The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-03-23


once, but subsequently permitted them
to remain until spring. Miller un-
gratefully employed the clemency
shown him in efforts to stir up re-
volt against the rule of Rapp and the
practice of celibacy. He succeeded so
well that $50 Harmonists finally signed
a declaration proclaimlng him the
leader of the Harmony Society. The
great majority still remained faithful
to Rapp and peace was finally secured
by an agreement in which the malcon-
tents, in consideration of the sum of
100000, agreed to leave Economy and
relinquish all claim upon the property
of the society. The money was promptly
paid them, and with it the seceders
purchased 500 acres of land, and with
Miller as their leader founded the New
Philadelphia Society at what is now
Phillipsburg. The rules of the new
society were identical with those of the
old, save in the matter of marriage, but
Miller's reckless management soon ex-
hausted it's means and credit, and the
seceders, convinced of the folly in
which he had led them, compelled him
to withdraw. Tired of his role of re-
ligious enthusiast, Miller, with his
forty original followers, embarked
upon a flatboat for the Southwest,
filed with visions of conquest even
more daring than had animated
Aaron Burr, but died of cholera at
Alexandria, La. Rid of the malcon-
fc hn M
in the even tenor of it's way. Rapp re-
mained at the head of the society, auto.
cratic, even despotic, in his rule, but
reverenced as father by all until his
death in 1S47 at the age of 90.
On the day of Rapp's funeral funerals
at Economy are severe in their si~-
plicity, the remains of the dead being
wrapped only in a winding sheet and a
few words spoken besides the open
grave), his followers went from the
burial ground to the town hall and de-
cided in the future to have two leaders
instead of one. With remarkable un-
animity +. l.. Baker and Jacob Henrici,
who had long been Father Rapp's most
trusted Heutenants, were chosen as his
successor. Elder Baker died in 1868
and Henrici, an octogenarian, remained
at the head of the society, hale in body
and active in mind, until after a very
brief illness he passed away some time
ago. The wealth of the society
has been wisely invested-some of
it in oil and gas lands-and is
now enormous. With it the Pitts
burg and Lake Erie railroad was built
and controlled by the society, until it's
holdings were sold to the Vanderbilts
few years ago at large increase over
the original investment. The society
also owns a large portion of the town
of Beaver and immense tracts of land
in Dakota. The prohibition of mar
riage, the reluctance to admit new
members and the gradually thinning
of the ranks by death, have decreased the
membership of the society, until now
less than twenty remain. Many of this
little band are over so, and all are verg-
ing on threescore and ten-the young
est being &C. The one long most
honored among them wRs Father
Rapp's surviving daughter, Gertrude,a "a
beautifully white haired old lady,
in her girlhood, was a splendid singer,
and who, until her death, furnished
the music for Sunday gathering The
house in which she lived is cabinet of
things rare and curious, pictures and
musical instruments brought from
Germany, and quaint vases more than
a century old. Not the least among the
kindly old lady's treasures is an escri-
toiro which belonged to the mother Of
James G. Blaine when she lived on the
outskirts of Economy.