The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-01-29
miscellaneous.
4 SINGULAR aoTEL.
A Visit to the Rappist Town, Economy.

hotel, kept on a reInar lable plan:
Economy has one of the lOyelieSt sit
uations Oh the Ohio river. IL stands IN
the midst of rich plain. with swelling
hills behind. protecting it from cold
wind in winter: magnificent reach OF
the river in view below, and tall hills
on the opposite shore - give ii pictur-
esque outlook. Tie tpwn begins on the
edge of the bluff, and under the shade
trees planted, there benches are ar
ranged, where, doubtless, the Harmon
lists take their comfort on summer even
in9s. in view of the river below them
and the village on the opposite shore.
Streets proceed at right angles with the
rivers course; and each street Is lined
with neat frame or brick bOuses, sur
rounding a square in SGch manner that
within each household has a sufficient
garden. The broad streets have neat
foot pavements of brick; the houses,
substantially built but nnpretentious,
are beautified by a singular arrangement
of grape vines, which are trained to
espaliers fixed to cover the spac,. be
tween the top of the IGWzT and the bot
tom of the upper windows. This man
ner of training vines gives the town
quite peculiar look, a. though the
houses had been crowned with green.
As you walk through the silent streets,
and pass the large Assembly Hall, the
church, and the hotel. it will occur to
you that these people had, when they
founded their place, the advantage Of
sensible architect. for. while there is not
the least pretense, all the building is
singularly solid and honest, and in the
larger houses the rOOf-lines have been
broken and managed with considerable
skill, so as to produce Il very pleasing
and satisfactory effect. Moreover. the
color of the bricks used in building has
chaneed to be deep and good, which is
no slight advantage to the place.
Neatness and a Sunday quiet are the
prevailing characteristics of Economy.
Once it was busy place, for II had cot
ton, silk, and wooden factories. brew
cry, and other industries: bu; Tie most
important of these have now ceased. and
as Won walk along the qniet, shady
streets. you meet only occasionally some
stout little old man. ia a short. light
blue Jacket. and tall and very broai-
briIDmed hat. lOo>in" amazingly Ike
Hendrick HudsOn's mrn in the play of
"R ID Van Wrinkle, or some comfortable
looking dame, in Norman cap and stuff
gown, Whose polite good day tn YOU
in German or English. a. IL may happen.
is not unrnixed with surprise at sight Of
a strange face; for. IL you will presently
discover at the hotel visitors are not
nova DAYS frequent Ia Economy.
The hotel is one of rhr largest houses
in the place; it is Of Two stories, with
L.. -, ~,
roomv fire places. large halls and II
really fine dining rOuIlls. AL srr.pulously
cIea=-. It was Oncr. beinr. the uiyS Of
railroads, n favorite slnpping-t -'-se-s --a'-
one OF the stage routes OIjJ of Pit.>bur.,;
in the well-built st;tbi' and barns orpo-
site there was room for twenty or thirty
horses; the dining room would seat leo
people: and here, during many years.
was Il favorite winter as well ~ summer
resort for PittsburSers. and an import
ant source of income to the Economists
When for the first time entered thu
sitting room on a chilly December morn
ing the venerable hut active landlord
was dusting chats and tables, and
looked up in SOME Hmazrment at tine
intrusion of traveller. Il can stay
here, suppose" said |, by way of intro
duction: and was answered. That
depends upon how long you want to
stay. We don't take people to board
here" BY assurance that | meant to
remain but two or three days, ami that
Ihad been recommended by Dir. Henrici,
the head of the society, secured me a
room; and the warning. ~ | went out
for a walk, that | musi b" i'm at IL 80.
promptly, to dine and by 4 80 for sup
per, because Other people had to eat
after NE, and ought not 70 be kept '.ait-
ing by reason of Iny carelesSnesS. ''FOT
which reason" added the landlord, lit
would be well for yon To come in and
be at hand quarter of an hour before
the time | have mentioned" When |
had dined and -upped and slept, saw
what loss TO PITT -hurErrS was the clos
ing of the Economy Hotel; for the Har
monists live well. auh are substantial
eaters in their German fashion. Nor
was any ceremony omitted because Of
the fewness Of guests; and old Joseph.
the butler and head waiter. who. as he
told me, came TO serve here fifty years
ago, and is now seventy-eight years old,
attended upon my meals a-T7iyed in Il
scrupuIously white APRON. ordered the
lass who was his subordinate, and occa-
sionaliy condescended to laugh nt my
Jokes. as befitted his place, with as
much precision and dignity "a when.
thirty or forty years q. h" used so
serve a houseful OF luncry travellers.
Later in the afternoon | discovered
the meaning of my landlords warrings
as TO punctuality. aS well aS the real iIS'.
of the Economy Hotel" A. sat be
fore the tire in my room, after supper. I
heard :hc door-beil riiS with fregUen-
cy. rs though an uncommon numb Of
travellers were applying for lodging.
and going down into The sitting room
about seven O'Clock. | discovered ther~-
an extraordinary collection of persons
ranged around f':n fire. and toaStirIg
their more or le<> ,iiispidated hOor~.
These were men IN al degrees of rag
gedness: men with one eye, or lame. or
crippled-tramps in fact. bPg-ars = q
supper and a nights longing They SAT
there. TO the number ot twenty. half
naked many of them. and not II bit
ashamed; with carpet-bags or without:
with clepn or dirty faces and clothes, a.
it might happen: hnt all hungry, ~
presently saw when table was drawn
ont about which ri,ey gathered. giving
their names TO be taken down on reg
lister. while 70 them eaHe Ii Harm mist
brother with hug. tray full Of tins
filed with coffee. aud another with a
still bigger tray OF bread.
Thereupon these waui"r,-rS fell to, and
having eaten as much bread and coffee
as they could l:oIl. gi-ry were consigned
to a house few doors away. Peeping
in at whose windows. by and by, ] saw
a large, cheerful coal fire, and be'!s for
the whole COMPANY
lyon ser, after you have eaten. the
table must be cleared, and then we eat !;
and then come t;r-se people. who haze
also to be fed. so that. unless we hurry
the women are heiatpi with their work, "
explained the landlord Of this curious
inn 70 me.
SIS this then, Il constant occurrence?
I asked in some amlzamert. and was
told that they fed here daily from fifteen
TO twenty five surh rrampS. asking ~,
questions. except tliat the person shall
not have been a regnlar heggsr from the
society. A constant provision Of coffee
and bread is made for them. and the
house set apart for their lodging has bed
accommodations for twenty men They
are expected to wash at the stable next
morning. and thereupon receive break
fast of bread. meat, and coffee. and suf-
| ferei to go on their way. Occasionally
/ the very destitute. If they seem TO be
destitute. receive also clothing