DOWIE'S CITY OF ZION.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11637, 15 August 1905, Page 3

DOWIE'S CITY OF ZION.

,' A -New Zealand Girl ;j ,V-x •' bisenchafttfed» >. *% .

'TJie following is ;a] copy 6i p, letteittroin. a Viydlittg iady, one^qf. a--^party who, 1 ieft< a v :Xiover,nment • situation, in Nevy Zealand to gs. *O.> Zion. "City-: — •' ..'< '-* ""JSifin City, July. 6. IJear^J.,— How are you get,ti£gr on? - I .wishljl was back in .New Zealand.'' YoiT^'don't know how^l hate this place; I hated it before I left New Zealand, but now, my goodness, I • get. that mad I could almost rim away. The people here give me the creeps; al--mdst every second person. I meet is a - ..criDple or diseased somehow. - I haven't ■any .patience with them". Nearly every-

body says 'Peace to thee'* when you meet them, and if I don't speak to them they

stand and stare at in'e. You can imagine what I feel like when they say that to ine^-I feel like swearing at them. Every morning and evening at 9 o'clock there is a horn blown, and everyone is supposed to fetop whatever' they are doing and pray for two minutes. Evea when, you are in 'the' street you atrc supposed, to stop. Theliorses are so used to it that they stop running- when the horn, goes, and the .'fowls stop laying eggs. r Girls and boys ar^ not allowed to go together unless old ■ i)owie gives' his permission, and then, .the' girl has. to be eighteen and '.tne boy 20. I would go without a boy all my life sooner than, ask anyone if I may go with him. There are guards all ro.und the ' city watching people, and you can't get a' chance to go out. If you are caught you are brought up before. Dowie, and if ""'yo'u don't do what he tells you-' you are. pu£ out of the city minus belongings. You aW not trusted with a cent. You have „ to., pay for everything as soon as, you get '■>it/ even bread and - milk. You have to ■ fetch all the groceries yourself, and I can tell you it is a mad place. You get almost chewed up with mosquitoes. I have been to Waukegan. twice with Mrs — ; — . It is a pretty little place, just about six miles from here. I think I have got w— k just out of Waukegan, about seven miies from Zion City, and I do hope I can. get . it. I have, tried my best here, and I can't get work, so T am going out to service. Fancy coming all the* way from New Zea- - land' to go to service ! Retally lam tired 'of it, and I do wish I was back. Zion City is rather pretty — plenty of trees and grass, and some nice parks. The people . . dress as if they had jusfc come out of the Ark— it _is really funny. We have plenty of thunderstorms and lightning', and the heat is awful; I go-about' nearly naked. I wish we coiild como back. . :1 nnist close . now w,ith love to all." •„* •,