Czar's Costly Kitchen.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8040, 30 January 1906, Page 4

Czar's Costly Kitchen.

The most extravagant housekeeping in Europe is that practised at the Czar's court. The sums spent in eating, drinking and servants are simply colossal. The kitchen is French in all its details, and more than one eminent Parisian restaurateur first made his pile in the Czar's employ before he started business at home. In fact, the heads of these household departments rapidly become wealthy men. The kitchen, pantry and housekeeping arrangements are all under the charge of the Court Marshal, Count Ccukendorff, but the real general in command is a court " forager," as he is called, once a chef now an official with the rank of Colonel, with a court uniform, a cocked hat, spurs, sword, <v.c, while his breast is decorated with stars and orders. This awe-inspiring individual must take a special oath of allegiance and fidelity in view of the risk that he might otherwise arrange for poisoning his Imperial master. In .this man's chancery there are twelve secretaries and four underforagers, twenty-four upper lackeys, thirtyfour lackeys, eighteen under-lnckevs and fifty-four lackey assistante. At the head of the kitchen are two chefs, each with a salary of a Cabinet Minister, besides perquisites. They are both Frenchmen. They in turn are assisted by four under chefs, thirtyeight ordinary male cooks, twenty apprentices and thirty-two kitchen boys. A department in itself is the pastry cook's, presided over by a chief baiter and livo dozen assistants. And yet the Czar eats the simplest food, preferring, above all else, native Russian soups like borsch and stchi. The-cellars are bursting with 2.1,000 dozen of wine of all sorts. The Czar himself takes a glass of claret and a nip of champagnenothing more. Fabulous sums aie spent on rare fruit at seasons when they can only be forced. A rouble each for strawberries is not uncommon, nor is twenty-live roubles for a peach.

The Lucky Penny. When I was but a little child I often got a penny new. It seemed like gold to me who smiled to note its surface unclciilul —Victoria's head so clear and Inia. I've had full many since that day and ne'er atone two glances cast; and mighl h.»\o gone on so alway but that I had one out to \v.\y the tram conductor going past. "IT was extra smooth, I tinned it round, both sides were sadly rubbed and worn. I looked to see the dale and found the figures, now so far from sound, were of the year that I was born. I put it bad; for hick 'tis true, but sal there thinking all the same, r'r'haps when we both were fairly new we met before each bound to do a part in life's uncertain game.

Then both were bright, the Mint had made a halo round each (lawless brow a child to face life's light and shade, a coin to be so often paid, the good and bad for each I trow.

And yet I wondered which had seen the better part, the truer worth. 1 knew my life what 1 had luen, and p'rhaps the other'd made me mean could it have told its tale from birth.

The useful things it helped to buy, the better things it helped to pay, the minds, . the feet, the mouths helped, why e'en eyes unnumbered helped to dry, while speeding on its world wide way. Good penny keep each day in sight, reminding me of what is left, to do what's honest good and right with all my heart and all my might, ere breath from mo is duly reft. We both are worn yet still have use I trust before the end is reached. Your's greater since by no abuse of words you've come, the veal excuse for this, and what you might have preached.

The Tailless Manx Cats. It seems probable tlint the tailless Manx cats originally came from Cornwall. They managed to survive longer as a distinct breed in the Isle of Man than in Cornwall, the predominance of the common tailed cat being of course, aided in the latter district by the fact that, although remote, it is part ot the mainland of England, whereas new cats could be carried to the Isle of Man only by sea. The Manx cat which first attracted modem attention was a very different animal from the variously colored specimens which now take prizes at cat shows. It was always of the color of a hare and had fnr like a hare, like a hare, too, it always moved its hind Jcgg together. Its chief food wns crabs caught on the beach and when transported inland from the seacoasts it very seldom, if ever, survived long. Xo cat of this kind lias been seen for many yoars in the Isle of Man, though there are plenty of tailless cats its cross descendants, to be purchased there. Wherever it originally came from, the Cornish or Manx cat was more nearly a separate species than any kind of show cat now existing. It was a seacoab. animal, with fur color, absence of tail and method of locomotion obviously adapted by the inheritance of ages to its habit of catching crabs and other <unall life behind the ebbing tide.

A statistician computes that the railways of the world are to-day worth .l">,000,000,000. This represents more than all the money in the world—gold, silver, bronze, nickel or paper. If the people of the world thought of buying up all the world's railways, and insisted on paying tr».'ltrte bill in golden sovereigns, and further on piling these sovereigns on* iipon another, they would make a golden column over 4,900 miles high.