The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-02
A PECULIAR PEOPLE.
Neither Marriage Nor Ownership of
Property Allowed.
From tie New York Star.

FROM ute %NeW OFk StuF.
PITTsBURG, Dec. 21.-The coming Feb. IS
will inaugurate the celebration at the
quaint little town Of Economy, eighteen
miles below here on the Ohio, the Sjth
anniversary of the founding Of one of the
most peculiar religious orders ever
known. Other orders there have been
which practiced celibacy and held their
goods in common, for a few years, when
dissensionS crept in, and the selfishness and
frailty common TO mankind put an end TO
the era of brotherly love, and the order
went to pieces. But the Economics for
eighty-five years have chung to the ideas of
George Rapp, their founder; have lived
| their quaint and kindly lives without
blemisn and without scandal; have amsssed
colossal wealth without acquiring the vices
that wealth sometimes brings, and are to
day united and seemingly happy band.
The anniversary meeting of next Feb
ruary is fraught with peculiar interest.
For the first time in many years the Econ
omiteS are about to take in new members.
OF the big band of Economics who came
to America in 1915, the society has dwin-
| died to thirty-fve members, and unless new
members are taken in the society must soon
pass into history.
The Economics are a notable class of
people. The society was formed at the be
ginning Of the century by George Rapp, in
Germany. He preached celibacy and the
common ownership of property as necessary
to return to the primitive christianity of
the apostles. When they first came to
America, in 1915, they founded the town of
Harmony, in Butler county, Pennsyl-
vania, where they engaged in manufact-
uring and farming. The society was soon
in a Furnishing condition, but for some
reason the members became dissatisfied and
emigrated to Indiana, where they purchased
&C, 900 acres of land on the Wabash river.
The fever and ague shook them out of all
! notion of life on the frontier. and couple
of years later they came back to Peansyl
vania and settled on the Ohio river, eighteen
| miles below Pittsburg, where they pur-
chased tract of land containing about
fifteen square miles, where they founded
Economy.
1t was shortly after this that the only
split in the society came up. faction
| about two hundred strong left Economy,
went down the river eight miles. and
| founded the town of Water Cure. But
separation from the leader seemed to take
away the stamina of the society, which
crumbled and went to pieces. Among their
last acts was the abolition of celibacy Then
the members married and settled down, and
| their descendants are among Senator Quay'S
| constituents in Beaver county.
But no other discussions shook the placid
| existence of the Economics. They cleared
! up their farms, founded silk manufactures
and iron manufactures, and maintained
| calm straightforward course, which event.
ually overcame the prejudice of the simple
country folks Of the section. They were a
| thrifty people, too, and the enterprise
which they founded furnished work for
many people, and filled the common Golfers
| of the society.
George Rapp remained their preacher,
! their teacher, their leader and their judge
up to the day of his death, in 1845, when
| Jacob Heinrich, his senior assistant sue
ceeded him, aud has been father to the
community ever since. He is now keen
eyed, leathery-visaged, bent old man of IS,
who looks good for another decade at least.
The Economic society to-day is immensely
wealthy. Probably S100,000,0O0 would
not be a large estimate of their
| possessions. In addition to their 10000
acres of improved land, valued at $500 per
acre, they have large stock interests in the
Pittsburg and Lake Erie railroad, and in
dozens of the big manufacturing and other
corporations of Pittsburg and Beaver Falls,
a brisk manufacturing city of 10000 inhab-
itants, which they founded some ten miles
below Economy. Next to the Vanderbilts,
the Economics are the LARGEST holders of
| Pittsburg aud Lake Erie railroad
stock, and their money built the road.
| 1t is a common sight at directors meetings
of the road to see old Jacob Heinrich, with
his black SLOUGH hat and quantity cut black
| clothing, hobbling into the meeting, where
| he is always treated with marked respect. He
always carries greasy old black handbag,
in which are his papers, his money, his
luncheon, etc., bottle OF homemade wine.
| Mr.. Henrici is keen man of bust ess, and
nearly every investment he has made of the
society money has brought back big re-
| turns.
This and the natural increase in their
wealth and their comparatively small ex-
pense have combined to fill their Golfers,
and it is the current belief among their
neighbors that the Economics have barrels
of gold and silver hidden away.
There were no drones in Economy. To
every man and woman was given an
allotted task Most of them are now too
I old to work, and the greater part Of their
manual labor is done by servants. The
men and women live in different
houses, and never go out at night with
out lighted lantern. There is a penalty
for not observing this. Filtration or con-
duct unbecoming good Economic is pun
ishable by Punishment. But the cases are
rare where this has been resorted to are
| few. In dress the Economics Of to-day
follow the style followed by George Rapp
nearly a century ago The men wear very
| PREDETERMINED low-crowneds broad felt