Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 January 1904 — ZION IS AFFLICTED. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ZION IS AFFLICTED.

WANT AND WOE BTALKINQ THROUGH DOWIE’B CITY. Officer* Are Living in Luxury While the Poor People Hudilie in Flimsy Structures, with Little Food and Less Fuck Want and woe will stalk through Zion City this winter unless money comes In liberally to relieve the situation, writes’ a correspondent. The fuel supply of many families has run ont entirely and the food stocks in the general stores are low. Few of the working class among the Zionists have any money other than the scrip issued by Dowie in lieu of money in payment of wages, which is redeemable only at the Zion general ■tore. But with the store stock exhausted the unfortunate persons will be utterly unable to procure the necessities ol life. Then will come the desolation and suffering of Dowie’s faithful. The well-to-do among Dr. Dowie’s followers, though sore perplexed by the present trials and tribulations of tin head of their church and community, will probably come out of the ordeal with only the experience of inconvenience ta remind them that they have been disturbed for once in the even tenor of theii contented living. But this is hot so ol the rank and file of the Dowieites. They have nothing, no money to live on, much

less to give up in response to the imperious master who is responsible for theii sad condition to-day, and in whom, despite their sufferings, they will place implicit faith. Their loyalty is marvelous. The extent to which they have beggared themselves is shown by a tour ol that portion of Zion City in which dwell the poorer workingmen and laborers. II is a bleak, desolate place in winter, foi the settlement rambles over a great, unprotected prairie that slopes to th» marshy shore of Lake Michigan, and ia open to the severe winds that come from the north or east from over the big in land sea. Hundreds of the poorer families, the persons employed in the big factories — men and women—live in the bleakest part of the town, on the outskirts toward the west, the middle of the great prairie. The homes of many of these toilers are mere apologies for dwellings. The walls of many are merely strips of tarred paper nailed to slender'-vooden frames. But, worse than these shanties are the habitations of other Ziouites, simply frail canvas tents, with barely room for a stove to cook on and a pallet or shakedown. Stiil others, and they are fairly numerous, nre combinations of tents and sheds, crudely constructed and barely strong enough to withstand the force of an ordinarily strong wind. What a contrast to the wretched makeshift of his lowly followers nre the conditions enjoyed by Dowie’s deneons and leaders, and the fine luxury with which the general overseer has encompassed himself! The Elijah Hospine, where some of Dowie's councillors and lenders live, is a commodious structure, the equal of mauy of the pretentious hotels in Chicago. Shiloh Hoime, the residence of Dr. Dowie, is a three-story double structure of brick and wood, a mansion that would be considered appropriate in the most aristocratic residence quarter of Chicago. It contains over a score of commodious rooms, furnished in positive luxury, with all the modern conveniences to he found in the homes of the wealthy. Electricity and gas are used for illumination and for other purposes. Of servants there are fully n score, all in livery. In the rear of Shiloh House i 8 a large stable, in which nre kept several stylish carriages and six horses of high breed. Despite the threatening aspect of affairs, the loyalty of Dowie’s followers to the reincarnated Elijah has not weakened in the least, and those who have given up all they have weep because they can mak.ft.no further sacrifices, having stripped themselves of absolutely everything on which money could be realized.

JOHN ALEXANDER DOWIE.