Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-01-08

some persop for commercial profit.
ADoihsr marked feature OF the Ell
cursion train is the fact that no use OF
tobacco. whisky. card playing OF mt
ing 10 allowed Zion guards are on Tue
train aud watch IL very closely. OF ihe
ISL ON the train the conductor estihat
ed that 100 were going from curiosity
and the other eighty-one were members
Of the faith. Sometimes among the
curiosity seekers will be found tnose
who rebel at the rules. The conductor
spoke of one case he had when several
young fellows started playing cards. \
Zion guard asked them 10 stop ine'
refused. stating that no d Dowiei'e
could stop them. The guard sent Tor
the conductor. He sized the men up
their defiant attitude. and then said;
Boys. the rule on this train Is that
no card playing is allowed. The COM
pany expects me TO enforce TINS NOW
| make il as request. but II you IN
sist OH playing cards, rather than nave
a fight or any trouble, shall let you
continue"
One OF the men replied. well, we
will stop for you, but we wouiuh s'p
| for that d DOwieite.
Arriving at Zion City ut about noon'
the crowd went to the hotel, $40 room
structure, where straight meal WAS
served for Is cents. Everything was
neat and clean, and one could feel that
he had no fear from that regard IN
fact. situated on the lake, this Is one
feature of Zion City that commends IL
self. and this. coupled with regulations
of moral nature, in many respects
makes II a desirable place TO live III
and bring up family.
At o'clock the service begins at the
tabernacle. Reporters are not allowed
I'm the building. and IL one should pull
ont his book and make notes the an
nouncement is made by the "deacons'
and he is summarily dismissed from
the room. At the hotel we were IN
formed we would have to 90 early TO
get seat They probably banked on
big excursion, but such was not the
case. The tabernacle holds over i'uoo
people. II has one gallery extending
around the entire building, and In the
back part is third gallery. We should
iudpe there were about 5000 people in
the audience,
The services are impressive. Mr..
Dowie drives up from his elegant man
sion In a fine coach drawn by two very
elegant prancing horses. He is met al
the back door of the church by about
fifty guards, among whom we noticed
one Japanese. a bright looking fellow
This guard and the choir then marci
down the side aisles of the first hooi
To the rear of the church. and as they
start to come up the aisle the 800 voices
break out in song. In the balcony IL
large organ. A gentleman LEADS them
and the situation is one Of much pomp
all members Of the choir being dressed
in white SUPPLIES and ranging in year,
from youth to old age. 1t is an I'm
pressive sight AS they walk to thel
seats. occupying the entire front. ELIJAH
III. makes his appearance on the stage
He dresses in long, flowing robes o
white and black, relieved by surphce
of purple and yellow, and with hi
long white beard one can shut his eye
and imagine very easily that he Is
patriarch of the Bible; at least, If moi
his appearance is not against 1t.
As preacher Dowis is failure t
all except those who believe In hin
He has rasping voice. pompous all
delivers disconnected sermon dc
comes extremely radical, at times oil
fensively so, and yet withal he Is a
the present time wonderful success
and one of the worlds prominent mel
IN his reference to politics he brande
the Democrats as not fit to exist an
called on the mercy of God for an
man foolish enough to vote the Demo
cratic ticket. He excoriated the Rt
publicans to some extent, saying ths
= he had no faith in the Republican pal
ty either, except so far as the spirit G
4 Zion can permeate It, claiming th
l. theOcratic party is the only one foun(
: Cd ON rock. But as he does the di
tating and thinking one cannot conne
theocracy with Dowieism. He b
moaned the fact that he was not no
strong enough to control politics, b,
!. predicted the time would come whe
he would be, and his crowd of followe
clapped their hands in pleasure at IL
8 contemplation. He is radical of Il
b radicals seeing only the defects in tn,
which does not conform to his fat
overlooking the good, and his lar,
church following, apparently to an ou
slider, put up their thumbs when
says Thumbs upv' and down when
says Thumbs down.
To analyz" his success and intluen
| one would have to spend more time al
u come into fuller knowledge and a
quaintance with the man. Ones IL
preston would be-a man Of conside
le able force, great worker, a fighter |
nature, with the natural pugnacity al
st1ck-to-it-1tiveness of Scotchman,
man Of strong will. But his people a
= intelligent. Many are bright. brail
men and women-people who wou
not be caught by rascal-and in O
~ opinion Dowie is no mountebank,
nj rascal. He believes in his work, al
Ie its moral side has the foundation (
u, its success
Just think Of it! One man in a fe
~ years has established a new church,
- new faith; built town Of 10000 pc
A. pie; attracted people from all parts
% the world; has missionaries In maj
- countries making converts! From the
~ he gets 10 per cent Of their wages
~ tithes, and Of those in Zion City all t
n- property they possessed in the wol