The Indianapolis journal., 1902-11-09
a City Planned on nm Ambitious Scale,
with Many Great Industries
Under Way.
PUBLIC INVITED TO BUY STOCK
TITLE AND CONTROL ARE VESTED
IN JOHN ALEXANDER DOwIE.
"A Curious Combination of Financial
Enterprise and Confidence
Based on Faith.

Correspondence OF the Indianapolis Journal
!, CHICAGO. Nov. 7-"Peace be with thee,
"a sandy-colored man with a bunch of field
flowers in one hand and battered travel
ing bag in the other passed me ON the way
TO the little railroad station. He spoke
jim an impersonal way for .,is eyes were
fixed on the distance. But the words were
evidently meant for me. They were the
sonly words / heard in Zion City which
swould suggest i'm any way the religious
character OF the community. The practical
sside of their life seems to fix the thoughts
.of the people-at least when they are DEAL
ing with strangers. What do you think
.of Zion?" said the young woman in the
general stores who sold me portrait OF
shabitant of the town she was no doubt
sproud of its material progress.
z And from a practical point Of view Zion
City is no less remarkable than from a
sociological or religious viewpoint. Here
are all the evidences of a city half-com-
spleted. other communities have modest
.oeginnings-they progress through the
stages of settlement village. town. Zion
began as Zion City and all Its plans were
made on the scale that name implies. With
"a strip of untouched woods on one side.
fields in front of ii and the prairie scarcely
a stones throw away building of cut
stone is being constructed for lions coll
lege. According to the plans OF the town
.this site is near the very center of things
sMost of the land about the college has
been taken up. Some OF 1t has been i'm
proved. All of il, no doubt, will be oc-
bupied within a year
e Zion City has all the characteristics of q
boom town. but IL works TO a larger scale
Ihan any have seen before. The manu-
facturing section extends from the rail-
road tracks toward the lake shore on the
east. perfectly bare stretch of sandy
tsoil is divided into city lots by good board
fwalks. South of the railroad station on
Eboth sides of the track are the famous
lace works and other industries already
Established by Mr.. Dowie. But TO the east
and northeast from the station is a blank
sbroken only by those long stretches OF we'll
faid boards. Here the business growth OF
Zion City is intended TO find space
To the west runs Shiloh boulevard. Two
nundred yards from the station on this
boulevard stands the postoffice substan-
fial frame structure surrounded by vacant
lots. About $50 yards beyond at the corner
of Elijah avenue is the Elijah Hospice or
thotel This is big frame structure painted
Sellow, having several hundred bedrooms
and a very large dining room. In all it's
appointments IL is modern and up to date
sike everything else I'm Zion City.
On Elijah avenue. facing the hospice,
are first the office of the schools-a two
story frame building, then the building OF
the bank and the Land Investment Com
5any, then the offices of the general over
seer. A little beyond are the general
stores. On the opposite corner is the fresh
GOOD supply building. These buildings are
not uniform in architecture. but they arc
Of one general style. of the same height
tlnd all are painted white.
On Shiloh boulevard, just beyond Elijah
avenue, stands the home of DIR. Dowie. Its
IS a building OF rather crude architectural
style, constructed OF red brick. with a roof
3f green and red-rather striking and cas-
sly distinguished at a distance. Near IL
pre- the substantial but less pretentious
dwellings of the assistant overseer, DIR.
Piper and others high in the church coun-
.;ils. Some distance west of DR.. Dowie's
house, half-hidden by strip of woods, Is
She great tabernacle which is a temporary
place of worship for the Zionites.
. Tobacco. liquor. profanity or vulgarity
prohibited in this city,
This is the sign that greets you as you
step from the railroad train. These are
bome of the things prohibited I'm Zion City.
srhere are others. All of them are forbid
Alen by the Rev. John Alexander
Oowie, general overseer of the Chris
sian Catholic Church in Zion. He makes
Che rules of the city and fixes the observ-
ances OF the faith. In both spiritual and
temporal affairs he controls the conduct
ST his followers. He owns the city OF Zion
ind he personally controls and practically
swns every industry in IL.
Dowies scheme is curious and original.
1t is a combination OF the spiritual and
snaterial. II inculcates morality. but unlike
fther faiths IL promises pecuniary benefit
IS well as spiritual profit. Every one OF
The business enterprises in Zion is open to
snvestment. but though stock in each OF
shem may be subscribed. the title and con-
srol of all remains with Mr.. Dow;e.
Stock in the Fresh Food Supply Com
tany is sold to investors at the uniform
:rice for all Zion stocks OF 800 per share.
sdr. Dowie promises the purchaser OF this
stock per cent. interest the first year
knd ! per cent. additional each succeeding
Sear until a maximum OF 10 per cent Is
seached. On the Zion City Bank stock
ger cent. Is guaranteed; in the Land and
investment Association 10 per cent; In the
keneral stores per cent. and in the Lumber
association per cent In the lace indus
sries. TO which the general overseer has
ainned much cf his faith in the success OF
che community. he offers from per cent.
30 II per cent. interest on investments.
, In undertaking this enterprise DR.. Dowie
Cook on himself a great burden and re-
1ponsibility. For years he had been collect
ing from his followers tithes. the aggre-
gate OF which is supposed to be very
large sum. How much IL was no one knows.
Tor DR.. Dowie seems 10 be responsible 10
go one but himself. Added 10 these tithes.
ne had received large individual sums
| irom some of his followers When he de-
sided to found Zion City he bought about
| $50 acres ef land at an aver
ssge price. he says. OF about -
| An acre. Some Of this money Is still owing
IN waukegan. the town nearest Zion cit7
| So the south. The land was laid cut e.