Telegram-herald., 1890-05-26

- Al--5 t-4s lesk u valley II TIE ONO,
elghteen miles below F1trsbuTg. Is a
peclll2< ylll4zs. inhabited ~ a peculiar
EeoEle. AlEAo1.5A pcssesssd II many
ullli1ons u dollars. tie people al thsI
town zxe precisely v here they were forty
years ago. Economy iS the naIns q this
town aud It's people are called the Econ
omites. although they, themselves. pro
Ter % 10 known as tho Harmony com
Euuity.
The Harmony community was found
ed by George Rzpp and his band u fol
lowers. numbering nearly COO, on FEB.
IS. 1908, az point II BuIles county. Pa.
twenty-five miles north of Plttsburg.
neaT what Is now Zelianople. Driven
tTom Germany By religious persecution
they decided On binding themselves III
perfect harmony G1d living only for
themselves All their Possessions We're
70 Do held n common; tho proceeds OF
their labor % 20 into one common trees
NY. For Ten years they were a pros
per0us and happy people. but began 70
realize that the selection Il the site Of
their town had been III advised. as 10
was twelve miles from tho Allegheny
river. After mature deliberatioa IL was
decided q 80 west, 50 tho 1000 acres Of
Land and their h,tie town were sold in
the spring OF lSl5 for 800. GOO. and the
colony moved toward the setting sun.
finally purchasing q. coo acres Of land
on the Wabash riyer Ia what IS now p0-
sey county, Ind. A new town II Har-
m0ny wos started. Ten years was spent
there, bat the country being new was
unhealthful, and another move was Co
eided upoa.
Strangely enough. the Indiana land
was sold TO another colony possessed Of
peculiar views. Just about the time the
EcOnomites had fully made up their
minds % make . change al Englshman
named Richard Flower. who represent
81 Robert Oweus community, Of New
Lauark. Scotland, appeared on the scene
and purchased Harmony and 20, GOO
acres for $50, 600 cash. II was a great
sacrifice. 4 steamboat was built and
the greater portion Of the band, now
numbering about 700. started for the
II D
Gmined. but finally the location they
now occupy was decided upon. This was
in 1928. Some $500 acres OF land was
purchased, and on accommodating plateau,
ilfty or more feet above the highest
waters of the river, the town was laid
out.
The question Of a name was a serious
one. Harmony was getting to be too
common. and although a large proper
tioa OF the community favored the name
for the third town, the name Economy
was decided upon. it being very sugges-
tive OF the ono great cardinal principle,
70 tho practice Of which they largely
owed their prosperity.
From the very first, the third and last
settlement Of the Harnonists wa. sue
cess. Their cattle increased, the crops
brought forth an hundred fold and the
health Of al improved. Thousands of
grape vines were planted, and many
acres were set out with fruit bearing
trees. As time rolled on WOODEN mill
was erected.
II was followed by cotton MIL and a
-four mill The -four Of the Economics
was always the whitest, the cotton the
purest, and the blankets and broadcloths
were not equalcd- 1t was here that the
first silk over made In tho United States
was produced. The silk worms were i'm
ported AID a factory built and filed with
all the necessary machinery, but it was
not q success on account of the difficulty
in producing the cOco0ns. However. the
silk was Of such an excellent quality that
garments made nearly half a century
ago are still to be seen in the quaint old
town. Fifty years ago all was activity.
Today everything Is as exactly the OPP
posite Is can b. imagined
4 hotel. Co,nmOGious and we'll kept.
was one If the attractions. and half
century ago its corridors and piazzas re-
sounded with the merry laughter Of sum
mer boarders, who for an extremely small
SUN obtained the best the market afford
ell. and at night found perfect rest in the
large. airy rooms. In winter sleighing
parties made the Economy hotel a favor
ite r ndezvous. au1 many old people os
the Ohio and Beaver valleys remember
with pleasure TIE winter suppcrs before
the biE. old fashioned fireplaces. But
tlne changes an things, oven the young
folks. VITA 10 more summer boaTde7s
or winter slo.Shirg parties. tle hotel was
often for wocks without guests. although
always readY for them To tho Eco1o-
mites ''tbe stranger within thy gates
was q charge entitled o. the best. but 10
was invariably entertained as the hotel
and net a. private house As timo
rolled or Che tramp took advantage q
these uususVectiuE people. aud one win
ter the hotel was maintained solely for
the s1tortainueut = q dozen ~ these
nom1ds. who lived IN the fat n the laud.
without money eld without price
Tranps are not now entertained. the in
poceut oil people having l.scoTered that
thcy were being imposed -ron.
Frr r1mber e years orc ~ the a.
t7acaons 20 Economy was tho museum
In the grsas pubho haii. three story
lr--i1iur on tha Esin street, was rnag-
nifcent collection cf old paintings and
2 museum Of rare minerals birds. shells.
inrecs. ETC.. besides a iarEe number e
Indian rrtcs ard several treasures
brought frm Germany hv the older
mem bers. When tke museHu became a
h1rlsn instead e q pleasure is vss eold
81 the Western university I'M A'isghe-v r.
On -ha C1-szl-fs p t1,e village there was
maintained f-r years a der us-k arl
near - cuTl o1siy constructed labyrinth
II ciosaiF -ri1nmes hedge. in the center
cf winch VAS a sunm1r house. Az are
- -he past
He t.-nsaris-r r-ar.. riras 81 -