Rock Island Argus., 1900-02-15
GREAT RELIGIOUS CITY.
John A. Dowie to Build Modern
Zion Near Waukegan, Ills.
NO wIoKEDNEss TO BE WITHIN IT

the Future CIty-Site AlreGdy Pur-
chased.
John Alexander Dowie is the leader
OF a peculiar sect which holds Il belief
that Chicago has been so wicked that
destruction will oVPrtake the city and
not far away on the lake shore there
Will arise a great religious city. So
firm are they IN the conviction that
they are 10 be founders of new Zion
that they have chosen its site.
They have bought or have an option
upon 6.00U acres OF land near Wauke
gan. Benton township. Ills, and there
the future city is To arise where all
men are 10 be pure and good. says the
New York Herald. Ii is asserted they
have paid an eXtraVaGant price. but
with the exception OF the farmers who
have sold their lands or received mon
ey to bind sale there is great disap
pointmcnI in the neighborhoOd. The
people had hoped that some great man
ufacturing City was to bc started. prob
ably the Frick- Rockefeller Steel works.
Though they are, as 4 rule. Il religious
and churchgoinG community. there is
the feeling that there might he more
substantially in the treasures laid up
on earth by the multimillionaires than
In the promised wealth of Dowie's
city OF Zion.
Dowie is man of great personal
magnetism. n dreamer. who believes
that. though the purchase OF land be ut
even 4 great price. the site having
been di"inely revealed there is ts grow
n city 50 good and great that it will
shame all the world into righteousness.
Ground IS 10 be broken for n temple
early in May with most impressive
ceremonies. The i'll are to be healed.
Dowie declares. and the world is to
receive its first revelation OF what
the modern Zion is to be. Later. build
ing of two factories. the industrial be-
ginnings of the city. is to begin. One
is to be for the making of shoes and
the other is to he Il lace factory. which
Dowie says he will bring to the
golden city" from England.
Next on the programme will be the
laying of the cornerstone for the tenn
pie of Zion. and then there are to be
portents in the heavens. which may be
read by all men except those inclosed
in the Chicago streets with their tall
buildings. and even they are to hear
of these things and go into the fields
to see.
Dowie is then to follow the example
of the German emperor and go on 4
triumphal tour of the Holy Land. He |
hopes 10 enter the gates of Jerusalem |
on an ass and. in 50 far as he can, act
as the Master did. In the meantime |
Dowie goes about with II bodyguard |
of we'll armed believers in the coming
community. where there is TO be no sin |
and no illness. and there are perhaps
1000 enthusiasts who entertain plans |
that put in the shade the hopes of the |
Mormons.
Dowie. who calls himself general
oversepr of the Christian Catholic |
church. was born in Scotland about &c
years ago. He was educated for the |
ministry in the Edinburgh seminary. |
He appeared in Australia about Is
years ago and started grocery store.
He was elected to the common council |
of Melbourne and then opened a taber-
nacle. preaching the gospel and taking
occasion to condemn the council. His
grocery store soon became church.
He SAYS mob of 3,000 men dragged
him out of his church and threatened
TO lynch him.
He was given 30 days to leave and
says that upon his arrival in San Fran
cisco he had seven purses of gold pre-
sented TO him hy his followers in Aus
tralia. He organized II church i'll san
Francisco and adopted the theory OF
healing by prayer. He convinced many
that spectacles were useless and ef-
fected some alleged cures.
Coming to Chicago the year before
the Worlds fair. lie started Il tent serv
ice on what later became the Midway
plaiSance. At SiXty-Second street and
Madison avenue he constructed Il frame
Zion tabernacle and ran IL hospital in
with IL. He became engagI
ed in n costly legal war with the state
of Illinois on the charge of conducting
n hospital without a license, but won
in the courts.
He is now the lessee Of the old st.
Paurs Episcopal church in Chicago.1
with a seating capacity OF $500. His
home is in the seven story hotel at
Twelfth street and Michigan avenue
known as Zion home. having accom-
for 800 persons. He is also
lessee OF hail at Thirteenth street and
avenue. where he has print
ing establishment. with a perfectingl
press. three duplex presses and many
job presses. 11S stands and n chapel OF
90 union printers. The building is also
the home of the Zion bank. a wealthy
Investment association.