Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-02-07
PITTSBURGH.
The Strang Story Of . Peculiar
People.
Origin of the Raypists--Their Fha Settle
ment--Remoyet to Indiana Settle
ment at ecoapmy--Their FL
nanciai Ssccess.
THEIR DRESS AND lABiTS OF LIFE.

interesting history than the Harmony
Society or Rappists living AZ Economy,
village on the banks Of the Ohio, about
sixteen miles below this city.
This society was founded by George
Rapp, 4 higAly educated Gc-snan. who
seeded from orthodox chrissrnity on
the ground that he had tbe right
| to beliesc What he pleased, and
church WIN ne
pleased. In consequence OF the
persecution he met with in propogsting his
| peculiar doctrines in the Father Land
Rapp decided'to come to Americs. which
he did about the year lS02 or }. In 1904 he
was found by aboat three hundred OF his
| converts, who settled at Harmony, in what
is now Butler county, Pa, and about
twenty miles from the site Of the sooiety's
present location. In those early days,
| when Western Pennsylvania was for the
most part 4 Wilderness, these thrifty peo-
| pie had cleared large tracts OF lands on the
! hanks OF the Con,oquenessing. and hat as
| fine as farms as could be found along the
Rhine. About the only trace OF them now
| left at Harmony is the old walled grave
| yard. with its monster stone gate, swinging
on its hinges as perfectly as il did three
quarters of century ago.
In the year 1915, lurcd by the glowing
description of the western country, the
Rapists decided to abondon their Penn.
sylvania possessions, and they set up
New Harmony.
Indiana, where they purchased about 21.-
600 acres of land. AT this time they were
very prosperous aud numbered about n
thousand souls. In L<2i they tired OF their
new home and decided to return 10 Penn
Sylyania again. This time they purchased
a tract OF land on the banks Of the Ohio at
their present location, where they founded
village and called it Economy.
The Tenets o( the Rappists
are peculiar in that they teach u commu.
nifty of goods and thai all mankind will
ultimately be redeemed. They did not at
first teach celihacy and the ordinary family
relations were observed. They had been
organized hut few years, however until
this was made one VI the conditions Of
membership. After the adoption 0f cell.
bacy there were sixteen children born in
the Community. but the unfOrtunatcs were
allowed to remain in the fold. Noyices are
admitted after siY months probation, but
membership in tile society hold Quit 80 few
inducements to the young, except hard
work. that since tho practice OF celibacy
was begun their membership have gradu-
ally grown less until at present their mem.
bership does not number over sixty or sew.
cntv members and most OF these are men
well advanced in years. Any one leaving
the Community is allowed to take away
only what he brought.
Up until the time Of the settlement
~ Essaemy
the principal pursuit Of the Society was
agriculture, hut there they engaged in the
manufacture ~ w""Ia- .-~-I-;q -;.i.* "'a
several other industrial establishments,
and also engaged To. u considerable extent
in silk culture. short time since gen.
tlcman met Mr. Henrici, the chief man ot
the Society, when he wore hanesomc pair
of silk pantalooon, the material OF which
had been made soIae years before.
Having by this time, by their industry
and frugality, laid mp con siderable money,
they Began TO venture into various specu-
lations, oil, coal, railroads, etc, and with
almost uniform success As the member
ship OF the society grew less, their manu-
featuring concerns were abandoned one by
one until they were finally stopped COM
pletely, with the exception oi nourihe
mill. run simply for their own accomno-
dation As these industries were aband-
oned, more and more Of the soclely's capt
tai was put into -
and these OF themselves led 10 others, un-
Ill at present there are Few interests IN
Western Pennsylvania in which the Econ
umites, as they are generally called, are
not engaged and many OF their ventures
have led them into different States OF the
Union. To mention all thty are interested
in would .ake more ui your space than you
| could we'd afford. A partial list of their
possessions i n follows. At Economy
| they own =. .sD0 acres OF valuable agricultn'
| raj land; in the city OF l'eayer Falls
| 700 acres, near TidioCle, warren county,
| G. 600 acres ION this Land some Of the earliest
| oil discoveries in the Warren region were
made, the product ii which sold lnI $lJ per
| barren: Michigan. 400 acres vi mineral
| asd farming land an Immense tract al
| land in Dakota aud in this city their real
| estatp is valued NJ SjWDWsl In Beaver
| Falls they own thr E'oIoiuy Swings In
| stitu,imS. one OF the Staunchest BANKING
| concerns IN the country In the same town
| they have almost l!l'iop dollars invest
| ed in n cutlery works, they own largely IN
| n steel works. car WORKS. pottery work,
majority OF the stock Of the shovel works;
are interested in the gas aud water works.
| and the splendid water power OF the Beaver
| river at that point. They also Own many
dwellings and businest houses IN that
place. They own one fourth of the
capital stock of the Pi,isburg
and Lake Erie railroad. for which
they have been offered double its par value
by Vanderbilt and others. (Mr. Henrici is
now President Of this road They also
own the Little Sawmill Run Railroad. and
much of the valuable coal property reached
bv il; the Pittsburgh, CHARTERS and
| Youghioeheny Railroad now building,
and property along its proposed route;
they are large stockholders in the Birming-
ham Water Works. Of Pittsburgh the
Bridge Company OF Beaver Falls. and they
own the Beaver division Of the Erie Canal,
now vacated. They are also heavy awnas
in the stock OF the Pittsburgh, n. wayne
and Chicago Railroad
The Management
Ct these large interests is intrusted to Two
officers, known as trustees oi the com
munity. At present these are JscoD
Wenr;ci and Johnathan Lenz. both OF
whom are advanced in years. Mr.: Henrici
is the real manager of the whole business,
and n is since he las obtained control that
a large part OF their present wealth has
been scaiiired. He is remarkable man,
and although over eighty years OF age
accom- mplishes more in \ day than most
men do in a week. NJ
shreyd, cautious and yet 6oih' nen
once he takes boid OF sny prOjert Many
on,ar,,r;.e. thai have been on the point 0'
failure have bcen taken hole OF by the haf-
nnny society and nnder his able manage,
n,eni made successes. In addition 10 MS
. hn.;ness duties he finds time TO devote "
literature. and is man Of attainments 10
MANY scientific fields. He Is acomposei
7. and = remarkably fine musician, and be
sides this attends to the spiritual wants o
his flock. The physical vigof oi the mah
Is
/, SsmethisE wesAeSfsi
for his age. Heis almost constantly OF
+ the move, and personally visits and Iooal
after all the soeiety's numerous. concerns
4 The other day saw the venerable old gen
tlemsn try to hail street car, but not sns ~.
ceeding in attracting the atiennOn " ~; ~
. Conductor, he struck out at livery ea'
and soon succeeded in oyertakins u.
l. The Harmoni,ts are
4 yesy Desessiest. II
and there are fe. worthy charlie; 70 III III
/. vicinity 10 which they have nct ~
contributed. A few years; nnee ~.
adysnced enough money for .scsiy sG.a, sas
Or what similar % theirs 70 par. u M,cnt ,nsit
O. Owing to bad management tns ,S S 1890 ii
re a.. Rronosnitea - =