The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-09

OF deeds run until the year 300 and the
transfer is made on lease merely to allow
the church Cor DIT. Dowie) to retain con-
troll OF the property for a practically In
definite time. In his newspapers Dowie
speaks OF these leases as sales.
Dr. powie says that the first land was
leased at the average rate Of 5000 an acre.
the second series OF lots at $500. and the
third and fourth series at $4,000 an acre.
He also claims that the selling price OF
lots on the four bouIevards is at the rate
of $500 10 5000 an acre. Up TO the pres
ent time Dr. Dowie says he has received
si.045.1l5 from the sale OF land.
While this selling of land was going on
Dr. Dowie was preparing for the estab-
lishment OF the industries which were to
give employment and profit to the Zion
ties All OF these industries, by the way,
bear the name of John Alexander Dowie.
1t is the trade mark OF everything in the
community 1t appears on the front of the
hospice. on the windows Of the land office.
on the side of the bakery wagon.
Chief among the industries Dowie planned
was the manufacture of lace goods by ma
chinery. II was an industry amply pro-
tected by the tariff and had never found
here was large About two years ago DIR.
Dowie went 20 England and brought back
with him machinery and operators to es-
tabish this industry. After some contro-
versy with the Treasury Department he
brought his laceworkers through the immi-
grafton Office and set them at work teach
ing American men and women to operate
the English machinery at Zion. For. while
M lace
factory were to be English, the workers
were to be'American.
To house this lace industry a great build
ing was erected. 1t is so large that the
present machinery fills it to only one-fourth
of Its capacity. In this, as in other things
DR.. Dowie looked ahead.
But the lace industry was not enough.
A laundry was built and equipped;
bakery. then candy factory were started.
A lumber mill was established and a brick
yard. The last two. with the bakery, were
needed in the building and operation of the
town; the others were to furnish employ
ment to the townspeople. Meanwhile. the
work of building went on, and so great
we're the accessions TO the population that
there was seldom a house to be rented and
rarely a dozen rooms vacant. Part of the
working population-200 men In all-was
housed in the old hospice soon as the
new and larger one was ready for occu-
pancy. Many put up tents-there are
some tents to be seen to-day-and many
built shacks and temporary habitations on
the lots they had leased
Employment was plentiful. The Rev. Mr.
Piper. vice president and assistant over
seer. told me in late October that any
no difficulty finding a job in Zion. So those
who labor with their hands have Jared well
In the new community. If they are men,
bers of the church--as most of them are
they have their tithes to pay. and if they
own their homes they will have taxes. Up
10 the present time no taxes have been
levied. Those who invested in any of lions
industries have had the prospect of inter-
est at a high rate; those who deposited
their money in the well-housed Zion bank
have had the promise of 4 per cent. on their
deposits.
All of this financial structure, however,
IS built. curiously enough, on a founda-
ton of faith in John Alexander Dowie.
The title to the land Of the whole town,
as 1 have said. stands in Dowies name.
The industries all belong to him. Those
bank or the land company have received
only sort of preferred stock promising
them certain percentage on their invest
ments; and az this stock bears the per-
sonal guarantee of DR.. Dowie, every share
has an equal claim to the profits of all the
enterprises IL the enterprise on which it is
issued is not profitable. This is one of the
curious features OF Dowieism Although
r.
on one stock and II per cent. on another,
MIR. Piper tells me that the profits of all
are equally held for the payment of the
interest on any one; so an investment in
one is practically an investment in all the
Dowie enterprises.
Zion City has two newspapers-a weekly,
Leaves OF Healing, and a semi-weekly, the
Zion Banner. Both of these are filled with
advertisements urging Dowieites to invest
In Zion. This appeal is directed not to the
people OF Zion alone. but TO the followers
sof Dowie everywhere-their number is es-
ffmated at $1,000 to 10000 If you have
500 or more. why not purchase shares" is
the introduction to one advertisement do
not carry money in your pocket or leave it
In the house, but open a bank account to-
day." is another. Many of these announce
ments recall the style of the get-rich-uuick
advertisements in the New York papers.
Special Inducements are offered for i'm
mediate investment and the investor is as
sured that after Jan. l. 1903, this stock
will command a premium" OF course. one
can speak of things only as he sees them.
DR.. Dowie and his followers think that
those who write about Zion do them many
injustices. but when they adopt worldly
methods they must expect to be judged
by worldly standards, and the appeals for
money made In the columns OF these pa
pers with the testimonials from investors
which appear in the prospectus Of Zion
City are very suggestive to the lay mind
or the specious ways Of the worldly
boomer" rather than the spiritual inspira-
ton OF one who has been sent, as he says
TO make way for the coming OF Christ.
But If the stranger in Zion could not
reconcile Dr. Dowie's worldly methods with
his spiritual claims his 5000 followers in
Zion City seemed perfectly contented with
them They spoke and still speak of him
with enthusiastic admiration and respect
lit can hardly be called reverence-and
they showed their faith by casting their
lot with him and putting their worldly
goods under his control