The record-union., 1891-11-23
The Curious People of Economy
Pennsylvania.
All Their Property Is Held in Com
mon-Their Idea of the Creation
and the Fall of Nan-The Quaint
Church and Tower.

y,
founded in 1906 by company Of several
hundred Germans, half of whom landed
at Philadelphia. They were brought over
at the instigation of one Herr Rapp, who
had preceded his religious followers to
look up suitable settlement. Five hun
dred of the beautiful and productive
acres upon which these Economics then
settled, upon which the remaining num-
Der, only about forty souls now, still
abide, were at that time purchased from
the grandfather of James q. Blaine.
The town has one of the loveliest situa-
tons imaginable. 1t begins on the very
edge of bluff overlooking the Ohio
River. The streets are at right angles
with the rivers course, and prettily bor-
dered with shade trees, back of which sit
the prim houses, commonly minus
front door, and so spaced that each house
hold has its own kitchen garden. An
other popularity about the houses is a
singular decoration of grapevines, which
are trained to espaliers so as to cover the
space between the tops of the lower win
dows and the bottom of the upper win
dows. The vines grow in yandykes, and
you have no idea how oddly pretty is
such an arrangement. This decoration is
general. Notice the economy" in grow
ing the profitable grape for decorative
effect instead of the merely ornamental
vines commonly used for this purpose.
Your quiet here will not be disturbed
by so much as the ring Of door-bell, nor
by any sound more startling than the
Sunday-lilSe crow of the finely-bred and
very numerous rooster which has the full
freedom of the hamlet, or mayhap by the
rumble of the distant train or the puff of
thelocomotive under the bluff Economy
might fifty be called the silent village.
The now deserted factories and breweries
attest that once this was a busy, and, in
consequence, noisy place. This, in
early days, when the society numbered
hundreds. A Rip Van Wrinkle lethargy
has fallen upon the place now. AS you
walk the silent, well-kept streets you
will likely meet only an occasional little
old man in light-blue jacket and tall
broad brimmed hat, quite suggestive of
that worn by our Quakers. Or perchance
one of tho home-like DANES may be
abroad in Norman cap and stuff gown.
If so, their surprise upon meeting you, u
stranger, and so differently dressed, viii
not cause them to forget the courteous
good day" they religiouSly give you.
There is nothing in the manner or ap-
pearauce Of these uncommon people to
give you a suspicion Of millions, yet, in
the language of the street, ''that is the
size of it," Forty millions on the coop
eratiye or Bellamy plan-in land, gas, oil
and railroad and bank stocks. Only
about forty members OF the society at
present, the majority having reached, and
several having passed the three-score-
2nd-ten limit. And what eventually is
to become of the millions? The very ques-
tian L asked, and was told, ''The Lord
would take care OF that
You can spend your time uniquely
here, seeing things Of interest to be found
nowhere else. Your patronage is not
solicited and your presence not particu-
1arly desirable. Yet, if you are sweetly
persuasive, you can find accommodations
at the one hotel which, like the one store,
belongs to the society and is not run for
money. The town really prefers to be
left alone, but never is at this season.
The hotel before railroad days, was the
1avorite stopping place on one Of the
main stage routes out Of Pittsburg. If
you are too poor to pay as you go, you
are as welcome as ifa millionaire, and
both bed and board is yours without
money and without price" If you are a
tramp you will find an annex hotel kept
up on purpose for your brotherhood,
where you will meet travellers from ali
points of the terrestrial compass. To the
inquiry, How do you know these are
worthy ones?' you will be answered,
''We don't know. But that makes no
difference. Better feed dozen unworthy
men than refuse a deserving one" How's
that for real charity?
You will be interested in the wonder
ful wine cellars, and in seeing the hun
dreds OF casks containing 1000 gallons
each, and if you are little less queer in
your temperance notions than these peo-
pie in their religious opinions, then you
will enjoy testing the different brands
and agree with me that the wines manu-
factured here are fine. 1t will seem
strange to you to see the little brown
-
TO be filed simply for the asking-each
family being entitled to so much, "for
the stoDlach's sake" per diem. No guest
is permitted to depart without nip and
souviner bottle. Their hospitality is on
a very generous scale all the way through
Though not gormandizers, they live well.
Their cattle are all blooded, many of
them imported from Germany; therefore
the richest cream and sweetest butter are
yours, together with fresh vegetables
cooked to the queens taste.
At the cooperative laundry, which, by
the way, is supplied with modern ma
chinery, you will see a novel wash day.
Zach family has this day only once in
three weeks, and they go in families. sew
eral washing the same day.
AT the store supplies are given out as is
the wine, simply for the asking. Each
one is supposed to have earned ali he can
consume. As each labors for all there is
There is no room for waste, since there are
no opportunities for using more than can
be eaten or worn. Your interest will
center in the "big house, or as l prefer
TO call it, the executive mansion of econo-
my. In this house live the religious and
financial heads of the community, old
Father Henrici, the present and third
religious leader. young Mr.. Duss, the
present financial manager, and Father
6enrlcIs successor, and several others.
Mr.. Duss is a scholar and gentleman in
all that those terms imply. His one
time wife, by whom he has two children,
is beautiful and womanly. These peo-
pie, aged 81 years respectively, two years
ago took the VOW of ceIibacy and became
leaders in the order. Several other addi-
tions were made about that time, the con-
verts being comparatively young people,
and thus the religion gathered an i'm
petus. the first for d number of years.
/ should like to devote a column to the
quaint little church and the yet more
Quaint clock in the tower-every bit made
right there by home talent. This clock,
like the people for whom it tells the
hours is not to be frustrated by any new
tangled time in existence, but ticks OFF
the same sun time it was first made to
tick.
Entering the church you wilt be struck
with Its plalnneSs, and unless you have
been living in Quakerdom it will seem
odd to you that, though these men and
women may live together under one roof,
they may not sit together in church or be
laid side by side in the church yard. No
luxury anywhere; the more luxury the
less religion is the idea Two organs are
played simultaneously during services.
The religious head of the society has since
the beginning conducted all church and
funeral services, and remains seated the
while Communion services are con-