The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-10-28
ABOUT The PHILIPPINES.
Interesting Information by One Who Has
Been There.
Mr.. CHARLES HENRY WTSSNER WRITES
Will Tell About ;he Natives, Their Habits,
Religious Customs, and Gener.
al Social Condition.

oOi iOo VI iOooCl . VI ldoilSl, essay .
by Mr.. Charles Henry Wlssner
on various subjects of interest in
connection with the Plllppine Is
lands. Mr.. Wissner has been in
McConnellsburg on various oc
casions, and no doubt short &C.
count of his interesting adventu-
rous life would prove fit intro.
duction to the articles that will
follow.
This gentleman was born at
Fredericksburg, Va, in 1867
When Is years of age, he gradu-
ated first in his class at Hampden
Sidney College, Va. The follow
ing September, he became prln-
cipal of a school at Middlebrook,
Va, marrying during that year.
The following year he took spec.
ial course IN Oriental languages
at Union Theo. Seminary, going
the following year to the Unlver-
sity of Va; from there to Yale,
and from Yale to Leipzig, com.
pleting his work at the last named
place in 1891.
During his stay abroad, he Wis
tied every country in Europe,
Palestine, and Egypt. After his
return to America, he entered
the ministry of the Presbyterian
church, and preached at various
points until 1897. In the spring
of that year he came to McCon-
nellsburg and between July and
October prepared himself for ad-
mission to the bar. In October,
he passed a brilliant examination;
in fact the most brilliant exami-
nation ever passed at this bar.
During the winter of 1897 and
1898 he travelled in the West, re.
turning here in April 1898 at
about the time of the outbreak of
the Spanish American War. Mr..
Wissner added considerably to
the life of the town during the
first weeks of the war by print
ing daily bulletin giving the lat
est telegraphic news from the
front. His war zeal became
aroused and on June 13, he enlist.
ed In Company G. 9th Pa. VOL,
serving until his discharge, in
March, 1899. After a few weeks
IN McConnellsburg, Mr.. Wlssner
went to Harrisburg and enlisted
in the regular army for service
In the Philippines. Upon the ar
rival of his regiment IN the Islands
he was detailed for special duty
as interpreter of Spanish and ma
tive dialects. He saw hard SER
vice in the campaign of '99 and
1900 on the island of Cebu, having
charge of the native coolies and
laborers that accompanied the
army; but at the close of that
campaign, he was assigned to
duty at various headquarters and
as interpreter upon court mar
tlals, doing good work until his
discharge in April 1902.
While in Ilollo Mr.. Wissner
started the "Iloilo Times" the
first American paper published
outside of the city of Manila.
This paper he sold out in May of
that year and went to Manila,
where he became connected with
the Manila Freedom, and at the
same time acted as interpreter
in the courts. In June of that
year he went first to China, and
then to Japan, returning to San
Francisco in July. Between the
months of July and October he
travelled through the southern
states, reaching Fredericksburg,
Va. in October, where he remain.
ed until his return to this town
on court week, he having been
summoned here as a witness IN
the DR.. Trout-Turnpike case.
Mr.. Wissner during his career
has been four times in Europe
and has visited almost every part
of the world, except South Afri
ca and Australia and, Judging
from his past, we feel we car
safely predict that he will also
visit those countries.
lie is good mathematician
and linguist who has at hi