Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-07-30
THE RAPpIsr sErTLEA1ENT
- :, y. 8. go 60. s.

lLISOfNA(4AlsA--sa
(FFan the P1itsb1rEh DgpAteh4
EcoSoSfT. Beaver Co, Pa, July ZIP. NJ
/ Ny letter Of this morning was mneh too long
and yet many things which seemed to me of
interest in regard TO this community, were o.
mitteti, and viii now give them, If you think
! them worth the space
/ had not hitherto understood why the be-
loved leader. George RIpp, 50 plainly and SO
successfully insisted cellbacy among all the
members 1t seemed wonderful that any man
had succeeded, not only IN leading eight hun
dred people to adopt communism but with It
to Gnfiihit1te the passions strongest OF all; to IN
duce those who had lived as husband and
wife for years, to cohabit no ionger1 to sepe-
rate them as entirely as though neither passion
al nor affectional attractions had longer exis-
tence. That he succeeded. was q fact; why and
how, we could not understand. we know now,
however. Alr. Rapp read the Prophecies and m
terpreted them, as We discover, as teaching the
immediate coming Of Christ, aisd the near ap-
proach of the end Of 81 things 50 nc led ms
followers, bypreccpt md example, to rigid puri-
fieation from all the stains Of SIN; to the most
perfect selfnegatioa in all respects; and Taught
| them. thus conuueTiug thepaasfops, one by one,
| to attain fitness for tbs change. What he has
accomplished is seen in the quiet religious lyes
of these people; Q0T they are truly rehglous
people beyond all denial 90 their continuance,
their temperance, tthe fact that not soul In
the place uses tobacco, though most OF them
I once did } and their wonderfully harmoniousr
Iations They were and still are second advent
lists, In short, They yet look for '!ttle coming
of the endn as not distant, though still future.
We spoke Of the ingenuity of the members
As m evidence, besides many specimens of or
lnamental and useful home workmanship, their
| town clock is Of their own blacksniths fashion,
ing. although the two bells, we perceived, arc of
Gallagher's Pittsburgh casting. This clock, built
in the belfry of the church, has four faces, with
as many hands for all points. 1t has two bells.
The smaller strikes both the hours and the quar-
tiers; the greater, which IS very large strikes the
/ hours only-following Immediately when the
smaller ceases. The time is perfect The bells
are also SWING to ring
The garden. at Mr.. Rapp's former residence,
is well laid out, with fountain and fish pond,
grotto, On which is statue of the Goddess OF
I Harmony, presented by citizen OF Philadel-
ohial arbors. flowers &c, in great variety,
showing both refinement and culture but 1t IS
/ much less beautiful than In the younger days OF
the community.
We are informed their graveyard is one Of
1 their orchards We did not see it, butt would
have been useless to do SO, as all the ground, We
learn, is leveed smoothly, so that no grave spot
is known. This, we presume, was one OF Mr.
Rapp's peculiar provisions. He, as we are as
sured by his people, asked distinction for
himself. His people insisted on building for
him larger and more snowy house, with orna-
lnented grounds, SO that strangers might recog-
nize his prominence among them, but ne
himself had preferred and occupied one OF
the plainest frame houses in the Village.-
To his family he would bequeathe no special
distinction Of position or tilte-their only lega-
cy was equality in all things with all the rest;
I his grave was to be unmarked from that Of the
humblest Is it strange that such a man should
be loved and venerated2 that his old companions
speak of him as q father, and yetquote his coun-
Pal
or. OF his faith i'll prayer, this Bnecdote was
told us. He came TO Pittsburgh about the first
wear Of the settlement of the community at Old
Harmony to obtain some neccssaries. The crop
was in the ground and promised well, but the
: means Of the community were exhausted, some
debts already incurred, and these things must be
had on credit This was bluntly refused, tho
scheme was thought chimcrical and merchants
would risk no more The Founder was in dis
trcss as the community must have the articles
or suffer want His sole resource was prayer,
and four times during that night he rose from his
bed to pray. In the morning, rs y said, with
out further solicitation the merchants came and
Offered the goods on the terms asked. That was
the last great strait Of the society.
i We spoke of the advanced age of the MEM
!, lbers yesterday. One is now over ninety-two;
one or two others over ninety. strong argu-
lnent in favor of industrious, quiet, temperate,
regular lives is furnished here, in the remar6a-
F of these people. Consider that on the 18th of
February, 1905, these people first settled in Old
: Harmony; follow them through these fifty-one
years, and think that the youngest of those
then of age must now be over seventy-tTo, and
one can hardly realize that those are the people
stepping so lightly before him, with faces so
full of health, frames SO stalwart. Jscobina,
the head cook at the hotel, has occupied that
same place for thirty odd years. Shemust have
been minor at the coming over, as she is now
) only sixty-eight being maiden lady, her
, age may be greater-not probably less y Still
she cooks at TINT hot stove, in summer and win
ter for all the house, although joint heircss of
{ millions.
But we must break off at once, or our read
r ers will tire, as they may not enter into our
: feelings towards these interesting people. We
5 are really glad that they have succeeded so far
: with their community. The world may sneer,
but here is demonstration that religious COM
} munity can dwell together aud prosper. A fu-
tlre day may furnish moro perfect "Harmo-
7 NY" which will not do till man isredtemed.
R. c. z.
SIZE p.