Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-29
PRESIDENT DUSS TALKS.
THE S4OO,oOO MORTGAGE TO BE USED
AS PREDICTED.

He Denies Any Late Selling of Securities
and Says the Crisis for the Society Has
Passed Some Little Excited Talk
About Doctor Teed.
The publication of the fact that mort
gage for S4OO, 900 had been negotiated upon
the Harmony Society's land at ECONOMY,
the first and the final news of which The
DISPATCH exclusively gave to the COM
munity, created sensation among Econo-
mites themselves and also in financial
circles in Pittsburg yesterday. It
alarmed some of the Economics who
had not been let into the secret and
provoked comment not at all favorable to
the new president of the society, Mr.. Duss.
For the first time the idea of a receiyership
was openly discussed, and in an interview
the wife of Henry Feicht is said to have
declared that an application for a re-
ceiver would be made as soon as
possible. 1t is said now that no
such action has been determined upon. As
one OF the members who are not satisfied
with the virtual dictatorship of Mr.. Duss
said yesterday: "I would prefer to see
how Mr.. Duss intends to treat us, and what
his conduct as the successor of Mr. Henrici
is going to be, before asking the protection
of the courts"
She Could Stand Another.
Last night reporter of The DISPATCH
called at the Great House of Rapp in Econ
omv where Mr.. Duss resided An elderly
woman opened the door. She said Mr.
Duss had been seeing reporters all dav, but
she would see if he could stand another.
After few minutes wait Mrs. Duss ap-
pesred and remarked that her husband
really had not the time to see any more
visitors. She consented to ask him,
however, and returned Immediately with
an invitation from Mr.. Duss to step into
his sanctum. Mr.. Duss was sitting at a
table Uttered with letters and writing
matters and did not look up until THE
DISPATCH reporter had taken a seat by the
little gas stove which warmed the room.
Mr.. Duss' greeting was cordial While he
talked be took of his spectacles and pushed
bis hand through the wavy shock of black
hair, which crowns a high and wide fore
head.
The Paper Was Correct.
The reporter asked him: "Mr. Duss,
would you tell The DISPATCH why the
society is borrowing 100000 upon mort
gage?"
Mr.. Duss replied: "THE DISPATCH has
outlined with remarkable accuracy for
what the money has been raised. really
prefer not to be quoted at all. But un-
derstand that if say nothing, if refuse to
answer, people will say / have something
to conceal The description of the mort
gage and the uses to which the money is to
be put in The DISPATCH is surprisingly
accurate. That is all I care to say"
THE DISPATCH said yesterday, it NAV
be remembered, that the money was to be
used to buy out the Blake interest in the
Gle works, to facilitate the transformation
Of the Economy Savings Institution at
Beaver Falls into national bank, and to
pay sundry bills of the society. Mr.. Duss
implied that this was correct
els it fact that the interest bearing
securities owned by the socioiv have been
sold, and largely during the last five or six
years?" was asked
Mr.. Duss replied:
Says 1t Is False.
'It is false that the greater part of such
securities have been sold recently. 1t is
true that the society has disposed of most
Of the bonds and stocks which 1T at one
time possessed. Few have been sold dur
ing the last five or six years As to the
Pittsburg and Lake Erie Railroad holdings
of the society, they were sold, let me see,
about 1888, wasn't it?"
''You have read the statement that some
of the members contemplated asking for a
receiver TO be sppointed?''
Eyes" Mr.. Duss replied, ''and the same
members have been talking about getting a