Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-10-19
DoWIE AND HIS CITY
Steps in the Career of the zlonite
 Leader

Leader.
 John Alexander Dowie, the general overseer of the Christian Catholic Church Tn Zion, is the one exception to the long list of religion inventors who have launched their creeds in America, says the New York World. He is the exception because he has succeeded, while the others have failed, If you do not include Mary Baker c. Eddy and Joseph Smith In the category with Dowie.
 Dowie's inspiration came to him late fin life. He was born in Scotland and was graduated from divinity school there. He went to England as a strug- gling and faithful dominic failed to elicit more than the most ordinary comment, became disgusted and went to Australia. There he labored for many years. t.
 Tn Melbourne his utterances brought about many moments of turbulence and violence. He had his own ideas of the Apostles Creed and he revised it. He was communicated from the Episcopal church and then sought to hold religious meetings in justification of bis stand. He packed the halls he rented, principally through the fame or notorfety which attached to him be- cause of the strong language he used. On several times when his language became too disgusting the police raid cd his meetings.
 He was arrested, but the case was dismissed He was finally ordered to leave Australia because of his attacks on the queens officers, and he found refuge in New Zealand. There he started church, but at that time he had not thought of the faith cure at tachmsnt, which has proved so sue cessfui in a financial way In his later years. From this church he accumu- lated 1.-two boxes of gold," as the pa pers dSAcrfbed his fortune, and sailed for San Francisco with his family, leaving the church to itself.
 Dowie landed in San Francisco in 1888 and soon started church in the suburbs, but he was unused to Amer ican customs especially as they are in the west and he did not prosper. sHa struggled along, preaching pecul- far doctrine which had little semblance to the now well defined creed of the Christian Catholic Church In Zion.
 But the Worlds fair in Chicago sug Rested the inspiration on which his for tune of more than $16,oOOyeoo has been built. He moved his family Co Chicago and got as near the Worlds fair grounds as possible. Securing piece of land block from the Midway, he built his first tabernacle, frame struc- ture capable of seating 300 persons. Here is where his faith cure creed was launched Being of an unusually force full character, g hard worker and with loud voice, he easily gathered about him a sect who were willing to follow leader
 He did cure several of the afflicted. But he made capital of 1t. Then came his great opportunity. There was at that time in Chicago 2 paper which made practice of levying blaekmail, and It's peculiar hunting ground was in the vicinity of the Midway. The re- porters of this sheet found cripple whom Dowie had failed to cure.
 The owners threatened to expose him unless he paid blackmail. No one saw has opportunity quicker than did Dowie himself, and he refused to be black mailed. He courted exposure. Really, what he wanted was publicity. and the surest and most certain publicity is through exposure. So the blackmailers exposed" him, and they kept on ham, mering him every. day for weeks. F- nally one of DowieIs patients died,wtth- out medical attention and in great agony from a' a'con4agious disease. That was news item, and all the other papers picked up Dowie, and the result Is they have made him. For the last ten years he has been before the Chicago public in the newspapers more than any other one man. His sect grew. The little tabernacle in WoodlRwn would no longer hold the crowds, and he leased an abandoned church on Michigan avenue. This he fitted up to accommodate 5000 persons. Then he promulgated certain regulations for his church..
 He borrowed the tithe system, and it was remarkable with what good grace his followers submitted to the com- mand to pay him, "for the church" {" one-tenth of their incomes. Every mem Der of his church was compelled to pay him one-tenth of his wages.
 To this day that is the most rigidly enforced rule of bis church, and it is the rule most rlsidly observed by the adheCents. The most grievous sin is to "hold out" on General Overseer Dowie, and if they are caught at it they are booted out of Zion mighty quick. Inn agine his income from 150,0o0 believers in all parts of the world.
 The next rules were tabulated thus: No smoking of tobacco.
 No chewing of gum or tobacco, No whisky, no wine no rum no beer. No pork in any form. Swine flesh ia filth All literature strictly censored. No flirting. Counting only in the home of the young woman. and then in the presence of her parents. The young man must leave at p. m.
 No doctors. No surgeons.