The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-01-31
General 0verseer Of Zion City
Makes Public Announcement
That He Will Quit Zion
PLANS FOR NEW COMMUNITY
Will Lead His Followers in Zion to a
New Canaan on the Pacific Slope in
Which All Will Have a Chance
to Start New Life

| Zion City is to be deserted by Wilbur
Glenn Vo1iva and all those over whom
he holds sway. A new Zion City is to
be founded, probably on the Pacific
coast, and DR.. Dowie and his credit
ors will be left to fight out the ques-
ton of supremacy at Zion City.
i Rumors Of such impending action
have circulated in Zion City ever
since last summer, when Overseer
John G.. Speicher was sent to Los
Angles to assume charge Of the vari-
Gus colonies on the Pacific coast. 1t
was said Speicher was to select the
site for the new colony. This was re-
peatedly denied until Sunday, when
the rumor was confirmed by Voliva
himself at the meeting held in Zion
temple in Chicago.
Within few weeks Vo1iva will go
on trip of inspection, visiting all
the church north and west of here
which recognize him as leader. This
will include a trip down the Pacific
coast from Seattle, Wash, to Los
Angeles.
It was practically admitted that on
this journey he would view several
sites now under consideration. 1t is
proba able that on the return trip Vo-
Iva will visit certain sections of the
gulf coast Of Texas, where the land
and the climate are similar to that Of
southern California
The reasons for abandoning the
present Zion City we're not defined
clearly by Vo1iva in his address, but
they are known. nevertheless. The
factions in Zion is one of the great
contributing causes, and the other is
the hopelessness Of making the relig-
ious leader supreme in both temporal
and ecclesiastical affairs so long as
the heavy debt hangs over the place.
This last is as firm tenet of Voliva's
eachings as it was of DR.. Dowie's in
the day Of his greatest strength.
tNot political but Christian social
| ISM has been the text OF many Of
Voliva's sermons. He believes such
a colony, founded in some warm eli
mate, where fruit raising, truck gar
dening and agriculture can be en-
gagged in, would prove success, and
it is his purpose to lead his people to a
land where this can be.
1--WE are going,' he said, ''to the
new land of Canaan, the land flowing
with milk and honey. There every
man will earn an honest living, for
no drones may enter the new Zion.
There will be no rich or poor in the
new Zion; there will be no $4,000
Shiloh house on one corner and a mis-
cradle paper shack on the other. The
citizens will be equal and their homes
will be similar. To each family will
be given its quota Of acres, and these
will be made as fruitful as modern ag-
riculture can make them.
| "There are few who now know how
near John Alexander Dowie came to
the accomplishment of great work.
| The foundation of Zion City was
right, and SO long as the leader, who
hold was once the greatest man in
the world, held to the teachings of
his God, Zion prospered. It was the
devil who came in to John Alexander
| Dowie; it was the devil who sto1d
away his wits. Had Satan not done
| this the world would have seen the
fulf1lment of great things, and the
great change would have been near"
Many people in Zion City are said
to be heartily in sympathy with the
movement, and it is believed that with
| a new colony many Of those who de-
| serted to Parham and Piper, whose
PROSECUTING and desertion have re-
duced the number of the faithful,
would return to the fold.
In the present condition in Zion
City there is little hope that the debts
itors hold everything save the little
furniture in the Tabernacle and in the
ecclesiastical offices. This is not to
the liking of Voliva, who longs for
the power that once was Dowie's.
| Moreover, he believes that starting
with new community, many Of the
ideas originated by Dr.. Dowie can be
enlarged upon and the mistakes
avoided.
G. M. Lease, Of Salem, Oregon, is
visiting his son E. E. Lease and
family, whom he has rot seen in
seventeen years. He visited one
daughter in North Dakota, and will
visit one son in Missouri and also one
son in San Francisco, Cal, and re-
turn to his home. Mr.. Lease is
seventy-four years old and is stand
ing the trip Of about six thousand
miles very we'll.