The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-16

81, 100000 year. one-tenth of the income
OF the members of the church went to
| Dowie. 1t has come out since that he was
able to drop $1,2oO.000 in stocks in 1903 and
1904 but his followers didn't know of
| this.
| Much OF this success was brought about
| because Dowieism al first seemed TO
promise well being for those who took
material we'll being for those who took
it up. The lace making industry which
Dowie picked up In England and trans
| planted to Zion City lured thlther many
| of those who became his followers But
none of them ever secured foot of land
there that he could call his own. They
leased lots from Dowie for 100 years.
| Whether Dowieism should be called
religion or a real estate scheme might
be debated. The Indications are, however,
| that its founder had the idea of starting
a sort Of religion of his own before he
conceived the real estate scheme.
AS a religious cult pure and simple Dow
| ieism didn't attract any unique atten-
| ton. Even when Dowie had secured a
tabernacle in Chicago In 1885, and was
turning away crowds @ho came mostly
out of curiosity to hear him. few people
outside of Chicago were aware that a
new religion had been born.
Doweism really got its start at these
meetings and won converts at first prin-
| CiDHlly through us Idlln DedllHB pTlnClpic.
When Dowie launched the scheme of Zion
City it Is doubtful If his followers num-
bered more than few hundred. But with
the start of the city the sect grew rap
idly.
Bought Land In 1899.
Dowie started buying the land in 1899.
The first building was erected in 1901.
Dowe himself took up his residence there
in March, 1902 and 1t was then that his
religion entered upon its golden age
| When Dowie announced that he was
about to start new industry there the
poor in Chicago and other places FASTENED
to Join his community. And 1t was upon
the strange army that gathered there in
the hope of advancing themselves ma
| terially as well as spiritually that Dowie
| Imposed his curious creed.
Before this Dowie had appeared as
preacher and faith healer, but with Zion
City opening up alluring prospects or
| financial success Dowie announced that
he was Elijah the Restorer sent by God.
The interesting part of his religion was
the manner in which he sought to insure
for himself supreme control of the church
and also his own income.
In addition to taking the oath which
Judge Lands described as being beneath
contempt, the discipline of the church
described 1t as being an army which
does not vote as to who shall be its Off
GERS, but, believing that God has given
apostles, prophets and teachers, obeys
those whom God has set over his kingdom
in so far as these obey the plainly re-
vealed word of God" Another para
graph in the discipline provided that
1.-THE Of all the earnings should be given
Unto Gods storehouse," which was
Dowie.
Just before the collapse came Dowie
promulgated still another decree. This
was that he had the absolute power to
forgive sins and that the members of his
church should make practice of confess
ing their sins to him.
When Zion City was at the height OF Its
prosperity 1t contained more than 5000
persons who subscribed to his creed and
accepted all announcements from the
General Overseer, as Dowie called himself,
as coming from God. Every store, every
factory and every peanut stand was In
the name of Dowie Every business en-
terprise was run in his name.
1T has not been cooperative commun-
ity at all. 1t has been a one man COM
munity and the man who from its origin
until April OF this year owned all was
Dowie.
LIQUOR was absolutely forbidden in Zion
City So was the use of tobacco, and
so was swearing.
When Dowie moved on New York with
! his Restoration Host the city he had
built up in less than three years bade
fair to become one of the important
communities of the state. There were 1000
| hands in the lace factories, stores were
doing large business and a great uni
versity had been started. Dowie lived In
a house which cost $154, 900 and contained
! among other things a set of dining room
furniture worth $780, In the office of
| this Elijah there was table that cost
| $500.
He had a summer place In Michigan.
outside Of Zion City. He had a plan for
| a new Jerusalem on the Nile, colony in
Mexico that would number thousands,
great temple in Zion City that would be
a monument to this new faith.
| after discharging all liabilities" he
said In a burst of pride to his followers,
1.-THE estate of Zion, which I control, is
worth $21, 1000. 900 In this city and county
alone"
With the trip to New York the tide
| turned Since then trouble has come SO
swiftly upon Dowie that it would be sur
prising If it had not left him mentally
unbalanced He promised his followers
that he would reclaim New York from
the devil and lead 1t captive back to Zion,
and members of his Restoration Host
| came with him on that strange crusade.
| When they went back his prestige was
gone and Dowieism was on the wane. Its
passing since then has been swift.
Prestige Gone.
Dowie started on a trip around the
world to try his luck in the role of a mod
ern Elijah, but he was hooted at and his
religion received with derision He return
ed year ago, and then came the ap-
| pointment OF a receiver at the instance or
| some of his creditors.
| He STAYED this off for a time, but last
| spring the financial scheme which had
| been the concomitant of his religion col
| lapsed There was no money in Zion
to speak Of because Dowie had taken
| most of it himself. He had spent $4,000
on his tour of the world. $4,000 for pri-
| waite yacht, $4,000 on a trip to Mexico.
more than 100000 in speculation and
hadn't even paid for the lumber that the
| city was made with.
1.-The words of this prophet are false
false as hell" cried the Rev George l..
| Mason to the Dowietes here when these
| revelations were made.
| He had been a Baptist preacher and had
| been won over by Dowie Over in Berlin
the members of the Dowie congregation
have decided to give up his religion alto
| gether and to call themselves by an en-
tirely new name
receiver has hepn appOiuted for Zion