The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-21
A GOLDEN ZION.
DOwie Obtains, 1000 Acres For
a "City of GOd.''
Home of Divine Healing to Be
Near Chicago.
TOOUTSHINEP PULLMAN
Head of the Christian Catholic
Church's Move.
Stores, Hotels, Factories and
Other Enterprises.

Chicago, Dec. 2.-The founding of a
modern city whose inhabitants will be
disciples of divine healing is a gigantic
project which John Alexander Dowie,
leading apostle of the creed in Chicago,
said yesterday he had been developing for
several months. For this new city site
has been selected in Benton township just
north of Waukegan and south OF Wis
cOnsin state line. Here the head of the
Christian Catholic church has obtained
options on nearly 1900 acres of land bor-
dering on the lake shore.
Secrecy has been observed rigidly by all
the persons having knowledge of the ma
ture of the deal, and purchases of vast
tracts of land in Benton township BY T.
d. WheelOck, the reputed agent of DoW1e
the establishing of some big INDUSTRIAL
plant. But the rumOrS that H. c. Fr1ck
the land as a site for steel and iron works
were denied authoritatively, and similar
reports about other interests were declar-
TO BE THE CITY OF ZION"
office in Zion, Michigan avenue and
Twelfth street, and which he has exhibit
ants, shows the proposed site of what is
to be called The City of Zion" The
the ''divine healer is gathering a fund
of 81, 900 900, is to be in the choicest part
of Benton township and viii cover nearly
half of its area A population of at least
20,0 900 is expected to be attained early
City of Zion is known to Dowie only, and
he has refused to tell ms exact plans
options held bv Mr. WheeIock expire Feb
rilarv / and the apostle of divine healing
has announced publicly that he expects
eve as the result of his recent appeal for
Contributions, the report is that the land
purchase Will be consummated the first Of
Informally the head of the Christian
Catholic church has told friends that he
far outshine Pullman in its palmiest
days. He will apply for a state charter,
and under its provisions will establish
q with idea.
OF making the city not only self-Sustain-
ENTERPRTSES OF Kill KINDS.
Stores, hotels, factories and enterprises
of various kinds will be conducted under
the direction of the Overseer of the divine
healing institutions. No pretension is
tive. Dowie discusses it as a business un-
dertaking from which he hopes for splen-
What disposition is to be made of the
several Zion institutions in Chicago is not
have been enormous. In public addresses.
however, the divine healer has intimated
Chicago and concentrate them in the new
city he is to build.
In describing the new Zion Dowie has
not halted at any exaggerations of Ian
guage. He has spoken of it variously
city" the city beautiful, ''the rebuild
ing of Zion, by the only Zionists' the
new Jerusalem" His facility for gorg-
eous imagery, never very remarkable in
other respects, BECAME truly wonderful
casting the future of the brand-new Zion
he purpOSed to erect. With the abstract
ed gaze of the enthusiast he has been
custOmed to dilate at great length upon
the magnifcence and grandeur of the un-
TO RISE AS IF BY MAGIC.
Tt would be a city that would rise as
if by magic in the night. he has said, and
it would be exclusively for the use of the
children of Zion" It would have halls
of marble and towers and minarets rising
a1Oft from divers institutions of the di-
vine healing cult: it would have INDUS
tries and schools and a myriad of pretty
residences for the believers in the self
styled high priest of Zion.
All this and much more along similar
lines he has set forth from half a hun
dred platforms in this city within the last
few months. As a nucleus for the fund
to start the enterprise he asked some
months ago that 100000 be given him
the first of the new year. That he would
get the money and keep his word about
the founding of the new city was never
lowers. But there were not wanting some
who believed that the attempt at town
building would indeed be very modest
when the ground came to be broken.
haps it be a mere handful of his conf
dants-that the enterprise would be on
the scale of SplendOr and bOldneSS which
now seems pOrtended by the fact that
has already been expended in the pre-
limfnary moves.
Because of careful nurturing of a we'll
guarded plan for spectacular unfolding of
the secret of the city's site and dimen-
SiOnS DOWie has held aloOf recently from
personal converse with all but the most
trusted of his supporters. He has shut
himself in his room for DAYS at a time
away even from the members of his own
family circle. He is said to have given it
out that he was following the example of
the prophets of old and had withdrawn
from the world to fast and pray for the
arrival of that million dollars"