ROMANCE OF A FAMOUS
COMMUNIST COLONY.
Who Will Get the Immense Fortune of the
Harmony Soeiety?
Seven aged and infirm people, cling
ing to life by an almost worn out
thread, are all that stand between one
young man and a fortune estimated at
four millions. John Duss is the for
tunate mortal, and he bids fair soon to
be the sole survivor and heir of a
quaint communistic society which has
nestled in peace on the banks of the
Ohio for nearly a century.
Away back at the birth of the nine
teenth century George Bapp, a youth
of some education and originality of
thought, became so obnoxious to the
Prussiau government through his ad
vocacy of communistic doctrines that
he wa« forced to leave his native coun
try. Determined to seek a land where
he would be free to carry his ideas in
to practice, he chose to emigrate to
America, where political and personal
liberty seemed to have secured a firm
footbold. He landed at New Orleans
in 1802, and for several years seems to
have explored the almost unbroken
wilderness of the Mississippi Valley
for a suitable site for a settlement. Ho
reached St. Louis, and from there
turned his steps eastward. By this
time he was followed by a band of in
trepid spirits, attracted by his en
thusiasm.
Finally Bapp located in Posey
County, Indiana, and established a
settlement along the lines of his com
munistic ideas. The settlement was
named Harmony. Posey County
proved unhealthy, and a few years
later Bapp led his followers into Penn
sylvania. They first settled in Butler
County, where a second "Harmony"
was founded. Then Bapp heard of the
fertile tracts and the beautiful site for
a town overlooking the Ohio in Beaver
County, and the society moved to the
present town of Economy, Penn., in
183(3, Here the society thrived. In
the course of years hundreds of habita
tions rose, and to-day busy mills, over
flowing granaries and fertile fields are
numbered among the possessions of
the society.
"One for all, and all for one," was
the motto of this little baud of com
munists. On being admitted to the
Harmony Society a new member was
obliged to cede all his money and
■worldly possessions to the commun-
JOHN S. DTTSrf.
(President of the Harmony Society at
Economy, Pann.)
ity. Members received no compensa
tion for their labors. Some peculiar
laws there were. No member was
permitted to marry, "Father" Bapp's
theory being that every member
should be able to add his share to the
general endeavor. Thus there were
no members born into the society, but
all recruits came by election. The
members looked not to the future,
but thought only to secure content
ment and plenty in this world and
everlasting happiness in the next. A
tenet of the commune was that when
"Father" Bapp died Christ, was to
make His second appearance on earth
and take all mambers to His bosom.
During "Father" Bapp's lifetime,
and under his administration, the so
ciety prospered wonderfully. Not
withstanding that a sufficiency was
all that was aimed at the industry of
Jf#|frir£ s UM*K~rr : -XZ&
HAY MAKING IN THE OLD DAYS.
the members brought annually a large
surplus, and wealth accumulated.
"Father" Bapp made profitable in
vestments of the society's funds.
In the later days of Bapp's reign
the society reached the height of its
prosperity. After his death, however,
disintegration begau. By this time
all the original members had far
passed the prime of life, and were
well coutent to abate a little of their
efforts and enjoy more at ease the
fruits of their earlier labors and the
income from their wealth. In order
that there might be enough togo
round, admission of new members be
came rarer and rarer, and finally
ceased altogether. The lands of the
community were leased to tenants,
while the aging brothers aud sisters
came to pass their declining years in
peace and free from toil.
jj^nßia
THE LABORATORY, OLD MILL AND "GREAT HOUSE 'OF THE HARMONY SOCIETY
Now but seven remain, six aged
women and one bent man, and they
have little coucern for the dissseusion
and dissolution which threatens the
community. They think and talk
chiefly of when they will be laid to
rest in the "orchard," as they call the
society burying ground, and of a joy
they expected to realize long ago—that
of meeting their Lord. For days,
weeks, years, they have eagerly
watched for the second coming of
Christ. "He has delayed His coming
to us, but we shall soon goto Him,"
the serene faced sisters whisper to
one another as they walk out together
on pleasant days. The wrinkled man
rarely speaks to them more than to
say, "Good day, sisters, God bless
you," for men aud women in this an
cient community have always dwelt
apart.
Now comes John Duss, the pres
ent "patriarch" and prospective heir.
Duss is virtually a child—the only
child—of the society. His mother
took him to Economy with her in
18(i2, when he was two years old. His
father, who was then in the Federal
army, died of a wound received in the
battle of Gettysburg. The mother
went to Economy to accept employ
ment as a nurse. She remained in
the service of the society until early
in 1870.
John was sent to the Soldiers'
Orphans' School, at Phillipsburg, in
1873, anil remained there until 187f>.
when he returned to his mother and
entered the service of the Harmony
Society. The mother took him to
Germany for a few months'visit. They
returned to Economy, and in 1878
young Duss was given a position as a
teacher of German in the Economy
school. He remained there about, a
year, and then entered Mount Union
College, but did not remain long. He
received an oli'er to teach in the Kansas
State Reform School, in Topeka, and
as his limited means would not have
permitted him to complete his college
course, he accepted.
John Duss was always enlarging
his interests, however, and when ho
saw a chance to buy a tine farm of 160
acres in Webster County, Neb., for
SI2BO, he took it, and devoted con
siderable time to agriculture.
In 1888 Duss, who in the meantime
had married, returned to Economy.
He claims this was at the earnest
solicitation of "Father" Henrici, who
had succeeded "Father" Bapp as the
head of the society. Duss took charge
of the Economy public school. In
1890 he was admitted to membership
in the society through the influence of
"Father" Henrici. Then came his
election to the Board of Trustees, and
his wife was also admitted to the
Society. At the instance of "Father"
Henrici the Dusses took up their
abode in the "Great House." Al
though under the same roof, they
lived apart, in accordance with the
doctrine of the community.
Tbe election of Duss and his wife
and the elevation of the former to
power created dissension to the society.
Several of the members withdrew,
claiming that Duss exercised undue
influence over "Father" Henrici.
Thus dissension, so long excluded,
got a foothold, and now threatens to
totally disrupt a community which
would have soon been dissolved by
death.
On tbe death of "Father" Henrici,
Duss was elected "patriarch," and
thus the youngest member of the so
ciety became its head.
There has been practically no change
in the town in the last sixty years so
far as its buildings are concerned.
Tbe "Temple," which is thronged
each Sunday by tenants of tbe society,
is as simple and quaint as ever. The
clock iu its steeple, which is run by a
huge stone weight suspended from the
belfry, has never ceased to tell the
time of day. The sawmills still clat
ter, although the water power of the
early days has given way to steam.
The factories where the silk looms
used to rattle from morning to night
are silent. These buildings are now
filled with grain.
Economy silks were famous a half
century ago. Acres of mulberry trees
had been planted, silk worms were im
ported, and this branch of the indus
try flourished for years. Then the
worms began to die, and it was de-
MRS. BUSS.
cided the climate was not favorable
for them.
The products of the society's lands
and mills were much more tliau the
community needed for its own use,
and much was sold in Pittsburg and
neighboring towns. The receipts all
went into ihe common fund, which iu
time grew to a great amount.
When Christ did not come at the
death of "Father" Rapp, disappoint
ment was keen. Jacob Henrioi, who
was elected senior trustee and patri
arch of tlie society, predicted that
they would riot have to wait much
longer. He encouraged the members
to more ascetic religious life and to
more diligent, toil.
At the entrance to the "Great Gar
den" stands the "Great House."
Father Henrici spent his last days in
the house. The "Great House" lias
been a subject of controversy in the
case before the courts. It is alleged
that Dr. Cyrus Teed was introduced
to the society and preached his doc
trines in Economy, with a view to
transferring bis colony there and
making it a part of the Harmony So
ciety. Duss, the petitioners allege,
"built a fine house before Father
Honrici's death for the accommoda
tion of Teed and some of his principal
followers." This raised a rebellion
among the Harmonites and resulted
in the withdrawal of some of the mem
bers, "who received certain sums of
money at their departure." This dis
satisfaction, it is said, caused the
abandonment of the Teed spheme.
So the Harmony Society, born in
peace and good will, seems doomed
togo to pieces in the courts, unless
legal delays cab postpone adjudica
tion some years, when there is apt to
be left of those interested only—John
Duss.
A perfectly proportioned man is
said to weigh twenty-eight pounds for
1 every foot of his height.
The Santiago •'Surrender Tree.'
Tbe insatiable American relic hunter
is already getting in bis fell work in
Cuba, and a living monument of tbe
campaign around Santiago is in immi-
THE ST7BBEXDER TKEE.
(I.ast photograph of the famous tree un
der which Toral surrendered twenty-two
thousand Spanish troops and the prov
ince of Santiago to Generul Shnfier,
showing the base of the trunk partly
whittled away by ruthless relic seekers.)
nent danger of dying at tbe bands of
its friends. This is the famous tree
at tbe foot of San Juan bill under
*.Thicb General Toral surrendered the
Spanish army to General Shafter. It
has been named tbe "'Surrender Tree,"
and is the shrine toward which all
Americans first direct their steps.
Every visitor seems to become a
vandal when in its presence and the
trunk is rapidly being whittled away
by souvenir seekers.
It is urged that some action should
be takon at once by the authorities if
the historic tree is to be preserved.
It is certain that in another season
it will be destroyed piece-meal if the
present vandalism is not stopped.
A Machine Tlint IHgestH Fond.
In tbe modern manufacture of
paper whole trees are "digested"
and made into wood pulp. The ma
chines, or wood caldrons, used for
this purpose are important factors iu
paper making. A New York State
paper company has just ordered the
largest digester ever made. It will
be forty feet high and long, with a
diameter of fifteen feet, and will bo
made of IJ-inch steel plate. The
digester is to be used ill developing a
process for weaving cloth from wood
pulp. Large chunks of wood, about
thirty inches long and six inches iu
diameter, are thrown into tbe diges
ter and there boiled aud treated with
an acid. This process lasts for twelve
hours aud the wood is reduced to a
fluid pulp, in which state it easily
felts, or mats together, in any desired
thickness. This matter pulp is then
dried and passed through rollers that
crush the fibers together and make
the paper.—Chicago Record.
Joy and Life.
And to what does tbe old, old man,
the incredibly old man iu Vienna, at
tribute bis present happiness? "I
never worried aud I never grieved. I
worked until I was tired and theu
slept in unbroken rest until it was
time to work again. It is those who
sit brooding over their misfortunes
who grow old before their time, and a
whole night's sorrowing has never put
a copper in any man's pocket or made
a misfortune lighter to bear." This
man iu humble circumstances is a true
philosopher. Ponder his words, if
you are anxious to pass a happy old
age aud if you really believe that life
is of itself the chief blessing. But
also remember that the art of life is to
be reasonably thankful each day; and
not to wonder why you should be
wildly thankful at any set and ap
pointed time. —Boston Journal.
Dnclieflg Uefriends Women Convict*.
Adeline, Duchess of Bedford, known
more about women convicts in Eng
land than any other woman. Her
Grace holds special permission from
the Home Secretary to visit the con
vict prisons in which women are in
carcerated for longer periods than two
years, and very excellent use she has
made of tbe great trust repose I in her.
iv
DTCHESS OF BEDFORD.
With her colleague, Lady Battersea,
she does everything in her power to
give the prisoners, upon their dis
cbarge, a fresh start under improved
conditions. The Duchess is a hand
some woman in tbe prime of life, and
■when speaking from the platform her
charming voice is curiously like that
of ber sister, Lady Henry Somerset.
Victoria's Marriage King*.
Not many years ago it was the cits
torn to distribute a large quantity of
rings at tbe occurrence of some im
portant event. When Queen Victoria
married several dozens of rings were
presented to important personages.
Each ring bore her portrait, but it was
so small that a magnifying glass had
to be nsed to recognize it.
IFOR FARM AND C-ARDSN.]
Warmth In the Henhouse.
A small, cool stove set on tbe earth
en or cement floor of a henhouse will
do much to keep up the warmth that
ia quite as necessary as feed in pro
ducing a large number of eggs. Even
if fclje floor be of wood there is little
danger that the building will burn.
The amount of coal burned will bo
much more than repaid by the eggs
produced at the time of year when
fresh eggs always sell highest. When
the weather is flue the hens should ba
left to run out of doors in tbe day
time. But cooping them up with
enough fire to keep frost out of the
room is always advisable at night.
This precaution is especially needed
for the breeds with large combs, which
are sure to be frost bitten wlieu freez
ing weather comes. A ben with a
sore head from frost bitten comb has
enough to do to repair damages to it
self without tryiDg to lay eggs.
Sowing Clover in the Hull.
Farmers who grow clover seed only
for their own use ofteu thresh it out
by band, aud sow the seed, chaff and
all. It is rather unsafe to do this, as
it is difficult to tell while throwing out
the chaff how much clover seed is go
ing with it. The better way is to
clean up the seed carefully, sow that
with a good broadcast seeder, which
will distribute it much more evenly
than can be done by hand, aud theu
sow the clover chaff afterwards with
what seed may be ill it, and make that
cover the whole surface if possible,
though as this has to be done by
hand, the hand sowing cannot probably
be made io cover half the piece. But
there is geuerally more or less clover
seed lying in tbe soil 011 land that has
once grown clover seed, and this may
insure a fair catch eveu if no clover
seed is sown. It is such land of which
farmers say, "It is natural to clover."
It is always good land, but the clover
does not grow 011 it spontaneously;
011 the contrary, every clover plant
comes from a clover seed left some
time iu the soil, possioly many years
ago.
The I'rofltuble Dairy.
To get profit from the dairy in com
petition with the product of the cream
ery it is necessary that the work be
done on the intensive plan. That is
a thorough knowledge of what each
cow is doing, what food is given to a
pound, what it is costing, what it
costs to make the butter, etc. Tbe
herd should be built up by stock raised
on the farm from the cows with the
best record, using a thoroughbred
sire. Do not breed indiscriminately
from the cows in the herd and add the
progeny to the dairy herd.
Profit in the dairy can only be made
when butter is at the highest price,
and to obtain butter at the minimum
of cost the cows must be handled so
that their surroundings aud feed are
as nearly as possible as they would be
in June. Tbe use of ensilage will do
much iu this direction providing the
green succlont food contains the quan
tity of water needed. The dairy cow
should have grain every day in the
year, varying the amount according to
season and the stage of lactation.
Even in summer with an abundant
pasture grain should be fed, although
if the pasture is short the supplemen
tary food, besides grain, should be
largely of soiling crops. In feeding
corn stalks the ration should be bal
anced by also feeding oats, peas, bran
and cottonseed meal. On this plan or
any similar one a dairy herd may be
built up that will pay a profit even in
the face of the really excellent product
of tbe creamery at a low price.
Warm Food for Swine.
An object lesson in the value of warm
food, warm quarters and good care
for hogs during the winter was re
cently seen on a small farm where but
two pigs were kept. These animals
were late spring born aud were being
raised for breeders. The owner, a
widow, made it a daily practice in
cold weather to mix vegetable parings,
chopped roots, scraps from the table
and bran iu skim milk and cook the
mixture, feeding it to the hogs warm.
The pens were dry, warm aud cleau,
with an abundance of clean bedding.
Once or twice a week the owner,armed
with a stiff horse brush, gave the pigs
a thorough brushing. The animals
were delighted and came readily to
call as soon as the brush appeared,
the work being easily dpne from the
outside of the pet). A small yard, iu
sod, was provided 011 the sunny side
of the barn in which the pigs were
allowed to run 011 bright days, being
kept busy with a few roots or ears of
corn. The result was a pair of pigs
that would delight the eye of a breeder
of fancy stock. Their skin was soft
and clean and the animals strong aud
plump, ready, when bred, to raise a
family of youngsters which would be
worth money. Aside from the clean
ing, possibly, the same practice could
be folio <ved out ou a larger scale with
precisely as good results. Warm food
in winter has come to be recognized
as an important element In profitable
stock rearing.
To Get the Most Out of Sheep.
Jnst at present breeding for mutton
pays better than breeding for wool,
but as there is always the possibility
of the price of wool soaring up to
higher figures, it is necessary to keep
this product of the sheep well in sight.
It w. s not many years ago that wool
was thfc first consideration and mutton
only a side issue. Naturally with- this
change, the character of the breeu of
sheep has also chauged. The large
breeds, take the country right through,
are not as much in general favor as
the medium size, and this ia due to
the fac: that they give the most In re«
turn for a certain amount of food.
They have less fat than the large
bre-'ds, and tlieir meat is better mar
bled. in selling sheep for mutton the
fat rarely brings the farmer in much
return. The butcher knows that con
sumers waut good lean meat only
moderately mixed up with layers of
fat, and when he sees an excessively
fat sheep he is apt to discount the
mutton.
The medium-size breeds will, as a
rule, grow as fast as any breed on a
system of food, and along with their
tendency to make good, marbled mut
ton they are apt to produce a better
grade of wool.
This wool is also found on their
bodies in a very compact form, which
in the end gives to the medium sheep
as large a crop as that obtained from
the heavier and overgrown breeds.
A medium-size breed that is both a
fair wool produced and a good maker
of tine mutton is always a good invest
ment. There may be seasons when
they will not add a very large profit
to the farmer's work, but iu the ag
gregate they will yield satisfactory re
sults. Pound for pound, the best
breeds of sheep will make more money
than pigs, although the swine have
always been considered the best in
vestment of all farm animals for the
poor man. A good b:esd of sbeap
will make a pound of mutton at less
cost for food than the best breed ol
pigs. It will take the sheep a longei
time to do this, but in the end, the
cost will bo in favor of the sheep. On
the whole, mutton brings as much pel
pound in most markets as pork. II
the price and cost of raising the meal
of two animals were evenly balanced,
the favor would still be for the slieep.
The wool is an item that would un
balance the scales,-and tip them de
cidedly in favor of the sheop. Finally,
the sheep of line breeds are always
prolific, and novel - fail to raise a crop
of good, salable lambs if properly
treated. To get the most out of them
we must consider the mutton, wool
and lamb items, all three ol' which are
very profitable and important.—E. P.
Smith iu American Cultivator.
mining Apple Trees.
The best apples are grown on trees
well cultivated, well sprayed and
especially well pruned. If the tree is
a tangle of branches and a mat of
leaves, the spray will reach only a
small part of the fruit, and where the
spray cannot be sent Vint few direct
rays of sunlight will eater, and baily
colored and poorly flavored fruit will
be found.
A great number of trees bear only
on alternate years; all such should be
pruned the winter or spring preceding
the bearing season. Pruning will
then be equivalent to a partial thinning
of the fruit. Other trees should be
pruned annually.
Only a few branches should be re
moved at each pruning. Branches
crossing each other require attention,
as they injure each other, and during
a high wind brush the apples off each
other. Many trees are ruined by cut
ting a\jav too much wood at one prun
ing. The balance necessary to healthy
root action and strong leaf develop
ment will be destroyed, and sickly
yellow leaves and a small growth of
new wood will frequently be the re
sult. Sometimes very severely pruned
trees blight, and in a few years die.
It requires more judgment to prop
erly prune apple trees than some men
who handle a saw possess. Apple
trees should be pruned every year or
every alternate year, with a sharp,
wide-set saw. Young trees can be
pruned with a knife. The branches
should be severed close to the trunk
or large branches. Never allow one,
two, or, as it sometimes happens, six
or more inches of a stump to remain.
Such trimming is unsightly, and the
wounds, if large, never heal and are
a constant source of disease and de
cay. If oven small branches are cut,
leaving long stubs, they will be the
starting-point for suckers or "water
sprouts." If a man does uot cut close
have him go over his work or have
him quit.
A man on the ground can better
notice which branches should be re
moved than when he is on the tree
with the saw. A good plan,therefore,
is to take a bucket of whitewash, a
brush and a pole of sufficient length,
and pass from tree to tree, and mark
a 1 the branches to be removed. This
can be done on line days. Any care
ful man can follow with a saw and re
move the marked branches. The
pruning should be finished before the
bark slips in the spring, or unsightly
injuries to the trees may follow even
at the liauds of the most careful work
man. The sprouts remaining iu win
ter or early spring must be removed
close with the saw, but there should
not be any there for the saw. An
active, barefooted boy, at five cents an
hour, will remove more sprouts in
August, simply with his hands, thin
three ivn with saws will remove in
an hour in the spring, and do better
work. A quick, downward pull will
.remove the sprout, and with it the ad
ventitious buds at its base, ready to
produce a crop of sprouts the next
season. The injuries, though some
times large, will nearly all be healed
before winter.—New York Tribune.
Helping the I>o<?tor.
In these energetic go-ahead days,
we are continually hearing of some
new and curious way of making
money, but the following method is
perhaps as ingenious as any previously
devised: A little boy entered a sur
gery the other day when the village
doctor was in attendance, and, march
ing np to him whispered, cautiously:
"Piense, sir, mother sent me to say
as how Lizzie's got scarlatina awful
bad; and, please mother wants to
know how much you'll give her to
spread it all over the village!"— Tit
Bit i.