The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-01-09
AFTER YEARS OF CILIBACY
Economics Have Decided That Marriage
Is Hot q Failure.
A QaeeF People whose wealth IL Up
IN the Millions and WhO Live I'm
Houses without FFOncD0OFs.


New York Prsss: For eighty-six years
the Economics, members Of one Of the
queerest and richest societies Of men and
and women in the world, have shown
their belief that marriage Is q failure by
practicing the strictest celibacy. Word
now comes that they seriously cOntem-
plate introducing the institution Of mar
riage In their community in order TO
prevent the entire extinction Of the sOci-
ETY.. Jacob Henrici, their aged leader,
denies this, but most Of the few surviving
members favor It. Mr.. HenriCi is over
90 years old, and his death ID expected TO
bring about q change. It Is believed that
the adoption Of marriage will follow as .
matter Of course.
The Harmonites, almost invariably
called the Economics, are worth millions
Of dollars. They live in the town Of
Economy, which they own, including the
land for several miles around, in Beaver
county, Pa. All property is held in com
mon, and they live in the simplest style
imaginable. Out Of the once large COM
munity Of several hundred only 4 few
more than Q score Of members remain,
and nearly all these are past middle life.
George Rspp, born In Wurtembur0,
Germany, in l770, believed he had divine
call and was charged with the restoration
Of the Christian religion in Its original
purity. He organized the Harmonites ct
Wurtemburg on the principle Of the
primitive church, with all goods in COM
mon. A difference with the government
in regard to the form Of worship impelled
Rapp to transplant his community, in
1903, to Butler county, Pa, where he
founded the town Of Harmony. and the
community employed itself in agriculture
and manufactures. Considerable wealth
was acquired, but in 1915 the HaTmonites
removed to the territory Of Indiana, where
they had purchased 27,OOO acres Of land
on the banks Of the Wabash river. The
members soon shook SO with ague that
they could scarcely preserve their staid,
dignified bearing, and in 1924 another re-
moval was made to Beaver county, Pa,
where the town Of Economy was founded
on the right bank Of the Ohio river, Is
miles below PittsburH.
This community, Protestant and pros
porous, which observed the very strictest
morality, and paid much attention to ed
ucation, was serene in its contentment for
about eight years, at the end Of which
time q split occurred. Two hundred Of
the members who Withdrew were given
their share Of the property, and, going
down the river eight miles, settled on the
left bank Of the Ohio, establishing the
town Of Water Cure, just across the river
from the site Of old Fort Mcintosh, which
Is now Beaver, and only about three
miles from where Senator Quay was born.
The strictest celibacy was not practiced
by the new society, which was soon rent
by internal dissensions, and in the end
the members all left and got married.
Many Of their descendants to-day are
among Senator Quay's constituency in
''the state Of Beaver"
The original society kept on its simple
way, and to-day the same customs are
practiced and the same dress worn as
when it was organised almost . century
ago. The society owns the finest farming
land on the Ohio river, embracing the
lowland along the stream for about three
miles, and extending back five miles over
the gentle rolling platsaus. 1t Is doubtful
II there are in the United States farms
better cared for or in higher state Of cul-
t:vation, although the society is now 30
small that Il has To hire most Of It's labor.
The old houses Of Economy, built
nearly three-score years ago, are one
story bs!ck structures. and are kept in
good repair. None Of tbem have front
doors, although exception IL made 10 the
hotel, storehouse and factories. The en-
trance to private houses Is through yard
In the rear. Men and women never oc-
cupy the same building, nor, are they
allowed to 10 out after dark unless they
carry lanterns, which disclose the fact to
the rest Of the town. There 10 one baker,
one butcher, etc., and each day each
members supplies are served out 10 him
or her. Everybody works, unless totally
incapacitated by advanced age. Drones,
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