The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-17
EACH IS A MILLIONAIRE.
The Queer Little Town Of Economy,
Near Quay's Homo in
Pennsylvania.
Where Bellamy Ideas Were Found.
cd Before Bellamy Was
Thought of.
A Co-Operative Society of Great Wealth
and Only Forty Members Who
Can Enjoy 1t.

ECONOMY, Pa, Aug. I6.-About one hours
eide from Allegheny on the Fort Wayne
road, near Beaver, the home of the moro or
less illustrious Quay, and known by
the very suggestive name Of Economy,
is a quaint village founded in 1905,
by a company of several hundred
Germans, half of whom landed at Paila-
delphia. They we're brought over at the in
stigation of ono Herr Rapp, who had
preceded his religious followers to look up
a suitable settlement. Five hundred Of the
beautiful and productive acres upon which
these Economics settled, upon which the
remaining number, only about forty souls
now still abide, were at that time pur-
chased from the grandfather Of James G.
Blaine.
The own has one of the ~lovelisst situa-
tions, imaginable. 1t begins on the very
edge of a bluff overlooking the Ohio river.
The streets are at right angles with the
rivers course, and prettily bordered with
shade trees, back Of which cit the prim
houses, commonly minus a front door, and
so spaced that each household has its own
kitchen garden. Another popularity
about the houses is a singular decoration
Of Grapevines, which are trained
to espaliers SO asl to cover tho space be-
tween the tops of the lower windows and
the bottoms of the upper windows. Tho
vines grow in vandykes, and you have no
idea how oddly pretty is such an arrange.
ment. This decoration is general. Notice
the ECONOMY in growing the profitable
~ro,&a f@~ aaDro<i~o aHnnk srnAAnl - kbN
merely ornamental vines commonly used
for this purpose.
Your quiet hore will not be disturbed by
SO much rs the ring of 4 door-bsll, nor by
any sound more startling han the Sunday
like crow Of the finely bred and very num-
erous rooster, which has the full freedom
of the hamlet. or mayhap by the rumble Of
the distant train or the puff of the locomo-
tive under the bluff. Economy might ttly
he called the silent village. The now de-
once this was a busy, and, in consequence.
days. NOISY when paa''' the mus; sooie n n enrly
bsred hundreds. A Rip Van Wrinkle leth-
srRy has fallen upon the place now. As
you walk the silent, we'll kept streets you
old man i'll q light-blue jacket and tall.
broad-brimmed, hat, quite suggestive of
that worn by our Quakers. Or perchance
one OF the homelike DANES may be abroad
in Norman cap and stiff gown. II SO their
surprise upon meeting you, a stranger. and
go differently dressed, will not cause
them to forget the courteous 'good
day" they religiously give you. There
is nothing in this manner or appearance of
these people to give you a SUD
the street, that is the size of it," Forty
millions on the cooperative or Bellamy
plan-in. land. GAS, oil and railroads and
bank stocks. Only about forty members
OF the society at present, the majority hav-
ing reached, and several having passed. the
Observation-Disclosures. And what is to
eventually become of the millions? The
very question l asked, and was told "tEhe
Lord would take care of that"
You can sTend your time uniquely here
seeing things of interest to be found no.
where else. Your patronage is not solicited
and your prsseucs not particularly desira-
bic. Yet if you are sweetly persuasive you
can find accc mmodations at the one hotel.
which, like the one store, belongs to the
society and is not run for money. The
never is at this ecason. The hotel, before
railroad days, was the ~favorite stop
ping place on one of the main stage
routes out of P%ittsburg. Ii you are too
poor to pay as you 60, you are as welcome
ma if a millionaire. and both bed and
DbaIu IL yours WituOut IuOHey anu Wltli-
out price," If you are a tramp you will
find an annex hotel kept up on purpose for
your brotherhood. There you will meet
travellers from all points of the terrestrial
COMPASS. To the inquiry How do You
know these are worthy ones?" you will be
makes no difference. Better feed a dozen
unworthy men than refuse n deserving one."
How's that for real charity?
You will be interested in the wonderful
wine cellars, and in seeing the hundreds of
casks containing 1000 gallons each, and If
ance notions than these people in their re
ligions opinions, then you will enjoy test
ing the different brands and agree with me
that the wines manufactured here are
greatly supstiorto California's productions.
1t will seem strange to you to see the
and fields to be filled simply for the asking
leach family being entitled to so
much, "for the stomach's sake FER
diem. No guest is permitted to depart
without a nip and a souviner bottle. Their
hospitality ID on a very generous scale all
tho way through. Though not gormandiz-
ers, they live we'll. Their cattle are all
blooded, many of them imported from
Germany; therefore the richest cream and
sweetest butter are you s,togather with fresh
vegetables cooked to the queens taste.
At the Cooperative laundry. which, by
the way, is supplied with modern machin-
cry, you will see a novel wash day. Each
family has this day only once in three
weeks, and they go in families. several
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 all he can con-
sumo. As each labors for all there
is no occasion for %jealousy or sell
tishness. 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,
ms l prefer to call it, the executive mansion
of economy. In this house live the relig-
ious and financial heads of the community.
old Father Heinrich, the present and third
religious leader, young Mr.. Duss, the pres
emit financial manager and Father Henrici's
successor, and several othcrs. Mr.. Duss is
a scholar and u gentleman in all that those
terms imply. His one-time wife, by whom
he has two children, is beautiful and wo,n-
Rnly. These people, aged 32 years respect
lively, two years ago took the VOW of cell
bacy and became leaders in the order.
Several other additions were made about
that time, the converts being comparatively
young people, and thus the religion gathered
IN impetus, the first for n number of years.
should like to devote II column to the
quaint little church and the yet more
quaint clock in the tover-eYery bit made