The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-06
ELIJAH D0WIE
GOING TO ARKANSAS TO BUX
 AN ISLAND.
The Southern Pacific Officials are Co., operating with Him for Purpose of Enabling Him to Purchase
 3O,o00 Acre Island Tract.

New Orleans States.
 Alexander Dowie of Chicago. or. rather. of .The Eternal City" a suburb of Cht' cago, arrived on the Illinois Central tran from Chicago at 3 o'clock Gn in A a spec.al @ sas Pass Railroad. Assistant General Passenger Agent George F. LLpton of that road is in charge of the car and w.ll take the venerable self-styled Elijah to lAransas Pass. Texas, where he viii look over Matagorda Island, which lies just outside of the Pass in the Gulf. a splendid tract of land 5000 acres in ex. tent.
 It seems that the gray-bearded prophet has sickened of the city he has founded on the shore of Lake Michigan and that he is now anxious. to get as far away from civilization as possible.
 The Southern Pacific train outward bound at 9 O clock wss still in the Union Depot when last nights Illinois Central No. arrived and 1t was thought at nrst 10 the outbound Southern Pacific and leave New Orleans immediately. but Mr, Lupton, being in charge of the arrange. ments and knowing that no time wo1il not needlessly do so. The Lupton private car in which Dowie is travelling will be run out attached to the rear end Of the Sunset Express, No. 2 which leaves the The main line of the Southern Pacffic will be left at Houston, where the San Antonio and Aransas Pass road, catteo by the railroad men the Sap" road, from it's initials, diverges southwest from the
 Dowie was not at all anxious to meet any one on his trip down from Chicago and kept the doors of his car locked. Mir. Lupton came out several times and talked with friends in the other Pullrnar cars but .Dowie did not converse with d single soul.
 Indeed the prophet has misled all the CbioaUn when hn tAfi that city, for the dispatches sent out from there are to the effect that Dowie wal going on through to San Francisco on q trip around the world. It was also said In the dispatches at other times that hl would probably visit his wife, who had been sent on in advance to Australia wltf her son a:Sd big steel chest filled with gold. It may be that the willy founder of eternal cities will ultimately reach Sar Francisco and most likely he will. and then afterward, probably go to Australia for # Is understood that if he does no! find Matagorda Island the promised land for which he is seeking he will look for Il In the vicinity of Australia, or New Zea- land. He has told his friends that he de- people-God's people-in climate mild and gentle. where the sun always shines | and the birds always sing: where gentle zephyrs always fan the cheeks.
 Matagorda Island has been place that he has evidently thought about a great deal. for he sent word to the Southern Pacific Railroad officials that he desired to make the trip there for the purpose of looking over the island and even asked their help in hL' endeavors to buy the same. And of course the officials of the Southern Pacific did not lose a minutes time in doing all in their power to fur ther the prophets wishes in this direc- ton. for if he buys the island and founds big city, with factories of all sorts. that road will hive the business of carrying thousands of families there and of trans porting hundreds of thousands of tons of freight they otherwise would not.
 Of course Colonel Dowile for he would be colonel did he live and thrive In Louisiana like he lives and thrives in Illinois-believes that his plan to purchase Matagorda Island is a secret to every one but himself and a few interested friends who are helping him. This publication may not be at all to his liking and 1t may not accelerate his plans to purchase the island. Indeed the price of that beauti- full paradise may be raised somewhat on the spur of the moment when 1t Is found that the gentle Dowieites are to become citizens of Texas. or, rather, that Texas is to become q suburb of the newest Eter- nal City. But Colonel Dowie is said to have with him such a large chest of gold not less than $5,000,000 on the present trip, that if the island suits him he can buy it outright without further ado than the counting of the samoleons.