The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-06-07
KINGS KITCHEN AT WINDSOR
4 GREAT TREASURE HOUSE OF
 COLD,

It Contains Plate Valued nt Eighteen
 Hundred Thousand Poumds-Thou-
 sands of Spoons and Forks and Eight Humdred Pots and Pans.
 It is doubtful if there is any kitchen
 in the world so teeming with romance
 as the kings kitchen at Windsor, says
 London Bits, for in addition to the great historical interest attached to 1t, 1 inasmuch as it has been in existence for upward of seven centuries, it is veri- table treasure house of gold. The royal kitchen is a room of consid- erable size, much larger, in fact, than the kitchens of many of the leading London restaurants, for some hundreds of meals have to be prepared there ev- cry day. It is fitted up with black oak throughout, for which George III was responsible, he having expended ten thousand pounds in this direction alone.
 But besides the kitchen proper ether
 are the confectionery room, the pantry
 room and the bakehouse, in each of
 which a separate staff is employed.
 The clerk of the kitchen, who rejoices
 in a salary of seven hundred pounds
 year, is responsible for the conduct of
 these departments, and he has to deal
 with all the tradesmen who supply the
 royal household. But the potentate of
 the kitchen is the chef, who also re-
 ceives seven hundred pounds a year,
 and under him are four master cooks,
 each of whom has the control of
 small army of assistants; while the
 confectionery department is ruled by
 two yeomen with salaries of three hum
 dred pounds and two hundred and fifty
 pounds.
 Such a thing as unpunctuality is un- known in the kings kitchen. Six sepa- rate sets of meals are served up daily, and for one to be late would throw the household into disorder. Neither is waste allowed in any form; the most rigid economy is practiced, and such foods as remain unconsumed is distrib- uted among the poor, who apply at the castle gates every day.
 The kings kitchen hides something like two thousand pounds in copper and iron utensils and eighteen hundred thousand pounds in plate. Among the former should ve mentioned the enor- nous meat screen of solid oak lined with metal, which is nearly three hun dred years old and bears the imperial badge of the House of Tudor-the port cullis and arms. Connoisseurs have sighed in vain for this meat screen, for ;u i'm iY1o hIn Than there are four thousand knives, three thou sand forks and as many spoons used for cooking and kitchen purposes, which do not include the eight thousand forks and spoons of massive silver for use at the royal table. There are eight hundred pots and pans. mostly of cop per, and five scourers are employed solely to keep them brightly furnished.
 Not far away are the plate rooms, two in number, which, although they measure only thirteen feet by sixteen | feet, hold treasures eighteen tons of | sovereigns would not buy. The walls | consist of concrete, three feet six inch es in thickness, and detectives are on | duty guarding the rooms day and night. | The most valuable item in the store |
  of plates, dishes, tureens | apergnes and candelabra, all of solid gold, which were made by Roundelle 1 and Bridges for George ", This ser vice is used only on state occasions, and will probably be brought out for the coronation banquet. Equally famous is the emperor's service of silver gilt, the worth of which may be vaguely gleaned rom the fact that each plate weighs a stone and the epergnes two hundred weight apiece.
 Some of the dishes and other articles ,ould not be bought for thrice their weight in sovereigns on account of the historical interest with which they are associated There is one gold dish of ioveliness which is supposed o have been used by Alexander the Great before the battle of Hydaspes, md for upward of six centuries it has eposed at Windsor Another much -alued piece of plate is the silver-gilt lagon, three feet in height, which was from an Armada wreck three ago while there is also a ta- tle of solid silver, the surface of which measures nine feet square and is en- .raved with the four emblems of Great Britain.
 But perhaps one of the most cherished elcs in the kings pantry Is the golden agle which was taken from Tippoo Sa- ib's throne. It is of solid gold ] the feather tips being onted with priceless diamonds and ru-
 es while the beak is carved from a aWless emerald.