The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-07-10
Frederic Haslkin's Letter
The Last Of he Economites.


ncaaomy. Pa July ss-This curl
ous. lfab little town, about IN
hours ride ffom Pittsburgh. shsl-
tsrs the sacrtd memsntos ana the
cherished memory Of . great and
pfcthrssQus past A hundred years
ago. It Was ONE Of the most pros
porous and. influential colonies Of
the middle west, famous for it, in
dustries, it, contentment and it,
thrift. To-day, it II merely . clis-
ter Of rather dilapidatsd streets,
struggling to hold their identity
against an encroaching neighbor-
the new Industrial town Of Am
bridge, which constantly grows
broader and bigger.
Everybody agrees that In few
more years Economy will be gone.
completely absorbed by Ambridge;
but there Is a part Of Economy
which can never be wrested from
It and that is its past The HiS-
torical Society Of Western Penn
sylvania has seen to that.
An old, square church, beautiful
and stately in the simplicity OF its
design; an ancient brick house,
with q peaked roof, sturdy oak
doors, and Uncovered walls; a
lovely, quaint old garden. contain
ing tall horse-chestnut trees, yell
low rose bushes and q funny, cir
cular, stone bandstand-these are
all that Economy posse ses today
to tell the dramatic story Of the
early Economics who lived
unique experiment here. Unless
You happen to meet Brother J. s
Duss. the last representative Of the
Economics In Economy, who
dwells In the old brick house! We
did.
As Brother Duss was trustee Of
the Economics society during iti
chaotic declining years, he Is much
better acquainted with its history
and activities than most OF the
historians who have attempted tc
describe them to the public. We
have his own word for this. In
fact, SO bitter is Brother Duss con.
corning the carelessness and mac
accuracy with which the records OIL
the society have been set down
that he hrs lost all faith in news
paper reporters. For this r~.sor
we intend to let Brother Duss tell
this story as he told it to Us, sit
ting in the garden. In the shadows
of the old bandstand.
Economy was the third town cu'
out Of the American wilderness by
the Harmony society" he began
wiping OF and adjusting his nost
glasses. brother Duss Is . very
modern old man, with a lean, wiry
build, hair scarcely touched will
gray, and lively, expressive face
He emphasizes his eloquent re-
marks with equally eloquent ges
tures.)
All Worked and Shared Alike
Harmony, Pa, was the first ant
New Harmony. Ind, was the sec
ond. All we're built on the SAM
model, and run ON the communis
tic principle. Everybody worked
and everybody received the sam
amount of produce, regardless o
how much he had invested in tn,
treasury of the society at the begin
ming. It was q marvellous organ
ization.
picture to yourself q stat
where the high cost of living is 81
thoroughly solved that each on
knows that 80 far as the neces
saries and comforts OF life are con
cernAd he has them assured
sickness and in health-for al
time; yea, and after that respect
able burial.
"A place where there ia no trans
portation problem, no worry abou
the condition of the railroads, be
cause all the necessaries Of life ar
produced right there and supplies
direct to the consumers, withou
the interference Of middlemen.
"Where there are no bankin
and currency problems, becaus
there is no need Of money. TIL
land yields generous return to dill
gent hands, the factories and shop
produce all necessary wearing ar
parel and articles, and to each
given what he needs.
"As to the woman, she has tn
right with man to labor and enjo
the fruits thereof: also, she ha
the same right to give voice to he
sentiments.
"The question Of keeping tn
young people on the farm is ais
solved, for the farm on which the
labor encircles the town in whic
they live, town life and farm Iii
being tremendously blended. A
harvest time the whole communit
takes to the fields.
/ "a place where the erection {
public buildings and the constru,
ton of utilities is brought abo,
; with astonishing rapidly; bu
mark you. not by voting bonds an
saddling debt on future generation
but by doing the work outright.
i Why 1t Was Called Harmony.
i "A place where there IL n
dawdling or pudding or oths
waste Of time-in fact, where the,