Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1852-08-21
The Rappite Village,

about sixteen miles below Pit!sburg by
railroad, on the Ohio River, is thus des-
cribrd by a correspondent Of theCinc'n'
natl Nonpareil.
l walked up gravel bank about I'll.
ty feet above high water mark, and
found myself in beautiful town, over
which the most solemn stiffness pre-
vailed. None were moving except now
and then man wheeling barrow a.
cross thee street al slow and serious
gait, as if they were carrying earth to
fila grave, and now and then woman
with load on her head. One is Pc
culiarly impressed with the silence that
reigns in such town even on week
days. There is not child under ten
years ofage in the whole viIlage-cel-
ibacy being apart oftheir religious faith.
They believe that Adam and Eve fell by
their indulgence, and to repair the ruin
ofthe fall, man must follow St. PanPs
advice to those who have wives, TO live
as If they had no wives! To be sure
this would corrcc, the evil of the Fall,
provided all mankind observe it, for it
would bring the race 10 All end!
Tbsrs ,rp 5oo nersous in the commu-
nity-l60 of whom are over oO years
oy & ,re and but 90 under 30 wears old.
The community came over from Ger
nanv unJpr Mr., Rapp, in 1906. There
wr,s 900 Of Them. and thew settled in
R,,.r co p, wh.r, th.y lived ten
,,aa.s,h., norsd IN ,bs Wabash where
;bsv resided Ten vears longer, and sell.
l;ns on, to Robert Owen, tRpy came TO
their present location in 1925. The
LARGEST number the community had was
5O0-but the srcessions and deaths have
more than balanced the ascesslons.
Their numb,r has perhaps averaged 500
from The first. They have lost 500 by
death-one in 80 being the average an
nual mortality. This does not speak
yery well Tor ihe influence Of their man
ners, customs, and belief upon health
and longevity. 1t is true that they lost
many on ,hp Wabash, where the NOR
tality was very great in early times
but this community for the past q
years, has reported a heavier mortality
than generally prevails, not Notwithstanding
they have had so few children, among
whom thp greatest mortality always pre-
walls. Men cannot violate the laws oi
nature and do we'll. Some died during
the past wear aged as iollows;-s0, 10,
Is, 64, So, 56, rs.
The village contains 100 dwellings,
and N. honsrs &C.. al being in town,
and and the hn;Id;ncs hayinc annie spocq
Inr gardens c;ys the town ou;,e an i'm.
n,.;r, ,nrssr,nce Thcv have house.
room (;nr nearly 1000 nersons- 2;
L,ysIl;nrs arc entirely EMMY. The hou.
s,s 49,. nn;f,rm ,ho,,t ha,i be;nc wood
and n. remainder brick, They are two
s,ories bioh containing four or five
rooms, Each family is composed Of
men and women, and nothing is on the
unitary system except labor, capital and
religion, They have 5000 acres Of
cooJ land undrr excellent cultivation.
They have a cotton and wooden Iac,o-
~. dis,ilIery, brewery, &c. Thrv are
very rich-it is impossible to estimate
their wealth, as they will mol tell.
rnouirrd as 10 this, but the President,
Mr. Baker, said that they placed no val
nc on their PROPERTY il gives them a
living, and they try to follow Paul, when
he ,rlls those that have property to
live as il they had no properay. Some
say they o,e worth S3,OO0,000. Mr..
Baker said the annual increase oftheir,
labor was $40, ,O0O--but this dos not in
cluds the interest on money and their
dividends on bank and other stocks,
which mus, amour, to large sum.
Tbere ;s M doubt but there is less
y;cs bsrs Than among an eoua| number
that can be taken indiscriminately from
any other town. Indeed there is no
vice here. No fight even, ever, occur
red among them. They all share alike,
and live well. as lar as the physical
wants are concerned; but in mental cul-
livation they are sadly deficient. They
are deeply religious at the expense oI
the intellect. They have not hun