The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-07-06
l0N!E'S EMPTY. BgBB!E
Rise and Fall of a Religion and
Real Estate Deal.
ALLURlNG PROMISES.
powIeisn Said to Have Brought its
Founder sts,ooo,ooo In Three Years.
HIs Money and His Church, Too,
Lost Even More ouickIy--When His
Sect Lost Faith.

The rise and fall Of Dowieism as
religion lis noteworthy for the short
space of time In which II occurred.
| The Christian Catholic church in Zion
was organized on February %, 1896.
II took ebout seven years to reach its
apogee, then declined swiftly.
One of the curious features OF the
movement is that its leader seems TO
have made and lost a fortune Of no
mean size. He was reported some
years ago, when the lace factories IN
Zion City were running and all seemed
we'll from a material standpoint, 10 be
worth $15,O0O.0O0.
A city OF $500 acres, one Of the
boom towns of the West, stood en-
tirely in his name and SO did all its
Industries. The collections from the
congregations were said TO amount 10
between 100000 and 81, ,00O,O year.
One-tenth of the income of the MEM
bers Of the Church went to Dowie.
1t has come out since that he was able
to drop $1,200,0O0 In stocks In 1903
and 1904. but his followers didn't
know of this.
Much OF this success was brought
about because Dowieism at first
seemed to promise material we'll being
for those who took 1t up. The lace
making industry which Dowie picked
In nla nd 10
Zion City lured thither 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 form Dowie for 1,1OO years.
Dowie started buying the land in
1899. The first building was erected
III 1901. Dowie himself took up his
residence there in March, 1902, and II
WIS 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 hastened to
| Join his community. Before this
Dowie had appeared as a preacher
and faith healer, but with Zion City
opening up alluring prospects OF f.
nanclal success Dowie announced that
he was Elijah the Restorer sent by
God. The interesting part of his re-
ligion 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 be-
meath contempt, the discipline or the
Church described it as being an army
which does not vote as to who shall
be its officers, 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 revealed word
of God" Another paragraph In the
discipline provided that 1.-THE OF all
the earnings should be given Into
Gods storehouse," which was Dowie.
When Zion City was at the height
of its prosperity It contained more
than 5000 persons who subscribed To
this creed and accepted all announce
ments 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 enterprise
was run in his name.
When Dowie move1 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 we're doing large
business and a great university had
been started. Dowie lived in house
which cost $l54,000 and contained
among other things a set of dining
room furniture worth $4,000. In the
Office of this Elijah there was table
that cost $1,000. So
With the trip to New York the
tide turned. Since then trouble has
come swiftly upon Dowie. He prom
ised his followers that he would re-
claim New York from the devil and
lead 1t captive back to Zion, and mem
bers 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
Dowie started on a trip around the
world TO try his luck In the role OF q
modern Elijah, but he was hooted at
and his religion received with derison.
On his return came the appointment
of receiver at the instance of some
OF his creditors.
He STAYED this off for a time but
April, 1905, the financial scheme
which had been the concomitant OF
his religion collapsed There was NO
money in Zion to speak OF. He had
spent $50,0JU on his tour OF the world,
$4,000 for private yacht. $4,000 on
a trip to Mexico, more thon 81 900 900