Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1910-02-11

wonderful young man Of twenty-four
whom he had picked up Ia Holland
and who straightwsy became the
most talked Of parsonage in the whole
country.
The swsrthy young stranger intro
dueed himself In his imperfect English
az "George Psalmanszar, . native of
the island of Formosa, of the Chiaa
coast" he had wandered far from
home in search Of adventure. Meet
ing lanes he had been converted to
Christianity and now wanted to send
missionaries to his people.
In 1903 the general public knew al
most az little about Formosa ~ va
know OF Mars. A native of that faI
island had probably never before been
seen in England. The nation went
wild over Psalmanazar. The young
mans knowledge Of English quickly
i'm proved. Soon he was able to an Iwer
all questions. He told marvellous stor.
les of Formosa, drew pictures Of its in
habitasts and related its history He
even went further aad offered to teach
the Formosa language.
Many begged to be enrolled among
his pupils. But learned scholars doubt
ed his story. So he was invited to show
specimens Of the language He did SO.
The profound men OF letters and college
professors seized eagerly upon this
lang mage, striving to tear it to shreds,
or at least to find some flaw of syntax,
vocabulary or verbal derivations. But
it stood all tests. And the most stub
born doubters were forced to admit
that Psalmanazar was teachinga genu-
inc language. Also that his story of
himself and bis descriptions of For
mosa customs, &C., were upd GU btedly
true.
Psalmsnazor WAS Sent to Oxford
University to receive an English class-
ical education There he learned with
phenomenal speed, studying nearly
twenty four hours day. The light
burned all night in his study. Soon he
was splendidly educated. HE translat-
ed the Church Of England catechism
into Fornosan for the benefit Of his
heather feliowcountrymen. The CEN
pliers o. the famous "UAivsrsal His
tory iavlted him to write 1.-THE His
tory of Formosa." He did 80. Critics
seized on the 500-page book, but could
lind nothing in 1t to indicate fraud.
He next began to write about Japan
and the japanese almost as slightly
known A. Formosa to the Enx.ishl
and again fascinated every body by his
knowledge Of far lands.
In few months he had crowd. Of
pupils whom he was teaching the Far
mesa language and grammcr. He Ill
ustrated his history book with pic
lures of the King and Queen of For
mosa in their quaint robes of state;
sketched the dress of Formosans in ali
grades of life; depicted funerals, wed
dlngs and other ceremonies, and wrote
out the Fornosan alphabet, which
family resembled ancient Greek letter.
ing.
BY this time many people could
speak the tormosan tongue fuently,
and thousands more where we'll ysrsed
IN the manner and histoy Of the count
ry. In fact, England was Formosa
mad, And every atom of this Fermos
an knowledge was CLEANED from young
George Psalmanazar. For eight wears
the Formosan visitor was social and
literary lion. His society was coveted.
his writings eagerly bought.
Then he confessed.
AT time when nearly everybody
believed absolutely in him he calmly
he was liar and that the
whole Fornosan affair was a gigantic
fake. He said he had been born some
where in France. had been educated at
a religious college there, had knocked
ABOUT continental Europe as a soldier
OF fortune, and had at last posed as a
Formosan in order to make an easv
living, He had never been nearer to
Formosa than Italy. He had never
met Formosan and knew nothing
about the island or its people.
In other words, he had faxed al.
eutire language, grammer aud alpha
bet. aud had done Ii 40 hrilliAntIr tLnt