The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-07-06

bAt4 TOR tAE =
sunk by Russians-ReIics Of AIany
battles In Sara's Temples.
The heart of old Japan abides still
at Nara, the capital Of the empire dur.
ing the eighth century and a religious
sapital before and since the reigns Of
those seven Nara emperors, SAYS Eliza
Il. Scidmore the Chicago Tribune's |
correspondent In Japan. Like Kama
knra. it is now but a shadow Of itself,
tie city Of d half million inhabitants
shrnnk to country town less than
tenth Of that population its one long |
street running down from the temple |
gates to the railway track. ribbon be-
tween green fields.
Here and there on the green PLAIN
and among the groves at the foot Of the
hills are soaring temple roofs and slen-
der splred pagodas that wese once sur
rounded by the dwellings and all the
busy life of great city. The oldest
Buddhist temples in Japan are at Nara
and its vicinity, and to one Of them an
emperor bequeathed all his personal
possessions. every article which his
Iacecontained the most unique treas
IRE house In all the world.
The life Of the eighth century il
there complete, and the furniture and
domestic utensils, the art treasures and
ornaments, tie books, the costumes, the
musical instruments and every possible
belonging have been stored there in
taet Cor loo years in wooden build
Ing that has mercifully escaped de-
stfuetlon by fire
Naea ly no means lives In the past
| entirely. .nd within d few weeks Il has
been 10 tile forefront in the eyes Of oil
Japan. Tie Thirty-seventh regiment Of
| the Osaka division Is the Nara regi-
menf. ana company Of that Nara regi-
/ nent was on board the little coasting
| schooner Kinshiu Marn which was tor
pedoed and sunk by the Yladivostok
squadron off Wonsau, Korea.
Those were Nara men who quietly re-
NAMED below until summoned 70 sur
render. when they lined upon deck and
fired volleys al the big, black Russian
cruiser. we'll knowing that It would
be answered by machine guns and tor
pedoes, and then knelt down on the
deck ana met the honorable death Of
seppuku or harakiri That was ID
accordance with the best traditions Of
the Japanese code Of honor, Of the
samurai's cult Of Bushido. and to the
japanese is one of the greatest Incl
dents Of the war.
All Nara glows with pride at mention
Of the Klnshiu Maru, and they point
out the homes Of the relatives Of the
men who died a samurai's death rath
er than be led to Russian prison
lit was magnificent, maybe, but i
was not modern war, says the Euro
pean.
TIT was magnificent" say the MARI
people and all Japan. tand 1t Is Naras
, greatest glory that these men cams
from our midst, walked our streets
worked these fields and made theil
! vows at these temples before they wen
] to war;
) Funeral services have been held a
all the Nara temples, and in time Their
j Will be some fitting monument to thes'
i men of idoiized memory, which will b
3 d shrine OF chivalry second only t
/ that one Of the Forty-seven Ronius.
& The hero lives eternal in Japan, an'
3 at Momoyama The other day the COOL
+ stopped the jinrikisha and pointed i
t under a slender tori or skeleton gate
!. way by the roadside tHatt0ri San
: Hattori San! Full Kanv' he said ant
: made me dismount and 90 In to th
G shrine and family tomb Of the hero 9
o the great naval incident Of the Chimes
t war Of 1900.
! Hattori san! Hattori San" said
: Japanese Id the train another day a
: we ran by the little tori and stoppe
n at Momoyama station. lie rose an
Il bowed his head. as did the others !
: the car, iii honor 70 Captain Hattor
Is who fell in the attack On the Tax
i forts and was such another son
Il Hachimau, the god Of war, as the late
Il Mars. Commander Hirose.
q Past the noble old pagoda Of Yakusi
q and three miles out on the Nara rie
I. plain Is the village Of Koriyanla, f
II nous now because three Of its me
were on board the Kinshiu Maru an
% all died "the honorable death" by the
n own hands, Three miles farther 9
y the village Of Horiuji boasts that thrc
8. Of fits men were in the Thirty
il ranks and on board the boat Of fam
81 Two committed harakiri aud one
Is missing. but the people will not belieF
~ that he surrendered
IS When the news was given out q
i. whole countryside fiocked to the gre;
1t temple Of Horiuii, which Is the olde
n Buddhist temple in Japan and lael
il only three years of celebrating the thi
IA teenth centenary Of its foundin
IL There il d hoary little octagonal ten
d pie on a mound beyond the tempt
81 which il only /, 1856 years old. to be e
act that Is dedicated TO YakushL Il
ed healing on plying Buddha. which
Il. the refuge OF all distressed souls
Al time of need. Outside and inside q
Is. little temple is heaped up and coyers
rn over with yotive offerings and picture
81 as 1t has been throughout the ce
N turtles. A prayer and vow are mas
Ia and upon the fulfillment the crater