Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-28

x1LIroNs AccuxULATED.

Prospered In Western Penusyivanta-iuct'
dents Of ru Career.
A Youngstown correspondent OF the
Philadelphia Times says There has
ALWAYS conferred about the sect of Har-
mopists a halo of interest because OF
their peculiarities and seclusive ten
denotes. The founder Of this rich col
ony, located at Economy, on the banks
Of the Beaver river, was George Ray,
who was born in Wdrtemburg in ITO.
Believing he had divine call, and was
charged with restoration OF the
Christian religion to its original purity,
he organized colony on the model of
the Primitive Church, with goods and
cbattels in common. This soon involved
him and his following in trouble with his
Government and compelled him to
transplant the community, in 1903, to
the United States. They settled first
on the Connequenessing creek, in But
Ter county, where they founded the VII
lage Of Harmony and employed them
selves in agriculture and manufacture.
By industry and thrift they acquired
considerable wealth, and in 1915 they
removed in a body to Indiana, where
thew purchased and located upon
$4,000 acres of land along the banks OF
the Wabash river. The settlement OF
New Harmony was even more pros
porous than the first had been, but the
climate was not satisfactory. and in
| 1924. after numerous councils, they
sold out and moved back to Pennsylya-
MIA. this time locating in Beaver coun-
ty, on the right bank Of the Ohio river.
| where they purchased $500 acres of
beautiful farming lands and where they
soon afterwards laid out the town Of
Economy. Here is where they are To-
Gated at present, surrounded by peace
and plenty.
They are a strange people-do not
believe in marriage, but all live together
as brothers and sisters and practice the
strictest morality. b..
THE QUESTION OF MARRIAGE.
In 1882 the question of marriage was
| the leading one in the community, and
about 200 members withdrew because
they favored marriages and established
the town of Phillipsburg; but the new
colony did not prosper, and after few
years Of struggling they sold out and
disbanded, dividing the proceeds Of
their sales equally among all the men,
bers.
In the mean time the IIarmonists were
gradually becoming more and more
| wealthy, until at present they own joint
| " and in common lands, stocks, bonds,
and herds. the value of which is esti-
mated at SIS, 100000. Besides owning
all of Economy and large part of Bea-
yer, they own an entire county in Da-
kota, in the valley Of the Red river of
the North.
Out of their surplus moneys they
built and equipped the Pittsburgh and
Lake Erie railroad, running through a
rich and fertile country from Pittsburgh
TO Youngstown. and owned the con-
trolling interest in it until the road
was sold to the Vanderbilts. 1t is said
that OH this deal alone they made 10 per
cent. on their Investment, as the road
turned out to be one Of the best paying
lines in the country. 1t is matter OF
history that at the time the war broke
out, in 1861, they converted all their
bonds and available property into
money and buried it, using the treasure
afterwards in paying for the building Of
the railroad. The payments thus made
put in circulation an immense amount
of silver, many of the pieces dating
back to 1900.
| DIMINISHING IN NUMBERS.
Owing to the law prohibiting mar
riage the sect has gradually diminished,
until at present it consists of only
thirteen men and forty women, all OF
them well advanced in years. They
employ over three hundred servants
and farm-hands, and these, with their
families, make quite village. Every
thing is owned in common; the grocer,
the baker, the butcher, and the mikman
90 the rounds every day and supply
the different families with. the neces-
sites and a few of the Injuries Of life.
Nothing can be purchased in the village
Of Economy, and it is probably the
only town in the world where a man
cannot, even if he desires, spend mo-
ney. They are extremely liberal and
philanthropic and are constantly doing
acts of benevolence. Their houses,
which are all exactly alike, are an
equal distance apart and are a uni
form distance from the village street.
They are painted pure white, and
have no front doors, claiming that
if they had these conyeniences
the women folks would spend too
much time looking at and gossipping
with passers-by. A good story is re-
lated in this connection, that the presi-
dent of the community score of years
ago imagined that there was too much
familiarity between the young men and
maidens, and so promulgated an order
that all females appearing on the streets
after dark must carry lanterns but still
the merry-making continued, although
no lanterns appeared. This caused an
investigation, which developed the fact
that the worthy old gentleman had
neglected to order that the lanterns
should be lighted.
AS stated, there are now only thir-
teen men and forty women left Of the
once large colony, and they being old,
it is likely that the law against celibacy
will cause the determination Of the col
ony in few years more. According
TO their laws, as long as three of them
hold together the property is to remain
intact, but when one Of the final trio
dies the other two lose all right to the
property, and must leave. AS there
are no heirs, the s75, 1000, 900 which
they possess in real and personal pro
perty will come into the possession o.
the State Of Pennsylvania, and will
form a handsome legacy.
a pisenveFv year Jerusalem,