Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-09-21
/ QT1INT IILL1GE


where Nobody Ever Mnrrie- aud EV-
erybOdy il wealthy.
Letter to the Philadelphia Press
In the most singular and absolutely
unique village Of Economy, Pa. built in
1925 by that strange sect of communist,
celibatc. mystico- -petists known as the lIar
munists or Economics, who, with their
great army Of hired lahorers still comprise
its only inhabitants, | witnessed some time
since procession and a ceremony which
for novelty and quuintness ii would bc i'm
possible to parallel in all the length and
breadth of our great country. These oh
servances were in honor Of the SD ami
vcrsary Of the founding Of the Harmony
spriety.
1t was on February H. 1903, that the
late George Rapp aud hi, 600 disciples, who
had fled with him to this country to escape
religious persecution in their German Fad.
erland and to enjoy the privilege of wor-
Shipping God in their own way, established
in Butler county, near Pittsburg, Pa, their
,ucialistic thcocratic community upon the
/ principle Of holding all property in com
mon. aud gave IN it the name Of the Har
muny society From that time to the pres
/ rnt. among all the vlcisstudes through
/ which the society has passed such as the
] separation of husbands aud wives, and the
abolition of marriage 10y the adoption of
| the rigid practice of relihacy in lNO1, the
removal of the community to Indiana in
/ 1919. and the second removal to il, present
/ location at Economy in lS2i-the 10Th Of
/ February has every year been sgcredly
kept The llarmonist,' town of Economy
is one of the most beautiful and picturesque
in the world
The scene presented to view ON this oc
,1,on in the quaint old sanctuary where
| Father }app preached and prayed for So
many wears. and where the whole com.
muuity first assembled at O'Clock to offer
thanks to God for having preserved their
society in peace and prosperity for nearly
a century. was a sad one The adoption Of
relihncv in lNu;, two years after their or
tnnizatinn checked Of course, the natural
growth of their community. but for "A few
wears their numbers were maintained and
even increased by the reception of new
members who at frequent intervals came
from Germany to join them. Many of
these accessons were descendants or rela-
tives Of the original founders In the fall
nf 1917. 1870 such were received into mem
hership Mt one time But these additions
gradually diminished and finally ceased al.
together For many decades no new mem
hers were received, though the society has
Mt all times been willing aud anxious, as it
still is, to accept as members any desirable
per,nn who will subscribe to their doctrine,
and conform to their mode of life. For
year, past they have had indentured to
them hy parents many young German
people of both sexes whom they would have
been very glad to receive into full com
munion. hut Young Germany has become
Young America, and is not disposed to sub
init 10 the want Of personal property, per
,nnal liberty and a wife or husband. even
though compensated 10y all the advantages
secured 10y membership in an enormously
wealthy communiStic association Six new
members were received last year. They
were all men ranging in age from - to 60
But even with their addition the commuu
tv now numbers only some II or l3 men
and about - women, several of whom are
hrdrdden from sickness and old age, and
it was "A melancholy sight to see gathered
in the church only those few remaining
aged members out Of the 1000 who once
acknowledged the firm but gentle sway of
lead and gone Father Rapp. To cult
vate the Harmonists' 3juOacr of farming
D land. to develop their rich oil and natural
gas territory aud to carry ON the various
handcrafts necessary to make good the
wear and tear Of shoes, clothing, wagons
harness, etc, in their community, small
army of working people is required, and
400 Of them are employed 10y the Harmon
i,ts and live with them in Economy
a Formerly the opposition of the society t
= | marriage was SO strong that they woul'
not have any married persons in their EN-
plov, but experience has taught them tha
married men with their wives and children
r are the steadest and most industrious claS
$ of working people. Accordingly they nov
Il hire families in preference to any othe
], kind of .'help' To each one Of these fam
F. ilies house aud garden have been assign
Ii ed Every habtable house is occupied, an
the pavements are overrun with children
IL. Besides neat house to live in, rent free
=, all these hired people are found" by tn
=, society in every thing but their clothes
:. while the meat milk bread vegetables an
i, every thing else supplied to them are c
~, best quality. The society's wagons Z
. through the streets and supply these thing
to each family according to their need
without money and without price. Saw
in the matter of celibacy all persons in tn
IS employ of the Harmouists are required {
" observe all the rules of the society quite d
es rigidly rs if they were members of it,
X The government of this little kingdom
IT,, still, as it always has BEEN strictly patr
Il archal. Jacob Henricl, AN active, ali
err man despite his 81 winters, has filled Faith,
ly | Rapps place, as head of the communit
m for many years He is its prophet prie
p and king. In all matters his word Is Law
II, # is enough for any one i'm Economy
IL know that Father Henrici says it, to sa
's, isfy him or her ON any subject whatevc
NJ lie is the absolute dictator of the place an
er its people, but he is as fatherly in his kindne
nd AS in his severity To outsiders, the rul
yn and regulations to which every inhabta
'ld of Economy is compelled to rigidly co
ne form, may seem somewhat primitive Al
mt exacting, Every one Is required tn attel
't. church twice every Sunday and hear II
NJ sermons from Father IIenrc Any o.
m. found out of bed after . O'Clock on Al
ny night is Immediately banshed from {
ed town, and all are required to rise at tn
led poetic and lyric hour, - o'clock in t
in morning In addition TO three of
.d. squarest possible square meals daily, ir
lily luncheon is served to the whole communi
She at . o'clock every morning and at 3 eve
as afternoon, and at each of these hours
my pint of wine il meted out to every ma
lSh woman and child.
he Order is maintained 10y one day and q
the night watchman The latter while goi
he his rounds continues the old time pract
w. of calling the hours and to each Of his d
ink nouncements adds the following or SINH
words Another hour is past and a st
made nearer our end. Our time runs NV
and the joys of heaven are our rewar'
the Though the Harmonists have come to toll
, "A ate married people, they are bitterly opp
the ed to having any courting done upon tn
the land They require all the fathers a
rth mothers in their employ to keep strict wa
m and ward over their sons and daughte
the that the sexes may constantly be kept as
,er. apart as possible young man and yol
g. woman seen out walking together, or loi
!. a ly engaged in any other harmless pastil
The would he Immediately required 10 leI
in Economy. To render it impossible
bc Young men and women 10 walk upon
nv. streets together in the evening without
will servation a lantern was placed in ev
The family, aud an inviolable rule was made
the Father Henrici that every young girl y
re- had occasion 10 20 upon the street al
nightfal should light it aud carry 1t N