The Washington herald., 1913-09-28
Court Gossip of Interesting
EpentS on Two Continents

Only the other day the Turkish Amhas-
sador at London presented Sergeant
Joseph Hethrtdge, Of the British Marine
artillery, at Portsmouth the Crimean
medal awarded him fifty-six years ago by
the Sultan Of those days. II NAV not he
generally known that claims for the Brit
ish Crimean medal are still being re-
ceiVed' though the awards amount tc
only one year. Medals that have been
lost are replaced at the rate of ten a
year. A former private Of the First
Rifle Brigade was presented with his
CTimean medal by the Mayor Of Rva
nifty eight years after II had been issued
II had taken all this time for the appI-
cant to establish his right to IT,
1t is curious fact that about a dozer
indian mutiny medals are still distributed
every year. Many recipients from one
cause or another having had to WAR
half a century for them. A private Of
the Seventy-secOnd Highlanders, was pre-
sented with his meIal ffty-three years
after he had earned II, by Lord Mimic
former Viceroy of India Another veteran
OF that campaign did not get his until
ffty-two years after. when he was
seventy-five years OF age. He served in
the Twelfth LanCers. and subsequently, ir
the Kings Dragon Guards At the time
Of the outbreak Of the mutinv he was
stationed at Meerut
1t was more than fftv wears after that
an act Of bravery in the taking of the
TakU Forts received its official recogni-
ton. a lance corporal with four sap
pers, under Maj. Graham. carried powder
bags and fuse. in the face Of Chinese
FIRE, 10 the gate of the main fort. There
the corporal drove a nail into the door
hung up the bags, and fired the fuse, the
gate being blown away This paved tn,
way for taking the forts.
For his part in the affair he receive,
the Meritorious Service Medal in MAJ
of last year, when he was an army pen
sioner at Carlisle. 4 couple of years age
gunner of the British Horse ARTILLERY
who took part in the suppression of the
Fenian invasion of Canada. received !.
medal awarded for that service after
waiting no less than forty-five years for
this recognition OF his gallantry
Other countries would appear to h,
almost as dilatOry as Britain in award
ing medadls. As recently as November
last a medal was struck by the French
government in commemoration of tn
Franco-Prussian war of lS7O-lST1. a mat
ter Of fOrty-two years delay. Both went
TO citizens Of Dublin.
Strange as it may seem. there are up
wards OF 400 medals awarded for the
Zulu war of 1S7S-lS79 awaiting claimants
On each is engraved the name Of the
intended recipient. who in the great ma
jority of instances may never see it.
Much as some soldiers prize medals
others appear TO entertain no regard for
them. This is frequently seen in the
case Of the South African war medal
of which no fewer than three-quarters
Of a million were struck Many of the
soldiers entitled to these mementoes re-
fused to accept them, on the ground
that they were too cheap. With the
ulu campaign medals already mentioned.
they are stored in two large strong rooms
at WoOlwiich Dock Yard. There art
nearly $1,000 OF them.
Efforts are being made to trace the
intended recipients, but this is rendered
dIncuTt by the TACT that many or them
were irregulars, who responded to the
call to arms, but are now scattered all
over the world.
Unclaimed medals at the expiration OF
ten years are to be broken up and the
silver returned TO the mint.
FLANECR-