Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-02-09


to Rapp moved with him to Indiana,
where another Harmony was founded.
Disease attacked the new Village and
reduced tie number of its Inhabitants
so greatly that the remaining ones fled
back to Pennsylvania. In 1925 they
bought $500 acres Of land in most
beautiful valley near Pittsburg, Here
they settled and here those of them who
are still alive, live to day. The mis-
fortunes that bcfell them in the two
Harmony settlements caused them to
change the name. They called their
new home Economy and themselves
Economics. The memters who dc.
serted the Harmonites either died out
or became rs other citizens OF the
globe. hany of their descendants are
well known p, ople in AID around Il
legheny City.
About one thousand members first
settled in Economy, but as their mum
Der was never increased by birth or by
adoption, and as death occasionally
invaded there homes, there remain at
the present time not moro than eight
cen members, the youngest of whom is
sixty two years old When they first
took VOWS OF cel,bacy they believed
that the world was nearing Is end, and
so they Ii, ed simple lives, preparing for
the mysterious hereafter. George
Rapp just before he died, told the
others the world would surely end
before the last member died They
believe it
On entering the village one sees plain
houses, vide. well-kept streets, lined
on either side with large shade trees
and ch ckens nothing else. 1t is
most unusual sight to see any people
on the streets The thrifty appearance
alone prevents visitor from thinking
it deserted village or imagining that
the inhabitants were -ating the
princes arrival 10 awake them from a
century long sleep. The houses are all
alike. They are all built with the gable
end towards the street and cannot be
entered except through the yards.
There are no front stoops to fall over
in Economy Grape vines are trained
TO cover the street side of all he houses
but they are pruned so as not to inter
fere with the liyht of the windows.
The men are housekeepers, and 80
are the wo en-. They never mingle,
the dress OF all. Everything is on an
equality The men wear blue broad
cloth long Ia led coats, wide trousers
and broad brimmed black hats On
holidays the broadcloth is changed
for blue silk attire. The women wear
straight, full skirts, gathered on a
plain waist of blue flannel. gipgham or
silk. Their heads, indoor and out, are
always picturesquely attired in bright
blue sllken Normandy caps,
The oldest citizen OF this part of
Pennsylvania still remember and speaks
Of the wonderful brOadcloth, llannels,
blankets, f onomy whisky and wine
they obtained from the Economics
The factories are all silent and deserted
now, and the memt ers have long since
grown too feeble for hard labor. 1t
was in Economy that silk culture and
manufacture on large scale were frs
begun in the United States
Everything in economy IS run by rule
and regulation much as AT boarding
school. AT o'clock in the morning
the bell on The one church rings and
every ore in tie village rises At 6
O'Clock eve dweller sits down to
breakfast and what is g ten IN one house
is eaten in all. There is a day for
milk soup" and one fer "wine soup
and for every ,ther dish peculiar to tn
place. The bell ings again at o'clock
for all to go to work; at 9 it brings
them back TO lunch, at II to d nner, at
to lunch again, at 6 to supper, aud at
0 it rings for every one to put out his
light and go TO bed. No member ever
rebels or disobeys.
There is VINE cellar in Economy
famous for It's cd liquors, ut it is never
sold except To invalids. None of the
Ecor omists drink water and their
employees are given wine and CIDER.
Visitors arr AL cordially hel led 10 wine
and cake, DO matter how short their
call.
The only paper published in E onomy
is novel one on Wheels. IL is the lie
of the milk wagon which carries to
each dwelier, ~ well a. the milk. the
work to be doue. The apples will be
gathered Tomorrow. 1.-The cherries
will be gathered to morrow" or Such
a field vii lie raped. is inscr bed on
the wagons side SO that when ali ar
supplied with their daily portion of
milk they know what labor awaits
tn sm.
The store. pos;oiiice, hotel. ciIurc.,,
town hail and Rapp mansion are all
situated nrar the cen or of the village
Tho ore is strs 20 hooking place,
with little else ;haa n r,ltes, thread aui
a lew dishes FIR saio. ycrythiug is