Travels Through North America, During the Years 1825 and 1826. v. 1-2

To the cloudy night succeeded a fine warm morning, and a picturesque valley where handsome houses and mills cheered the spirits. The mountains are filled with coal and several openings penetrating into them, prove that this important fuel is not neglected. We finally came to the left shore of the Ohio, and before us was Pittsburgh covered by a black cloud of smoke. This city is situated at the confluence of the Alleghany and Monongahela; both these rivers after their union form the majestic Ohio. The water of the Monongahela is much more muddy than that of the Alleghany, and both rivers are distinguished separately at a great distance. The situation of Pittsburgh, as well as the Ohio valley, resemble in some measure the environs of Liege, on the Meuse, with the exception that the mountains of the Meuse are higher than these. We passed through a little village called Birmingham, where are salt-works, a glass-house, and iron-works, and arrived at the bridge which crosses the Monongahela. This bridge is marked on the map as projected, but has been finished for six or seven years. It is of wood resting on five stone piers, and consists of six arches of very solid construction, being covered and divided in two parts. A fine of fifteen dollars is exacted of those who ride on horseback or carriage faster than a walk; there are also foot-walks. Pittsburgh contains fifteen thousand inhabitants – it has not a pleasing appearance, containing a great number of wooden buildings, all of a smoky colour from the smoke continually ascending from the numerous manufactories. Pittsburgh reminds you of an English city, and therefore is called the American Birmingham. It was nine o’clock, A. M. when we arrived, and took lodgings at the Mansion-house, kept by Colonel Ramsay, a good hotel, and a very polite landlord.

CHAPTER XXIV

Pittsburgh. – Economy. – Mr. Rapp and his Society

I was scarcely settled here before I received a visit from two German residents, Mr. Bonnhorst, a justice of the peace, and Mr. Volz, a merchant. These gentlemen accompanied me to indicate the most remarkable places and manufactures of the city.

We visited a French glass-cutter, a very skilful man, who does a good business; passed by the court-house, which is built opposite the market-house in a half circle, and stopped at the glass factory of Mr. Bakewell, in which fine flint glass is blown and ground. This crystal is as clear, and nearly as good as the English. The processes used in such a manufactory are known; but I wondered at the celerity with which the different articles are made. Glass-cutting, as is well known, is a difficult work, and requires skilful artists, which are still rare in this country, and very dear. We visited a paper manufactory belonging to Mr. Baldwin, which is arranged in the usual manner: thence we went to an eminence which overlooks the city, called Grant’s Hill, after an English General Grant, who, during the seven years’ war, was slaughtered here along with his troops, by the Indians.

The French, about the middle of the preceding century, had built a fort on the point of land, immediately at the confluence of the two rivers, called Duquesne. The English found this fortification annoying, and hence arose the occurrences which subsequently produced the seven years’ war. This place has the highest interest to every European soldier. General Grant wished to obtain possession of Fort Duquesne, and besieged it from the height which still bears his name. He however kept a miserable guard, was surprised, and paid with his own life, and that of his men, for his negligence. From this hill, one may behold, at a view, the three vallies of the Alleghany, Monongahela and Ohio.

Rapp’s society, after leaving New Harmony, chose a new situation which they named Economy. This is eighteen miles from Pittsburgh. I intended to visit it on the following day, but on this evening, (May 17,) I was surprised by a visit from Mr. Frederick Rapp, adopted son of the founder of the Society, who gave me an invitation to pay their establishment a visit. We therefore went willingly at ten o’clock, next morning, accompanied by Messrs. Bonnhorst and Volz, to Economy, whither Mr. F. Rapp preceded us.

We reached the Alleghany bridge, which is built of wood, roofed, and supported upon five stone piers. The foot-walks are separated from the wagon-road, and are open on one side, so that foot passengers are not incommoded by the dust from the inside of the bridge. On the opposite side is a little village called Alleghany town, laid out upon a great scale, but on account of the proximity of Pittsburgh, it will with difficulty attain any importance: in former years, the Indians, which then thickly hovered about the right bank of the Alleghany and Ohio, were a powerful obstacle to the increase of this place. On the heights stand elegant country houses. Farther off ran the road, which was bad enough, near to the right bank of the Ohio, through a wonderfully lovely landscape. The valley strongly reminds one of the Maas Valley between Namur and Lüttich; it is beautifully cultivated; the farms lie close together; the green hills, and groups of sugar maples and acacias have a most beautiful appearance. The latter were beginning to blossom, and filled the air with perfume.66 In the Ohio we saw Neville’s island, which is about seven miles long and one broad, and is well cultivated. Over two little creeks we passed upon well kept, roofed bridges, and reached Economy at two, P. M. This place lies on a bluff fifty feet above the low water mark of the Ohio. Behind the village are some hills containing springs, whence the water is conveyed in pipes to Economy.

In approaching Economy we passed two burning brick-kilns; then we came to a newly-built house, at which stood three men with horns, who began to blow on our arrival. At the inn, a fine large frame house, we were received by Mr. Rapp, the principal, at the head of the community. He is a gray-headed, and venerable old man; most of the members emigrated twenty-one years ago from Wurtemberg, along with him. After our first greeting, we were conducted into a simple but tastefully arranged apartment. We conversed together for a time, and then all set down to dinner. The table was furnished with German dishes, over which reigned a jocund heartiness.

Having been prejudiced against Mr. Rapp and his society, by what I had read, and more recently heard at New Harmony, I was much rejoiced at having visited this place, to be better informed by personal observation. Never have I witnessed a more truly patriarchal constitution than here, and men’s actions speak best for their regulations, and for the concord prevailing among them.

The elder Rapp is a large man of seventy years old, whose powers age seems not to have diminished; his hair is gray, but his blue eyes overshadowed by strong brows, are full of life and fire; his voice is strong, and his enunciation full, and he knows how to give a peculiar effect to his words by appropriate gesticulation. He speaks a Swabian dialect, intermixed with a little English, to which the ear of a German in the United States must become accustomed; generally, what he says is clearly and plainly delivered.

Rapp’s system is nearly the same as Owen’s. Community of goods, and all members of the society to work together for the common interest, by which the welfare of each individual is secured. Rapp does not hold his society together by these hopes alone, but also by the tie of religion, which is entirely wanting in Owen’s community; and results declare that Rapp’s system is the better. No great results can be expected from Owen’s plan, and a sight of it is very little in its favour. What is most striking and wonderful of all, is that so plain a man as Rapp can so successfully bring and keep together a society of nearly seven hundred persons, who in a manner honour him as a prophet. Equally so for example in his power of government, which can suspend the intercourse of the sexes. He found that the society was becoming too numerous, wherefore the members agreed to live with their wives as sisters. All nearer intercourse is forbidden, as well as marriage; both are discouraged. However, some marriages constantly occur, and children are born every year, for whom there is provided a school and teacher. The members of the community manifest the very highest degree of veneration for the elder Rapp, whom they address and treat as a father.

Mr. Frederick Rapp is a large good-looking personage, of forty years of age. He possesses profound mercantile knowledge, and is the temporal, as his father is the spiritual chief of the community. All business passes through his hands; he represents the society, which, notwithstanding the change in the name of their residence, is called the Harmony Society, in all their dealings with the world. They found that the farming and cattle-raising, to which the society exclusively attended in both their former places of residence, were not sufficiently productive for their industry, they therefore have established factories, which in this country are very profitable, and have at present cotton and woollen manufactories, a brewery, distillery, and flour-mill. They generally drink, during their good German dinners, uncommonly good wine, which was made on the Wabash, and brought thence by them: they left the worst, as I have remarked, at New Harmony.

After dinner we visited the village, which is very regularly arranged, with broad rectangular streets, two parallel to the Ohio, and four crossing them. On the 22d of May it will be but two years since the forest was first felled upon which Economy is built; the roots still remaining in the streets are evidences of the short time that has elapsed. It is astonishing what united and regulated human efforts has accomplished in so short a time!

Many families still live in log-houses, but some streets consist almost entirely of neat, well-built frame houses, at proper distances from each other, each house has a garden attached to it. The four-story cotton and woollen factories are of brick; Mr. Rapp’s dwelling-house, not yet completed, and a newly-begun warehouse, are also to be of brick. The log-houses stand in the rear of the line which the new houses are to occupy in the street, so that when in time they wish to erect brick buildings, it may be done without incommoding the tenants of the log dwellings. Mr. Rapp’s residence speaks rather freely against the equality he preaches to his people, yet without exciting jealousy or becoming a stumbling block. It consists of a principal building two stories high, with two lower wings standing in the same line, and is adorned with beautiful Philadelphia paper. At the back of the house is a piazza and balcony. There is also a garden containing several acres with flowers and vegetables, as well as a vineyard, situated on a terrace-shaped half circle on the hill, ending in a bower. I especially admired the beautiful tulips of this garden, in the midst of which is a round basin with a noble spring. Mr. Rapp intends to build a temple here, in which he will place a statue of Harmony: the statue is now ready. It is the work of a carver in Philadelphia, and is a colossal wooden figure, like the figure-head of a ship. In the garden are several cottages, one of them is roofed with sods, and is used for a pastry house. On the top is a sort of seat, where hereafter musicians are to sit; within there is a temporary frame hall. Near the garden is the green-house; this house, as well as the garden, is under the inspection of a very pretty girl, Miss Hildegard, a relative of Mr. Rapp, and possessed of much botanical knowledge. The women of this community have all preserved their Swabian costume, even to their straw hats, and they look very becomingly.

In the cotton and woollen factories, all the machinery is set in motion by a high-pressure engine of seventy horse-power, made in Pittsburgh. The machine pumps the water from a well fifty feet deep, sunk for the purpose. The community possesses some fine sheep, among which are many Merino and Saxon: they purchase wool, however, from the surrounding farmers, who have already begun to raise it to bring to Economy. As soon as the wool is washed, it is picked by the old women of the community, who work in the fourth story, whence it is reconveyed by a sort of tunnel into the lower story. The wool is then separated according to its quality into four classes, dyed together in the dye-house near the manufactory, returned to the mill, where it is combed, coarsely spun, and finally wrought into fine yarn by a machine similar to the spinning jenny. As soon as spun, it is placed in the loom and wrought into cloth, this is placed in a steam fulling-mill, so arranged that the steam from the engine is made to answer the purpose of soap and fuller’s earth, which is a great saving. The cloth is shorn by means of a cylinder, upon which a strong piece of steel turns. There is a model of this shearing-machine in the patent-office at Washington. The woollen goods most in demand in this country, are blue middling, grey mixed, (principally used for pantaloons,) and red and white flannel cloths. The red flannels are in great demand.

The cotton factory is employed in spinning and weaving. The printing of cottons has not yet been attempted, as the stamps cannot be procured without great expense and difficulty, and the fashions of printed calico are very changeable. The coloured cottons wove here are blue and white, mixed; a stuff of this colour much in demand in Tennessee, is called cassinet, the chain of which is of cotton, and the filling of wool. The spinning machines are of the common kind, each of which have one hundred and fifty spools at work. The first machine, which does the coarse spinning, has been much improved, so as to save a great deal of manual labour. There are also some power-looms here, though not many, neither have they at present but one dressing machine. Many of the machines are made in Pittsburgh; most of them, however, at Economy. As this establishment has been so recently founded, it is natural enough that but few machines should be prepared or in operation. The factories and workshops are warmed during winter by means of pipes connected with the steam-engine. All the workmen, and especially the females, have very healthy complexions, and moved me deeply by the warm-hearted friendliness with which they saluted the elder Rapp. I was also much gratified to see vessels containing fresh, sweet-smelling flowers standing on all the machines. The neatness which universally reigns here, is in every respect worthy of praise.

After visiting these interesting factories, we went to Mr. Rapp’s temporary dwelling, a good frame house, in order to take tea. I saw here his unmarried, rather faded daughter, and his blooming grandchild, Gertrude, the daughter of his only son, concerning whose death such strange reports are circulated. The table was decorated with beautiful silver plate, and Rapp appeared to be rejoiced, to indicate by its possession, his well-merited prosperity. He commenced his business, as he informed me, with very slender means; when he began at New Harmony, he had to contend with the bitterest want, and more than once, had not bread for his community. He sent Frederick Rapp to Pittsburgh, to procure store goods, and absolutely necessary provisions, upon credit. The latter found himself generally repulsed, and remained the whole night awake in Pittsburgh, lamenting the cruelty of mankind. The elder Rapp, who waited in vain for his return, went to his house, also lamenting his situation, but not in the least doubtful of Providence, who watched over him and his; nor was his confidence misplaced. The heart of one Pittsburgh merchant was moved; he could not rest during the night for having so scornfully dismissed Mr. Rapp. He sought him early in the morning, took him to his store, and offered him whatever was necessary upon credit. In this manner was the society rescued. This worthy merchant some time after suffered in his business, and on this unfortunate occasion, the grateful Harmony society assisted him in a very generous manner.

We spent the evening likewise with Mr. Rapp. He collected the musical members of the society, and entertained us with music. Miss Gertrude played upon the piano, and three of the girls sang; the other instruments were violins, a violoncello and two flutes. The music was really not so good as we had heard in the preceding autumn at Bethlehem; but gave us much entertainment. Mr. Bonnhorst also delighted us with his fine performance on the violin. The music was principally directed by a German physician, named Müller, who belongs to the community, and also has charge of the school.

The next morning we went with both the Messrs. Rapp through the village. We visited the distillery, in which good whiskey is made, which is in much demand in the neighbouring places. None is made use of in the village itself, as the members of the society have mutually agreed to abstain from the use of distilled liquors. This distillery feeds many swine and horned cattle, which produce the society a handsome profit. The beer brewery from lack of barley, made beer of wheat; this brewery was not in operation. The flour-mill, not yet completed, is to be worked by a steam-engine, and is to be arranged like the Baltimore steam-mill. In a short time four sets of stones will be in operation, and an oil mill is also to be connected therewith. As careful managers, the directors of the society, in the upper part of the mill, which is five stories high, put away grain enough for a year, in order to be secured against scarcity, which is even in this happy country much to be dreaded. In the mill as well as in the factories, in each story there is a great iron cylinder, filled with water, which is thus at hand in case of fire. The society possesses a fire-engine of their own making, and have organized a fire company to work it.

We examined the workshops of the black and locksmiths, which are under the same shed, and then the joiner’s and cooper’s; we especially observed the marks of actual and filial respect which is borne towards the elder Rapp by his young people. The warehouse was also shown to us, where the articles made here for sale or use are preserved; and I admired the excellence of all. The articles for the use of the society are kept by themselves, as the members have no private possessions, and every thing is in common, so must they in relation to all their personal wants be supplied from the common stock. The clothing and food they make use of, is of the best quality. Of the latter, flour, salt meat, and all long keeping articles are served out monthly; fresh meat on the contrary, and whatever spoils readily, is distributed whenever it is killed, according to the size of the family, &c. As every house has a garden, each family raises its own vegetables, and some poultry, and each family has also its own bakeoven. For such things as are not raised in Economy, there is a store provided, from which members with the knowledge of the directors, may purchase what is necessary, and the people of the vicinity may also do the same. The warehouse and store are for the present in wooden buildings, but in a short time the requisite brick buildings will be erected.

Under Mr. Rapp’s new house we found a fine roomy cellar, in which he gave us a very good glass of old Rhenish wine, and also some good wine made on the Wabash, of which he had twenty-one casks. I tasted a very dark and powerful wine, made from wild grapes, which grew on an island in the Wabash. For the first three years it is said that this wine cannot be drank on account of its sourness; this has been in casks for eight years and is so much improved, that it now is similar to old Hungarian wine.

As we passed along we saw a small deer park, in which the elder Rapp had amused himself in taming some bucks and does, which would eat out of his hand. We saw also here a noble young moose deer, which was as large as a stout ox. He is also very tame, but during the season is dangerous.

Mr. Rapp finally conducted us into the factory again, and said that the girls had especially requested this visit, that I might hear them sing. When their work is done they collect in one of the factory rooms, to the number of sixty or seventy, to sing spiritual and other songs. They have a peculiar hymn-book, containing many hymns from the Wurtemberg psalm-book, and others written by the elder Rapp. The latter are truly in prose, but have been arranged to old tunes by the girls.67 The elder Rapp is very fond of psalmody, and the girls must devote themselves considerably thereto, since Gertrude is a proficient and receives musical instruction. A chair was placed for the old patriarch, who sat amidst the girls and they commenced a hymn in a very delightful manner. It was naturally symphonious and exceedingly well arranged. The girls sang four pieces, at first sacred, but afterwards by Mr. Rapp’s desire, of gay character. With real emotion did I witness this interesting scene.

We had an excellent dinner in Mr. Rapp’s house, and the musical members of the society took this opportunity to play their best in front of it. The band consisted of twelve musicians, and performed very well, among them were two who played bugles. Both the Rapp’s, and especially the elder, advised me strongly to settle in their neighbourhood, and purchase at ten miles hence, the Beaver Falls on Beaver creek, for twenty-five thousand dollars. There I might establish iron works, said they, and make a great deal of money; they and their society would assist me in every possible manner!

With peculiar feelings we took leave of the friendly and industrious Economy, at three o’clock. No payment was received at the tavern, and we set out through the same beautiful places by which we had come towards Pittsburgh. Mr. F. Rapp, who had business there, followed us, accompanied by Gertrude. During this ride I had another opportunity of admiring the beautiful rocks as we passed by, and particularly the caverns, probably made in them by water, which remind one of the little caves near Ems, on the Lahn.

We stopped at Alleghany town to examine the new and unfinished penitentiary, which is arranged according to the system of solitary confinement. The whole is surrounded by a high hexagonal wall. The principal building, which is of sandstone, is three stories high. This is to contain the residence of the superintendent, the offices and infirmary. On two of the other angles of the hexagon are high round towers, from which the interior of the house can be overlooked, where the guards are to be stationed. Behind the principal building in the court-yard, stands a smaller building, containing, besides many cells for the convicts, the kitchen and wash-house. In a circle which is interrupted by the above mentioned buildings, stands a one-story building, containing convict cells, which has one row of entrances near the inner circular yard, and the other towards the space enclosed by the hexagonal walls. Each cell is eight feet long by six broad. It contains a bench, and receives its light through an opening secured by an external iron grate; within this is a wooden door, which the prisoner can, at his pleasure, open or shut. Before each cell is a very small open space. The cells are floored, and provided with iron rings to which the prisoners may be secured if necessary. These unfortunates have neither light nor room enough to work; I was informed that each prisoner was to be allowed to enjoy the fresh air for fifteen minutes daily. In this way, this new system can scarcely have any other result than that of destroying the health of the convicts. The prison contains one hundred and ninety-six cells, and it is said, that next autumn the first victims are to be sacrificed to a mistaken philanthropy.68 The expense of maintaining these prisoners, who are not permitted to earn any thing, will necessarily be considerable.

On the 20th of May I went with Mr. F. Rapp, who still remained in Pittsburgh with Gertrude, to visit some manufacturing establishments. We crossed the Monongahela near its mouth, in a skiff, to a salt-work on the left bank. With the earth-borer invented in England, and improved in America, they found salt water at the depth of a hundred feet. As this water was thought to be too weak, a pipe was placed in the well, and bored in another place, until at the depth of a hundred feet a sufficiently strong brine was obtained. The salt water collected and rose to the top. It is now pumped out by a small steam-engine into a boiler, where it is boiled for four hours. It is then poured into a large vat, to the depth of eight inches. It stands in this vat four hours; a little alum is added to precipitate earthy impurities. Hence, by a cock situated above the level of the precipitated matters, the fluid is drawn off into various kettles, in which the now pure brine is again boiled for four hours. Now the white salt begins to form, and is skimmed off with large iron ladles. This is a very simple process, saves expense and room, and appears to me far better than our great salt-houses. In returning to the city, we saw many iron-works, of which there are eight in the city and vicinity. One of them is a nail factory; the nail-cutting machine acts from above, and the workmen holds the rod to be cut with a pair of tongs, and has to move it at every stroke; a hammer strikes the nail which falls through in such a manner as to form the head. We also saw a steam-engine manufactory of considerable extent. I had seen such an establishment previously in England, but as most of the machines are made here in parts, one cannot see a great deal. What most interested me was a double lever, by which the holes are punched in iron plates for the boilers, which are riveted together; a work which requires a great degree of exactness.