The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-04-28
Old World Gossip
ny LA sIAnaUIsrs DE FoNTENoY.
HVIHEN Louis XIV. OF France bo-
Wv slowed his Order of st. Louis

upon Vatcl. the world famed
cook of that Prince OF Bourbon who
WIS known as the Grand Condo. II
gave TO vatel, whose name Is en-
shrined In the annals OF gastronomy.
the right TO wear n sword-the sword
WIZ which he ran himself through
the heart when some particularly rare
ish which he had ordered for ban
quot given ut Chantilly by his en-
ployer. for the Roi Soleil failed to ar
rive In time, and he considered him
self to be disgraccd
The chef who superintended tho
preparation of the state banquet given
by President Poincare at the Elysee
last week. In honor of tho King and
queen OF England. is likewise Il knight
of the greatest III cnch order OF the
present day, namely, OF the Legion of
Honor. But the dinner went off with
out single hitch, and. In lieu of con-
sidering 1t necessary to commit suicide
TO save his honor, he received from
King George the Cross Of the Victorian
oF"er OF kniGhthood rs "a token OF
| royal satisfa elton.
The chef in question:. now doubly
knight, is Eugene Mourier. president
OF tho National Society of Cooks In
france, admittedly the greatest gas
/ Economical artist OF his day, and incl
denta!ly the proprietor OF the Cafe de
iaiis, OF the IRE Catclan, and Of Ar
particularly We'll known to people
| from this side of the atlantic
In Russia, where all tho grades Of
the civil service are assimilalcd TO
'hoso OF the army. and where univcr-
| slty dons who hayc never done an
| hour OF military service in their lives
arc entitled major generals, and wear
u uniform rs such, the principal chef
OF the Car has the rank of colonel,
Is addressed as such, and wears n gor-
Soous silvcr-laced uniform, all covered
with decorations, a cooked hat and q
sword.
IT is 70 King Louis XIV OF France
ana to the infamous Madame Du Barry.
toy tho way, that we are indebted to
the title of Gordon Blcu," applied all
the world over to tirst-cl IS cooks and
Gastronomic artists OF bot sexes on
one occasion Nine. Du Barry had q
violent discussion with Louis Ky. rs
TO the relative merits of male chefs
and women cooks, Nine. Du Barry
championing the cause OF the latter
against tho King. who insisted that no
woman could really cook. After
banquet, composed Of thick pheasant
jelly, tho crust of a French roll. filled
with livcrS nj eel pouts. Il delicious
hash Of snipe. supreme Of chicken,
craWiish cooked In sautcrnc. "A roast
pullct, etc. the monarch surrendered,
came the father OF his people, and ac-
knowlcdSed the superiority OF the wo-
man cook to the male chef. lie asked
TO see the dame VINO had prepared the
rcpast, ana when she was brought i'm
to his presence by her mistress, Nine.
la Barry, he placed around her neck
his blue ribbon Of the order OF tn
saint Esprit. known rs the Gordon
Hlcu. which from that time forth has
been the recognized designation OF
skilful and successful cook.
Empress Harukos death the other
day served 10 call attention once more
10 the extraordinary blending OF tie
old-time orient, with the latest forms
of twentieth century civilization OF
the occident. which is so interesting
Ia Japan. II is not considered iittinr
that any member or the sovereign house
Il DIi Nippon--a house which traces
back its ancestry In an unbrolen male
line for near 5000 years-shouid meet
with death outside the capital Con-
scquentlv, when the Dowager En-
press passed away at her country sen
OF Numadzu. her corpse was. as pre-
scribcd hy time honorcd custom ana
ancient etiquette. brought back to the
metropolis. and into the imperial pal
ace, as If still alive. There Is some
thing magnificent In an etiquette which
can ignore even death Itself, something
almost inconceivablc TO people In the
New World. and Vet which had its
counterpart at the court Of France i'll
tile sixteenth, seventeenth and elgh-
teenth centuries.
In her Numad2u countrSs seat, the
Emprcsss dead body gave farewell
audiences before its departure. The
remains We're conveyed. not In pros
tratc, but In a sitting position. as IL
alive, in the train. were met on ar
" - n yaf fap ,N,4,,
Tokyo by princes. great mobiles. min
listers and officials. We're reverently
placed, i'm Il sitting position in her
state coach, and were driven 1T trot,
surrounded By an escort OF cavalry, to
her palace At It's entrance she was
received ia state b. nil the members
Of her household, and MAS then escort
81 to her apartments, just as ir still
alive. only after she had reached her
apartment was public acknowledge
inent made Of her dcinise-but OF her
death in her palace at Tokyo ana not
1T her country seat ut Nunadzu.
The same rule was observed when
imperial Prince and Field Marshal
kitashiro succumbea TO fever. while
~ command OF the Japancae army OF
occupation In Formosa The dead
prince was brought back from For
mosa To Tokyo as though he were
living man. The general orders an
nouneinG his departure 10 the troops
under his command in For,nosa bore
hlS seal ana signature. or what pur-
ported TO be such. The man of war
mat carried his body to Yokohama few
no cmnlcmS of mourning. Meals were
served IN the cabin where he was CUP
posed 10 be. ANA the military anu
naval daily reports we're made 10 his
deaf ears every morning and evening
as II he were still alive.