▁must ▁literally ▁per ish ▁from ▁extreme ▁want '. ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁steam ▁power ▁began ▁to ▁su pers ede ▁water ▁power , ▁and ▁mill s ▁grew ▁in ▁size . ▁Gr ud ging ly ▁a ▁minimum ▁w age ▁was ▁introduced , ▁and ▁through ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁reform ers , ▁the ▁churches ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁en light ened ▁mill - own ers , ▁conditions ▁for ▁factory ▁workers ▁slowly ▁improved . ▁Cond itions ▁were ▁still ▁har sh , ▁despite ▁the ▁whole ▁Ross end ale ▁area ▁being ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁' G old en ▁Valley '. ▁No ▁longer ▁dependent ▁on ▁the ▁rivers ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁energy , ▁the ▁mill ▁own ers ▁were ▁fre ed ▁to ▁build ▁elsewhere , ▁and ▁Has ling den ▁began ▁to ▁find ▁that ▁successful ▁mill s , ▁such ▁as ▁H arg re aves