The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1901-07-18
The People Do Not Fall Over
Themselves After the Proph-
cts Property.
ELIJAH BECOMES A U. S. CITIZEN
The Union Jack waved Above Stars and
Stripes, But Position is Changed-
Dowie Realizes $4,000.


Elijah IL, John Alexander Dowie,
started his Zion City real estate boom
yesterday with prayer. He disposed
of the 1easeholds on nearly 800 lots and
bound his followers to pay in rentals
over S150,000.
John Alexander Dowie, Elijah H.,
renowned forever "all allegiance and
fidelity to any foreign prince, poten-
tate, state or sovereig nty whatever,
and particularly to King Edward of
Great Britain and Ireland" and de-
c1ared his intention of becoming a
citizen of the United States of Amer
lea. For the privilege of making his
declaration he paid fee of SO cents.
The first ceremony took place in an
immense tent near the center of Shiloh
Park. After a prayer the followers of
Dowie were exhorted to go forth and
buy, buy, buy. Six hundred did go
forth, but they did not buy as freely as
the reincarnated Elijah wished. They
wandered over the lands, walked
around the site of the promised temple,
but did not fall over each other in their
anxiety to lease property in Zion City.
In the words of one of the followers of
the founder of the faith the grand
celebration, which had been promised
an attendance Of 10000 people, was
"frost," with barely 1000 persons
present.
After a rest from his sales of real
estate, the se1f-proc1aimed prophet
ordered his twentieth century chariot.
With imposing bodyguards he swept
down Elijah boulevard, turned on
Sheridan road, and proceeded seven
miles to the Office of the Clerk of the
County Court of Lake county. There
he formally declared his intention of
becoming a citizen of the United
States, while at the same moment the
British flag swung 1azi1y above the
United States flag far up on the tower
of Zion City.
Last night there was another meet
ing in the pig tent. Counsel Packard
explained the workings of the lease
under which the faithful will hold their
lands. 1t is pronounced by Elijah II.
to be the most wonderful lease ever
closely printed pages. Among other
things it contains 7O1 conditions upon
which the members of Zion accept
their lots on lease for 100 years.
They are bound to exclude from their
property distilleries, hreweries, soap
factories, glue factories, saloons and
beer gardens, cigar and tobacco deal
G., sO.r &c
theatres, circuses, drug stores and
physicians offices. The lots cannot be
used for the raising of swine or for the
sale of pork or lard or the products of
swine, or any of the food forbidden by
God in the seventh to the nineteenth
verses of the fourteenth chapter of
Deuteronomy Neither are they to
permit any secret society to assemble
on their lots. Incidentally, the 1essees
are bound to pay all taxes whatsoever
assessed against the property.
AS a mark of 1ibera1ity Dowie de-
c1ared yesterday that he had inserted
clause providing for a return of one
half of the actual cash price should he
find it necessary to declare forfeited
any of the leases. This, he added, he
did for the sake of the future genera
TONS
''zion City now has population of
2,5O0,' declared Dowie last night.
'The encampment is a great success.
I doubt if we have enough lots laid out
to supply the demand. We have 5000.
The profits on the goods bought by the
people of Zion go to outsiders, and are
used to fight us. We shall keep the
profits to ourselves. The lots will be
sold only to shareholders.