The Harmony Society at Economy Penn'a Author:Aaron Williams Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OP GEORGE KAPP AND FREDERICK RAPP. E "Economites," as they are popularly called, do not seek publicity, but the publ... more »ic is anxious to know more about them. That an association founded upon principles so diverse from those of our great American community should have been sustained and successfully conducted among us for more than sixty years, is itself a phenomenon which awakens curiosity, and presents a study in the science of social economy. From the many questions which have been asked of the writer, he finds that much misapprehension exists as to the principles and practices of the Society. In furnishing such facts as have come into his possession, he wishes but to gratify a desire which generally prevails for authentic information in regard to this people. He appears, however, not as their advocate, but only as their historian. The sketch of the early history of the Society, given in the first chapter, may properly be followed by a more detailed account of the personal history of the founder, George Rapp. He was the son of Adam Rapp, a farmer and vine planter of moderate circumstances,residing in the town of Iptingen, Oberamt Maulbronn, kingdom of Wurtemberg. George Eapp was born in said town on the 28th of October, 1757. He was brought up as usual among his class of people, enjoying the benefits of a common school education, where seldom more than reading, writing, arithmetic and geography were taught. After his school years, he assisted his father on the farm in summer, and worked a hand-loom in winter. In the year 1783 he married a farmer's daughter, Christina Benzinger, who bore him a son, John, the father of Gertrude (who is still a member of the Harmony Society), and a daughter, Eosina. The circumstances of John's death (...« less