The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-05
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington, D. c.
THE LAST OF THE ECONOMIES.

THE LAST OF THE ECONOMIES.
Economy, Pa, July s.-This curl
Gus. drab little town. about one hours
sacred mementos and the cherished
memory of the picturesque past. "A
hundred. years ago it was one of the
most prosperous and influential colo
MES of the Middle West, famous for
its industries its contenefnent and its
thrift. Today it is merely a cluster
of rather dilapidated streets, strug-
Cling to hold their identity. against an
encrOaching neighbor-the new indus
trial town of Ambridge which con-
stantly grows broader and bigger
Everybody agrees that in few
years Economy will be gone, COM
pletely absorbed by Ambridge; but
there is a part of Economy which can
never be wrested from it, and that is
its past. The Historical Society of
Western PENNSYLVANIA has seen to-
An old. square church. beautiful and
stately in the simplicity of its design;
an ancient brick house, with peaked
roof. sturdy TAX doors and ivy cover
ed walls; lovely, quaint old garden,
containing tall horse-chestnut trees,
yellow rose. bushes and funny, cir
cular, stone band stand-these are all
that Economy possesses today to tell
the dramatic story of the early~Econo-
mites VINO. llNGQ d e4pGElI--SIil
here. Unless you happen to meet
Brother j. S. Duss. the last representa-
tive of the Economics in Economy,
who dweHs in the old brick house! We
did.
As Brother Duss was trustee Of the
Economics society during its chaotic
declining years, he is much better &C
quainted with its history and activities
than most of the historians who have
attempted TO describe them to the
public. We have his own word for
this. In fact, soN bitter is Brother
linaccAaracy with which the records of
the society have been set down that
he has lost all faith in newspaper re-
porters. For this reason we intend to
Ilet Brother Duss tell this story as he
told it to us. sitting in the garden, in
the shadow of the old bandstand.
Economy was the, third town cut
out of the American wilderness by the
Harmony society,"" he began wiping off
and adjusting his nose glasses. 1Bro-
ther Duss is a very modern old man.
with a lean. why build, hair scarcely
pressive face. He emphasizes his elo-
quent remarks with equally eloquent
gestures)
All worked and Shared Alike.
Harmony, Pa. was the first, and
New Harmony, Ind, was the second
All were built on the same model, and
run on the communistic principle.
Everybody worked, and everybody re-
ceiyed the same amount of produce,
regardless of how much he had in
vested in the treasury of the society
at the beginning. 1t was marvellous
organization.
| s'Picture to yourself a state where
the high cost of living is so thoroly
solved that each one knows that so
far as the necessaries and comforts
of life are concerned ne has them
assured-in sickness and in health
for all time; yea, and after that
respectable burial.
"a place where there is no trans
| portation problem. no worry about the
condition of the railroads, because
| ali the neceSsaries of life are produced
right there and supplied direct to the
consumers, without the interference
of middle men.
where there are no banking and
currency problems. because there is no
need of money. The land yields gen.
erous return to diligent hands, the
factories and shops produce an ne
cessary wearing apparel and articles,
and to each is given what he needs.
aAs to woman, she has the equal
right with man to labor and enjoy
thesfruits thereof also. she has the
same right to give voice to her senti-
ments.
{, The question of keeping the young
people on the farm is also solved,
for the farm on which they labor en-
circles the town in which they live,
town life and farm life being har-
moniously blended. At harvest time
the whole community takes to the
fields.
"a place where the-erection of pub
lie building and the construction of
utilities is brought about with aston
ishing rapidity but mark you. not
by voting bonds and saddling debt on
future generations, but by doing the
work outright.
Why 1t Was Called Harmony.
"a place where there is no dawdling
or clubbing or other waste of time
in fact, where there is no waste of
any kind; no unemployed, no INDECENT,
no tramps or criminals. A place
where. altho no one dresses extrava-
gantly, the materials worn are of the
highest quality, and every garment to
the last stitch, button, hook and eye
is in perfect repair. A place where
flowers and vines grow in abundance
in every yard and garden; yea, even
on the machines in the factories are
ported plants or flowers in vases
Where there is an orchestra and band,
and almost all of the people take part
! in song festivals and concerts.
He paused dramatically to. let the
full glory of this remarkable state
take effect. Then. ''This was the sort
of place founded by George Rapp and
his associates" he said.
George Rapp was weaver of
! Wurttemberg, who decided to emf
crate to this country upon hearing the
news of the Louisiana Purchase. Ac-
companied by his son and many fol-
/ lowers, including a young architect
named Frederick Reichert. he arrived
] in Baltimore in 1903 and Immediately
started for the wilderness. After ex-
| p1orfng part of Maryland. Pennsyl-
vania and Ohio. the party bought five
| thousand acres of land at three dol
| lars per acre. and located in Butler
lcounty, Pennsylvania. not far from
/ Pittsburgh. They called their settle
men Harmony. and their COM
n1unity the Harmony Society,"