Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-06-01
NEW RELIGIOUS EDIEcE.
Evangelist Bitter Planning to
Build a Magnificent Temple.
HEART OF CHICAGO ToBE THE SITE
He. Expects to Raise Funds by Means
of the Income From Colorado Gold
Mines of Which He. Is the Head.
Novel Features of the Building

The Rev. ]. S. Bitter, the evangelist
now holding meetings at the Central
81. E. Church South, has a scheme for
instilling religion into the masses and
for bringing the gospel home to men,
| women and children that may have
farreaching and lasting effects, says
the Kansas City Times. 1t is the
building of a great religious temple in
the center OF great city.
For the last 20 years DR.. Bitter has
had this matter near his heart. He has
not been able to carry out his ideas,
however, through lack of funds. His
scheme requires money, and lots of it,
but DR.. Bitter thinks the fruition of his
| plans and the contamination of all his
| cherished hopes are near at hand.
Several months ago DR.. Bitter met in
Sedalia man of the name of Wharton,
a rough, uncouth miner, who had spent
the best part of his life among the hills
of Colorado. He seemed to DIR. Bitter
to be exactly the stamp of man he was
looking for; and the evangelist present
ly found out that Wharton held min
ing claims in Cripple Creek rated by
experts to be worth among the tens of
millions. After a short acquaintance
DIR. Bitter preached the subject, and,
to his surprise, the man proved most
responsive. He had become deeply in
terested in the reverend doctors
scheme to aid the millions who are suf-
fering from moral starvation. The up
shot Of the matter was that Wharton
made a quitclaim deed to ten of his
choicest Cripple Creek claims to DR.
Bitter. to be the property of the Good
VIII Temple Mining and Milling COM
pany.
This company, of which Dr. Bitter is
president. is incorporated under the
laws of Colorado and has already be-
gun work looking to the successful
operation of the mines. Experts have
declared that these claims give every
Indication of being among the richest
strikes in all the history Of Cripple
Creek. 1t is believed that they will
outclass the famous Independence
mine of George Stratton. which has
paid millions and millions in dividends
DIR. Bitler's scheme for the Good
VIII Temple of course is entirely de-
pendent upon the mining venture, but
that it is n coming innovation in the
religious world no person can doubt
who holds even a five minutes con-
versation with the evangelist. 1t is to
be placed in the heart OF the city OF
Chicago. TO be built of the finest ma
terial obtainable and is to be up to
date and even gorgeous in every APP
pointment it contains. In other words,
its primary object is TO impress the
multitude by its grandeur and mag
nificence as the house of God Upon
the dome of this immense building,
overlapping all the other tall buildings
of the city, a great cross is to be
erected, which at night will send the
tidings far and near with its dazzling
blaze of electric lights, Peace on
Earth, Good Will Toward Men" There
are to be two elegant show windows,
one on each side of the grand entrance.
These are to be used to depict in every
day scenes the profit to the individual
of pure life and the utter futility of a
bad.
One window perhaps will be home
scene, true to life-a dining room
scene; n man and his wife and chill
dren seated at a table. Everything
about them will betoken comfort, and
the Bible upon the table will tell that (
it's principles underlie the home. In
large letters over this group will be
the text. Goodness Is Profitable" The |
other window will tell of extreme mis- |
cry. There will be but one room, in
which will stand an old table, minus |
a leg, minus victuals. On it will be
only a piece of a dish. on which are q |
bone and a few crusts of bread. In :
addition there will be a woman with ,
ragged children around her, all be- |
tokening distress, despair and poverty. |
In one corner the husband and father |
of the family will lie in drunken |
sleep. This picture is to be labeled |
1.-The Wages of Sin Is Death"
Besides these spectacular features |
DR.. Bitter has in mind for his temple !
a spacious auditorium, seating 10000
persons. There will be preaching day |
and night, where the wayfarer can
obtain comfort and content. Every
thing about the place will suggest re-
ligiOn. Myriads of incandescent lights
will proclaim the Saviour's words. II
Am the Light of the World" another,
God Is Light and still a third,
Light Is Given For the Righteous"
And the grandest feature OF the whole
temple will be its organ, costing $780,
600, and, when finished, the pride Of
half a continent.
Outside there are to be magnificent
at which even the poorest
are welcome to refresh themselves,
upon which are Inscriptions from well
known Bible writings. And, as eli
max to it all. directly in front of the
temple bow Of fire In rainbow colors
will be thrown across the street. and
for many squares viii be read, Who
soeyer VIII May Come"