Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-06-30
THE ECONOMIES.
The Once Famous and Powerful Social
iStic Colony
Which Made so Much of the His.
tory Of the Beaver Valley, Seems
In MOribund Conditional Brief
History of a Most Notable Com
munity.

munlty.
PITTSBURG, PA, June SO.-(Spe-
ciaD.-An equity suit is pending in the
United States District Court here that
is attracting a great deal of attention.
for 1t is the general belief that this lit
igation marks the beginning of the end
OF that famous socialist colony at Econ
omy, Pa, known as the Harmony So
clety. Heirs Of former members have
| begun proceedings against the society
IN an attempt TO have the property di-
vlded instead of passing TO the living
members, as provided in the laws of
the institution.
1t was in 1925 that party of German
I immigrants settled in the fertile Bea-
yer valley, a few miles below Pitts
burg, and set about building a home
| where every man would be his neigh
boris equal, and each would share
| equally in the results of their com
bined efforts. The Harmony Society
was organized on this principle. and
those who Joined transferred all their
worldly goods to the society. A Board
OF Elders and two Trustees. chosen by
election, administered the business af-
/ fairs, and also looked after the spirit
uaal welfare of the little flock.
With German thrift and industry the
/ community grew in extent and in its
/ possessions. The broad fields gave up
/ liberal yields the vineyards and orch
/ ards produced wine and fruit. and COM
Portable homes We're provided for the
members. AS the years passed the
funds of the society were invested I'm
manufacturing. and in stocks which
| paid liberal profits. In the course of
/ time Economy grew TO be a town of
/ nearly2, 900 souls, though many of
| these were not members of the society.
| The Pittsburg and Lake Erie Railroad
was built largely through the efforts of
/ the Economics
! NEW MEMBERS WERE TAKEN
/ in from time to time until the roll con-
| tanned 400 names. The community was
a small edition of Bellamy's Looking
| Backward idea, with a common store
/ house, common interests. and every
/ thing on a plane of equality.
For many years the business of the
\ society Was attended to by Father Hen
/ rict, the DsniOr trustee, whose shrewd-
ness and capacity We're gerally known.
He was well known and respected in
| business and financial circles here. and
it was proverbial that where the Econ
mites dollars went there lay a good in
/ vestment Father Henrici was a ia
miliar figure figure on the streets of
/ Pittsburg. With long white hair that
waved from under a broad brimmed
black felt hat with bent shoulders and
| tO,tering step that spoke his advanced
age, he would scarcely impress the
stranger at a glance that he was the
manipulation of millions But despite
his bodily infrmities his mind was
clear and active
His death occurred a few years ago
and it was that sad event that marked
the beginning of the troubles Of the
/ Harmony Society. John c. Duss, a
young man. was elected TO FIJI Father
/ Hcnricis place The membership had
/ fallen off greatly, and the financial af-
fairs were involved to a large extent
a number grew dissatisfied and left
Economy, each taking with him $1,000
which was given in lieu of surrender
/ ing his claim to a share in the societys
assets. The membership thus dwin-
/ died down until it now numbers
But SEVENTEEN PERSONS.
Owing to the secrecy observed by the
/ Economics, it has been difficult to OBJ
/ tain reliable figures concerning their
financial status. But in the equity
suit now on hearing, Trustee Duss re-
/ Gently submitted a schedule of assets
which footed up to $64S,25O. The liza
/ bilities were not stated, and thus the
! exact standing of the society is not
! known. But It is certain that in its
palmiest days the unincumbered prop
| erty of the Harmony Society amounted
/ 10 many times the amount submitted
| by Trustee Duss.
Should the plaintiffs win this case it
will result in a wild legal scramble for
/ the sOciety's money on the part of heirl
/ of former members. But in any event
| IL is believed that the time is not far
| distant when the remaining members
will bring the society to an end. 1t
| served the purpose Of its founders in
living them rest and plenty in their
declining years. and it played an i'm
pOrtant part in the development the
| Beaver Valley.
AGAINST STREET BEGGING.
The police of this city have begun a
| crusade against street begging, espec
| tally itispracticed by the children who
are driven into the streets to steal or
! beg for the support of lazy and dissipat-
ed fathers and mothers. A number Of
individual cases have been taken up
/ by the newspapers and the facts con-
| corning the sad tales related by these
little beggars have in each instance
proved that the children were forced to
/ beg and steal to provide their drunken
parents with food and drink. On last
| Wednesday the police arrested nine OF
| these mendicants. ranging in age from
five to fifteen years. They were mostly
/ Italians who lived in the densely pOpu-
/ lated foreign colony back of Fifth ave-
nue.. Every morning they are accus-
| toned TO take their baskets and go
prowling around the market house,
| begging and stealing from the bucks
tiers and market people and picking out
the best from the damaged and spoiled
fruit and vegetables that had been
/ thrown away.
The Youthful prisoners were turned
over to the agents of the Anti-Cruelty
Society. who will investigate and pTose-
cute their parents. 1t is believed that
2 few arrests will put Wholesome check
unon this system of street begging.
Pitsburg not only suffers fromthe I'M
portunities of children, but the num-
Der of cripples, blind, deaf and dumb
IL @oI{oif aims IN the streets