The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-21
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
THREATENED DISRUPTION OF THE
ODD LITTLE COMMUNITY.

the Wealth of the Society Upon the
Death of their Leader-History of
Peculiar Sect.
From the Philadelphia Press.
PITTsBURG, Aug 15.-Jocob Heinrich. the
venerable leader of the Harmonites, is now
the only barrier to the disruption Of the
society, which has for almost a century ex-
isted in the quaint old town known the
world over as Economy. In the course OF
natural events Mr.. Heinrich cannot live
much longer. He has now reached the ripe
old age of Sc, and the past year his nearest
and dearest friends have been brought to a
realization that the time is nigh at hand
when dissension and legal stride will usurp
the place where harmony and good feeling
existed for so many years.
Already the dark cloud Of Jealousy and
scrambling after the wealth OF the society Is
lowering over the little town, now almost
deserted, ready to burst into an endless
number of legal suits, and with the death OF
Aresident Heinrich it will descend wish all
the fury that the so-called legal heirs can
bring to bear.
One of the first principles on which the
society was founded, and one that the
rounder, George Rapp, imposed upon the
members under the penalty of Punishment
and thousands Of years of future punisnish-
ment, was that no member save those IN
the council and the head or the society
should hold intercourse or converse with
the outside world. The fact of their being
Of foreign birth and speaking foreign
tongue was Of vast assistance to Father
Rapp in carrying out the monarchlal law:
Father Rapp realized that ignorance and
servility were the only feasible means OF
keeping the society together. and this could
not be accomplished if the working MEM
bers were educated in American customs
and the English language. Father Rapp
was an autocrat in the strctest sense OF the
word, and no king or foreign potentate ever
welded a mighty power over nation as
did Father Rapp hold over the Economics.
His word was law, and no one was per
mitteG to even question his slightest wish.
TRAINING NEW MEMBERS.
Mr.. Heinrich has made a long, but none
the less. futile effort TO perpetuate the So
ciety by taxing in from time to time new
members, training them up in the manner
and customs of the society and placing
them in positions of authority over the
legal aud direct descendants OF the original
members, and 1T is attributed to this fact
that the disruption has been brought so
nigh at hand. AS the sons and daughters Of
the founders of the society attained the age
of maturity they could not be kept in the
ignorant and servile state by which their
parents were ruled, even by the venerable
president, and while there has not yet been
a public clamor for public rights, it is ouly
out of respect for Mr.. Heinrich that the
smouldering embsrs of dissatisfaction have
not already been famed into a raging
fams.
For years past, innumerable have been
ha and aHOntad nv ditfarR1f
parties to secure control of the vast estate
| of the economies. Sharp, shrewd men, 1t Is
| alleged, have even gone SO far as to join the
society, i'll expectation that after few
years they would be able to grasp within
their hands the much-coveted prize. But
| all such etforte have been futile, for there
eeems to be strange fatality connected
with all who are appointed to the positlo
second in command to the aged patriarch
| Others. however, who have remained out
side the fold have been more successful, a.
it is rumored that they are in position
when the disrup ion occurs to present claims
that will put them in possession Of much oil
the wealth of the Economics. For TIN
first time in the history of the society, it Il
said, the Economics are borrowing money
to enable them to carry Oh the vast works
that are dotted over the western portion Of
| the state.
Time and decay worked upon th'
mental as we'll as the physica
powers of Mr.. Heinrich until he il
no longer capable of exhibiting the
shrewd, sharp business principles that 81
marked all his in vestments and transactions
The brief term in which he served as presi
dent o. the Pittsburg and Lake Erie rail
road was disastrous to both body and mind
THE TOWN OF NEW HARMONY.
The town Of New Harmony was laid out
in opposition to the judgment OF Mr.. Hen
rici he foresaw that tue labor and money
necessary to push it to successful completion
would have to be largely intrusted to out
siders, but Mr.. LEM, who was then second
in power, insisted that the investment was
a iudlcious one, end the farm was purchased
in opposition to the protests of Mr.. Henrici
The manufacture of brick was engaged IL
on a scale never before attempted In this
vicinity, houses were erected, and at least
| $3.50, 600 invested in putting the new town
| in working order. The dissension that arose
| between Mr.. Heinrich and Mr.. LEM esulted
| in breach of friendship which had pre-
viously existed for almost three-quarters OF
| a century and which was not healed at the
| time of the latter's death, which occurred
| last winter.
Mr.. Ernest Woelfel undertook to carry
the new town to completion and success,
but he, too. died, and the village OF Ne"
Harmony is without neau. Inc Drich
business was not the financial success It's
founder had hoped for, and thousands OF
dollars of the early Economics hard saw
ings have been expended in order to avert
| the financial ruin of the new town. IL Is
this alleged mismanagement of the so-callec
| carpet-haggers that has caused such wal
| of Indignation to arise from the claimants
to the Economics estate, who are scattered
from enc end of the United States to the
| other.
| EARLY HISTORY OF THE HARMoNITES. u
| George Rapp, the organizer and founder
of the harmonites, was by trade weaver
in Germany. Not meeting with fnancla
success, he finally drifted in the vineyards
where he labored for a mere pitJance.
While working alone in the vineyard on
clear summers day, according to Father
| Rapp, the angel of God made himself known
and called him to cease labor for man anc
come to work i'll his garden. In order tc
fully test the devine call, Father RapI
made supplcation to his father, asking fol
a temperance of the Holy Ghost. The
PRAYER vas this That it will be the Lord
will thas he should forsake his country anc
church and that it be made known to hin
in convincing manner. Mr.. Rapp said
Lord, if it is thy will, let the call come II
the form of rain from the heavens. L
within the hour the rain fall from cleal
sky. then will I come to thee" Almost in
stantly great torrents OF ralu fell, and th'
future of the Harmonists was toreordalne(
,;,-o,,,,ata pna-the will of God