Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-08-04
EVENING STAR.
The Rappite Community of Penusylvsnia

| Inls pIace was nnlsned long ago. The COM
munity or society once numbered eight hun.
| dred souls; they are now less than three
hundred. From onethird to one-half the
houses are tenantless. Neat, comfortable
| dwellings, both brick and frame, are " voice.
less as the grave" Elsewhere in the town.
| all is still enough, indeed, at most hours O.
| day or night, save for the strangers who come
to relieve the quietude. After 9 clock, p.
| 10 not football is to be heard, save when a
| traveller drops in from the road, or a locomo-
| tive snorts by with its rattle and clatter.
At 81 m, all who hope to eat breakfast
must be ready to sit down at the hotel table
| those who are laggard will have sound
| scolding, most surely, from Joseph" the
worthy host, who occupies that troublesome
| post for his share of duty as a member of the
society, aided, as far as practicable, by " Da-
vid, another excellent little fellow, who, in
addition to the duties of cutting tailor and
barber for the whole community, also helps
Joseph at the tavern.
The fashions do not vary much, however
| and probably David has not an onerous post
as tailor; but L observe with much sur
prise, that every grown male member Of the
| community is shaved, at least on Sabbath,
though all wear whiskers great or small.
The community seems 10 be pretty evenly
divided, male and female-the latter almost
as hearty in appearance as the former. The
Harmony, Butler county, in 1906; finding
themselves too far from navigable waters and
markets, they removed thence, about ten
years afterwards to New Harmony, on the
Wabash river, in Indiana. Here, owing to
the unhealthy climate, many died, and the
community again removed in lS2i-35 to their
present location having remained a each of
the places hrSt chosen about ten years, and
here, to the present time, thirty odd years.
George Rapp, their beloved leader from Ger
many, came here with them
He had adopted son called Frederick, who
also came to this place, and died before his
adopted father. George Rspp died in the
fail Of lS47-then in his ninetieth year He
had preached more than fifty years; had led
his people in all their wanderings, from Ger
many to their last Promised Land here
and when ali was settled hopefully, the com
munity prospering beyond its most sanguine
expectations, he prepared to lay down his
shepherd S crook, and summoning his people
around his window, in the yard of his dwelling,
he thence delivered 10 them his last discourse;
and though of age so advanced, and on the
grave 5 verge, his voice was yet strong enough
to be heard for half square. During that
same week he died, and lies buried, like ell
the rest, in the common lot, without even a
hlllock to show where he lies. Mr.. Il. L. Ba-
ker, very able and worthy man, succeeded
In the spiritual and temporal leadership Of
the society. More recently, NJ. Henrici, the
very intelligent treasurer of the society, has
been appointed joint trustee with Mr.. Baker
In the society, as is known, there is per-
feet equality in all respects; all are proprie-
tors, all equal in rights and dignity, none are
bIreliEgs. The cook at the hotel, who for
thirty odd years has occupied that post, Da-
vid, the tailor, barber, &c, and all, Of what
ever occupation, stand alike respected. TIE
people are all pleasant and kind, nothing of
austerity about them-excepto on Sunday-and
then they appear truly plain, devout worship
pers
We attended morning service in the nice
cool church yesterday. Mr.. Baker led the
services, with two old men sitting Oh either
side of him in the pulpit The choir had about
twenty-four performers, male and female.
Two planes were in lieu of an organ; Miss
Gertrude Rapp played one and Mr.. Henrici
the other, the music rather monotonous, but
fair. The services were-frst music. sing
ing, &c; then prayer; then a chapter, SER
mon, singing, and prayer. For the frst prayer,
all rOse; during the succeeding service preach
er and audience satin the last prayer lean
ing forward. On entering the church the men
and women came in by different doors and
took opposite sides OF the house On leaving
the men sat waiting till all the women had
gone out and the coast was clear; then the
preacher led out, and the other male people
followed. We omitted TO say that, at the
close Of each division of the service, the su-
dlence responded " amen" in what sounds ex-
actly like sharp, quick cultural " ugh 80
and rather startes, at first All the men wear
blue clothing-all the women blue clothing,
with silk caps Of exactly the same make aud
naterial-as if moulded. The ceiling of the
church is arched handsomely, and il is also
painted blue-bright blue. Blue is "the
rage" here, decidedly
L estimated, pretty accurately, the congre-
cation at 225-thc balance of the near 800
were confined ut home by their ayocations, or
by ege and infrmity. There are a few young
people, and even saw one infant child whose
parents recently joined the community, but
the average age OF the members is computed
to be now over sixty, and some are over nine
t.; so that death must soon be husy thinning
out their ranks. L observed very few totter-
ing steps, but nine-tenths of the men are bald,
and most of tie others gray; the women look
moro fresh; some wear wigs.
The evidences of decline and decay are man
ifest painfully, and teach a sad Lesson of NOR
tali.y Count Leon took away about $50 of
the original 500; others left at other times
death has reaped many; and less than 800
remain. The advance of age and decrease of
numbers compel a curtailment Of occupations
Silk manufacture is therefore abandoned:
cotton and wOOllen manufactures are confined
now to the little winter work for their own
wear; SO Of tanning and other employments
The museum is gone long ago; their music
bands are no longer kept up; even IN the har-
vest fields they must hire help, and reduce
the amount of land in cultivation. They have
fifty of the finest milch cows ever saw, AMI
even this spring Mr. Baker purchased FIVE
hundred dollar bull, and eight or nine cows
at two hundred each, for improved stock; they
have also the choicest variety Of Shangnae
and other fowls in thousands; but of sheep.
only two hundred for mutton; none for wool
of hogs about seventyfve, which are bought
for fattening and killing alone each year, as
they raise none of horses, about fifty head.
for ploughing, &c. Every dumb animal is
kindly tended-all are as fat as can be-and
neither man nor brute is overtasked.
The people feel independent, and care very
little for accumulation at present; hence they
labor regularly, but never hurreily, and tae
hotel is kept up as a matter of public accom-
modatiOn. They own some five thousand
acres of land, worth say 500 per acre; add
value Of town buildings, money, stock. 60.
they cannot be worth less than two millions.
believe. They are kind to the poor; a house