The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-08-05
,As AAaaoSisfs Of pennsylvania
Career and operation. Of the Peculiar

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Career and Operation, % the Peculiar
commuulty-Dylhg Out
.ITO1u-stpWn lohIol OR, Chieago Rsnidl
There has always centered about tho
( sect Of liarmonists q halo Of interest
because Of their peculiArities and seclu.
siyo tendencies. The founder OF this
rich colony, located at Economy, on The
ban1 Of the Beaver river, was George
Lay, who was born 10 Wurtemburg IN
lao. Belieying'he had a divine call
and was charged with a restoration
iot the Christian religion TO It's
Original purity, he organized
lied colony on the model Of tho prin.
ltiyo church, with goods and chatlels In
common. This soon involved him and
his followers in trouble with his govern.
ment, aud compelled him to transplant
the community, in lS0l, to tho nited
states. They settled FIRST on tue Con.
nequeneSsing creek, in Butler county,
where they founded the village Of Har.
mohy aud employed themselves in agfi.
culture and manufacture. By industry
and thrift they acquired considerable
wealth and in 1915 they removed in q
tody TO Indiana, where thpy purchased
and located upon 2i,e00 aores Of land
along the nauks o. tho Wabash river
The settlement of New Harmony was
even moro prosperous than the first had
BEEN but the climate was not satIsfac.
tory, and in lS2l, after numerous Coun.
cils, they sold out and moved back to
Pennsylvania, this time locating In
Beaver county, OH the right bank Of the
Ohio river, where they purchased $500
acres Of beautiful farming lands and
where they soon afterFard laid out the
town Of Economy. Here is where they
are located at present, surrounded by
peace and plenty. They are q strange
people-do not believe in marriage, but
all i've together as brothers and sisters
and practice the strictest morality.
In 1885 tho question Of marriage was
the leading one in the community and
about 2OJ members withdrew because
thej favored marriages and established
the town Of Phillipsburg, but the new
colony did not prosper, aud after q few
years struggling they sold out and dis
banded, dividing the proceeds of their
sales equally among all the members.
In the meantime the Harmonists were
gradually becoming more and more
wealthy, until at present they own
.Ointly and in common lands, stocks,
bonds and herds, the value Of which Is
estimated at $,5,OGO,OOO. EesilOs own
Ing al OF Economy and q large paIt Of
Beaver, they own an entire county in
Dakota, in the valley Of the Red River
Of the North.
Gut Of their surplus moneys they
bni.t and equipped the iitlsburg& Lake
/ rie railroad, running through rich
and fertile country from itisburg 10
oungstown, and owned tho controlling
interest in it until the road was sold to
tho Vanderbilts. 1t is said that on this
deal alone they made 10 per cent. OF
their investment, as the road turned
ont to be one Of tho best.paying lines
in the country. 1t is o matter Of his.
tory that at the time the war broke out,
in 1851, they converted all their bonds
and available property into money and
buried It, using the treasure afterwards
in paving for the building Of the rail.
road. The payments thus made put in
circulation an immense amount Of sill.
yer. many Of the PIECES dating back to
100.
Owing to tho law prohibiting mar.
rilge the sect has gradually diminished
until at present it consists Of only thir.
teen men and forty women, all Of them
well advanced in years. They employ
over 400 servants and farm
hands, and these, with their families,
make cutie a village. Everything Is
owned in common. The grocer, tho
baker, the butcher and the milkman 20
the rounds every day and supply tho
different families with tho necessities
and q few Of the luSuries OF life. Moth.
ing eau be lougat in the illage Of Econ
omy, and it Is probably the only town
in the world where a man cannot, even
If he desires, spend money. They arc
extremely liberal and philanthropic,
and aro constantly doing acts of
benevolcnco. Their houses, which
are all exactly alike, are an equal
distance apart, and arc at a
uniform distance from theyilIage street.
They are painted pure white and have
no front doors, claiming that II they
had these cOnveniGnces tho women folks
would spend too much time looking at
and gossiping with passers.by
A good story is related in this connec.
tiOn that the president Of tho commun.
ity score Of years ago imagined that
there was too much familiarity between
the young men and mMiOns, and so
promulgated IN or er that all females
appearing on the street after dark must
carry lanterns, but still tho merry. max.
ing continued, although no lanterns ap
peared. This caused an investigation,
which developed tho fact that tho
worthy old gentleman had neglected to
order that the lanterns should be
lighted.
AS stated, there aro now only thirteen
men and forty women 10 Of tho once
large colony. and they being old 1t is
likely that the law against celihacy will
cause the determination of the colony in
a few years more. According to their
laws, as long rs three of them hold to,
gether the property is to remain intact,
but when one Of tho final trio dies tho
other two lose all right to the property
and must leave. AS there are no heirs
the $4,000, 600 which they possess in
real and personal property will come
into tho possession OF tho state OF Penn.
sylyania, and will form a handsome
lpOqpv