The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-28
IN THE CHARS KITCHEN.
The Medieval Custom of "Tastlng'' for
 Poison Still In Force.
From Town and Country.

From Town and Country.
 No chef in all the world occupies a more peculiar position than M. Eugene Kratz, the little known but august cor don bleu who presides in the imperial kitchen of the Great White Car" This remarkable man draws salary rather larger than that of the Presi- dent of the United States-about $55,- 900 a year-and has paramount con trol of the palace kitchens in all the homes of the imperial family from Peterhof, the Anitchkoff, the Winter Palace, and Tsarkoe-Selo, all the way to Livadia In the Crimea.
 Six times a year M. Kratz makes the round of all the imperial kitchens throughout the empire, and his pecu- liar position may realized from the fact that his social rank equals that of a general In the Russian army. And an army this wonderful chef cer- tainly commands with absolute author ity-an army whose weapons" are not the less important for being mere pots and pans.
 Of course a culinary artist of such rank as M. Kratz does little or noth- ing at all with his own hands, but Is rather an inventive genius, titillating the palate of the Emperor and his august guests. For when the autocrat of all the Russias wearies of Russian, French. Italian and English dishes he must be tried with some fantasies, such as chicken gumbo, as made In New Orleans, or some of the delight full sweet dishes of the Balkan states and Turkey.s
 It is we'll known that in the kitchens of the Czar most elaborate tasting" ceremonies are gone through, and when the Czar Is in residence at Pe- terhof--a palace about half an hour distant from the capital-not only M Kratz himself, but also his under chefs and certain high officials of the impe- rial army are called in to taste every dish that goes to the Emperor's table, after which experiment a reasonable tine is permitted to elapse to see whether or not the "tasters" are poi sonedi This curious survival of other days comes down from the time of Ivan the Terrible.
 It Is worth noting that the Emperor Nicholas is a large and hearty eater and delights in Russian national
 les, a mere recital of which would give us indigestion. Every repast served in the imperial palaces Is an elaborate banquet, and state dinners are strung out almost indefinitely by means of elaborate Parisian entrees.
 Every morning a major of the Im- perial Guards, selected by the Czar and occurying a most incongruous po- sition oscilating between the army and the kitchen, Is called into the inn perial cabinet and handed the menu for the day. which Is prepared by the czar himself Curiously enough the cZarina never orders a meal.
 The major takes the imposing gold embossed menu to the kitchen and hands 1t to M Kratz, who tacks 1t In front of his desk, that the soup cook, the ro,.sseur, the fish cook, the pastry man, and the rest may see just how to go to work. From the hours of 8 to 12 and from 12 to ? the imperial kitchen Is . scene of inspiring activity and there are frequently 300 men at work under M. Kratz.
 No dish ever served on the czar's table Is permitted access to the din ing room save through the elevator shaft. Thus the food can in no way be tampered with save by the cooks themselves and the military officials on duty. It was said at one time that the imperial family of Russia sat down to their meals in a dining room of cast iron and steel secure as a great bank vault. This Is probably exaggerated, but undoubtedly elabo- rate precautions are taken against the casting of bombs, even in tho palace Itself.