Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-06-17
ORDER OF GOLDEN KITE
Badge of Valor For Japan's
Fighting Men.
ORIGIN OF MEDAL II CHINESE WAR
Post.

The order Is BESTOWED Only Upon
Members of Army and Navy Who
Distinguished Themselves In Ac-
tion-Three officers In First Sue
cessfuI Torpedo Boat Attack Upon
Port Arthur Won the Badge.
OF all decorations in the gift OF the
mikado, none is so highly priced by his
valorous Samurai as that of the dis
tiuEuished service order of the Golden
Kite. says the Boston Herald. Some. in
fact most OF the others, are more at
tractive to the casual eye if one may
judge by the beautiful displays upon
the breasts Of those that have held the
helm of state or helped in a ministerial
sense to guide the nation 10 her present
eminence. but TO the fighting men of
Japan none other is SO dear as that
modest looking medal, the badge Of
valor in the face of the foe, the order
of the Golden Kite.
The decoration is a small, indented-
edged oval Of a beautiful green enamel.
upon which is placed golden kite
surmountin- crossed swords Of purple
enamel. The medal is suspended from
the breast by green ribbon; and its
gift is as rare as that OF the much Gov
eted Victoria cross of Great Britain.
There are seven classes of the order.
and each srade dignities some more
valorous act VI the recipient. Its be
stOwal generally raises the decorated 10
the peera re, If he he not already there,
and sometimes carries with it a sub
stantial bounty in the shape of a pen
sion. This pension however. seems to
have gone. with one exception. only TO
the princes of the imperial family that
have been decorated: suggesting there
by the delicate tact SO common among
the higher classes Of the japanese
Three Of the officers who participated
in the first successful torpedo boat at
tack upon the Russian fleet in Port
Arthur won the distinguished service
order of the Golden Kite. and we'll
they deserved it, for the undertake
demanded all Of the desperate courage
of a forlorn hope. To one of those
men. the engineer officer whose fright
full wounds proved fatal few hours
afterward. the news OF the emperor's
gift was speeded by wireless te-
Biography just as he breathed his last
aboard the japanese hospital ship,
horleward bound
The origin OF the order Is decidedly
picturesque In the memorable naval
engagement now commonly known as
the battle Of the Yalu. between China
and Japan in 1884. when from noon to
set Of sun on that fateful 18th of Sep
TENDER the Dragon waged losing
fight with the Rising Sun. was born the
inspira ton of the order Of the Golden
Kite At the close of day, as the Taxa
chino. battle stained ard begrlmed,
rested after that awful struggle. some
thing flashed seward from the sky.
and after moments lowering a
large bird Of the hawk family was
seen to perch upon the Takachihos sig
nal staff The bird proved to be kite.
The commanding officer, Captain No
mura-Tei, ordered one Of the crew 10
catch the bird, which, contrary to ex-
pectation, proved an easy task, for the
hawk. unmoved by the mans approach,
seemed only too willing to be made a
captive The crew, with true sailorly
superstition, welcomed the bird with
enthusiasm and the belief that ii was
a heaven sent messenger and gave il
every care.
When the feet returned to Taidong-
gang. Commander Saito Minaru was
sent by the emperor to congratulate
the feet upon its signal victory. On
hearing from Captain Nomura-Tei Of
/ the Takachiho about the kite he took
the bird back with him to the imperial
military headquarters, where he had
the honor Of presenting the hawk &c
his majesty. The mikado promptly
named the bird Takachiho. after the
vessel upon which it had alighted, and
had it placed with some little ceremony
in the imperial gardens at Tokyo.
{ To the lover Of omens the coincidence
Of the bird alighting upon the particu
lar ship it did-for Takachiho is espe
cially significant in the legendary his
tory Of Japan-was deemed unusually
I propitious. Takachiho is the name OF
Z the place where the divine ancestor
[ first set his foot on descending &c
/ Japan. and the kite. seemingly coming
I straight from the skies and alightina
upon the namesake ship of that an
/ GENTLY hallOwed spot, seemed fraught
/ with the happiest augury and appeared
as a messenger of praise to the battle
! stained warriors of the mikado's feet
On the strength Of the old legend and
/ the coming of the bird the mikado es
tabllshed by imperial decree in Novem