Evening star., 1939-10-29

OF CHARACTERISTICS tnaC mad overcome
local prejudices to the extent of shov.
ing him forward into public office soon
after his arrival. 1t must be remembered
that in the Kansas of those days a fell
low from Ohio was not only rated as an
Fastener" but an "effete fastener"
to boot.
In 1898, after the beginning of the
Spanish American War, there was no
State where the war fever ragged more
hectically than in Kansas A regiment
afterWard to be famous as the goth
Kansas Volunteers was being recruited
by an adventurous soul named Frederick
Funston, also from Ohio. Among the
Kansas citizens attracted by the fiery
call of the amateurish but magnetic
Funston was the boy city attorney of
Leavenworth. He had every reason for
staying where he was and attending to
his cases, especially since, not long be-
fore, he had married. However, Jessie
Moonlight was just as keen on the ad-
venture as was her husband. So when
the Goth Kansas Volunteers sailed for
the Philippines in 1898, the human cargo
on that troopship included 1t. Hausser-
mann and his young wife
Made Judge Advocate.
That young officers tact and amiabil-
ity, plus his f1rmness and sagacity in
law earned him promotion to the post
of judge advocate of the Provost Guard
in Manila. In the process of pacifying
the Filipinos there was a wide field for
those faculties, since it was pretty diff
cult at first for Uncle Sans doughboys
and the inhabitants to understand one
another The judge advocate was an in
valuable aid to the military government
of the islands.
Incidentally. he then began to acquire
friendships among the Filipinos and a
knowledge of and sympathy for their
qualities and aspirations, which are
standing him in good stead today. As
this is being written Mr.. Haussermann
is in Manila, taking prominent part in
the movement to prevent Uncle Sam
from hauling down our flag in the
Philippines. 1t looks at present like Q
cause without much hope. With many
lieves-and privately several Filipino
leaders agree with him-that the COM
plete severing of the ties between the
United States and the Philippines means
a complete surrender to the Japanese.
But Judge Advocate Haussermann wasn't
concerned with that at the end of the
last century.
hn ca 1yINN
in law school once again entered the
Haussermann horoscope, when William
Howard Taft became Governor General
of the Philippines. The Governor Cen
eral made his former disciple assistant
to the attorney general of the Philip
pines. 1t was at Taft's instruction that
Mr.. Haussermann drew up the present
charter of Manila. Later still it was Mr..
Taft who recommended Haussermann to
big New York law firm that wanted a
representative to head their branch office
in Manila.
Leader Of Bar.
And, in a remarkably short time the
acknowledged leader of the Manila bar
was John w. Haussermann. He lived
comfortably rolled up modest COM
petence and that was all he really asked
Of life. In 1910 he was in position
where he could soon afford to retire; in
fact he promised Mrs. Haussermann that
they would return to the States in five
years. AS matter of record he kept
that promise, but before that date Curl
Gus things had happened to the Hausser-
mann fortunes.
1t was all because of q non-paying
client that his reputation for kindness
had brought him. The client was In
jam over some mining claims. He
brought his troubles to Mr.. Haussermann
who, though wellto-do, was no capitalist.
AS anybody knows, to straighten out
gold mine into which real money has
already been poured requires funds with
big F. Mr.. Haussermann did what he
could he paid the taxes and the assess
ments for awhile. AS he puts it.: I'VE
were all on shoestring and there were
moments when I was afraid that shoe
string would pull me into that hole In
the ground and pull the hole in after
me-"
He not only pulled himself out Of the
hole, but he pulled his clients along with
him. In the end he reorganized that
property, developed the gold mine in
the teeth Of discouraging advice from
highly-paid experts, turned 1t into one Of
the richest gold properties in the world.
1t has since paid fabulous dividends. At
the end of 10 years Mr.. Haussermann
kept his promise to Mrs. Haussermann.
They went back to New Richmond Ohio,
where he had been born. and bought
farm. But also, at the end of that 10
year battle, stream of gold began to
pour from the mine and in the succeeding
four years that stream amounted to about
$4,000 900 worth of the precious metal.
And that was only the beginning.
He now controls three of the worlds
rich gold-mining properties, and his par
ent company also owns chromite deposits
which are said to be the richest In the
world.