Connecticut western news., 1874-01-16

prehensive. Reaching out to the far East and the remote West for increase of income, he dotted on the most dimin- utive details. Princely in his entertain ments, he was penurious to the last de- gree in dealing with subordinates and employees. While he was investing mill lions he would dispute a bin for a shilling, and keep overworked clerks on the verge of starvation. Lavish for his vanity, he was a niggard at heart. He recognized nothing but percentage; :; and he is reported to have calculated to a penny the cost of his marriage months before he proposed to the daughter of Cohen.
 He was not happy even in the midst of his overfowing coffers. Naturally enough, he had numberless enemies. In his later years he suffered from con- stant dread of assassination. He was always receiving threatening letters, de- claring that his life depended on his sending certain sums of meney to cer- tain addresses. He scented murder. in every breeze, suspected poison in every cup. In sleep, he had nightmare vis- ions of crouching things; in waking hours, he started at every unexpected noise.
 One morning. two strangers were arl- nounced as having important business with the banker, and they were shown into his private office. He bowed to them, and inquired the nature of their negotiation. They bowed and said nothing, but advanced toward him, thrusting their fingers nervously into their pockets. Rothschlld's alarm was excited at once. They must be search ing for concealed weapons their beard ed faces made it clear to his frightened fancy that they were homicidal rufians. He retreated in terror behind large desk, seized ponderous ledger, hurled it at their heads, and screamed Mur- der P at the top of his voice. A small and laid violent hands on the stran- bankers bringing letters of introduction Embarrassed by his auriferously august presence-what is there in a breath ing moneY-bag capable of inspiring awe ?-they forgot their speech and their common coolness of conduct. They were nearly as much terrified as the renowned Israelite :; and as it was their initial visit to England, they im- agined that all foreigners were deemed robbers and desperadoes until the con- trary was established.
 The wretchedly rich Nathan never went out aloneafter dark, never entered an unlighted room, had servants within call of his bed-chamber,. slept with loaded pistols under his pillow.
 A fellow -Frankforter, dining with him one evening, and observing the lux ury of his household, remarked, "You must be happy, baron, with the power to gratify every wish" s1-za- =
 Happy, indeed P was the response. "Do you think it happiness to be haunted always by dread of murder, to have your. appetite for breakfast sharpened by threat to stab you to the heart unless you inclose a thousand guineas to some unknown villain ?" On one occasion, when the great f. | nancier had been to an evening party, and had gotten into his carriage to go home, friend, wishing to make an ap- pointment, stepped out to speak to him. | The timorous banker mistook his fa- miliar greeting fer 8 highwayman, and | thrust pistol out of the carriage win dow, with his favorite cry of "Mur- der !" before he. could be acquainted with the situation. & s&&
 As Rothschild grew richer and older his fears increased. He became almost monomaniac on the subject of assassi- nation, and many off his relatives 1 thoughthim in serious danger of insan- ity through his constant apprehensions. Most of the menacing messages were unquestionably sent him by his ene- | vyha hn E1,11 supplied. Conscious of his weakness, they revenged themselves uron him by inspiring him with baseless terrors. He was repeatedly told so, but he could not be induced to believe that he did not dwell in an atmosphere of poisons, peniards, and pistols. .-
 A good example of his manner of doing business was shown in 1881. It is familiar fact that the supply of | quicksilver has always been limited, and at that time was mainly furnished from the Spanish mines of Almaden and the nlyrian mines of Idria. The former had yielded richly for centuries, but the Napoleonic wars withdrewglab from l them, and so lnterferred with their product as to diminish very seriously the revenues of the Spanish crown.
 
 course was had to Nathan, who agreed to furnish the money, provided he should have as security the Almaden mines for 8 given number of years. | They were duly made over to him and his house, and the price of quicksilver was immediately advanced one hundred per cent. The trade, amazed and an- gered, sent to Idria for the necessary metal, only to discover that the rRoths. ch1lds had been before, had obtained possession of those mines, and fixed the rate there also.
 Public opinion and the press con- demned the firm severely for the united monopoly and extortion but. as its members realized $5, ,OOO, 900 or $6, ,OOO,- 900 by the transaction, any laceration their feelings might have undergone was hastily healed. x ' : t
 James Rothschild, chief of the Paris branch, having married his niece, the daughter of Solomon, and Anselm, the head of the Frankfort house, having married his cousin, Nathan's eldest daughter, Nathan conceived the idea of perpetuating the name and Ipower of the house by such consanguineous con- 1 nectlons- s from the earliest time with Hebrew families: With. this view he called in 1886 congress of the members of the household at Frank fort to consider the momentous question. l They all favored it, and as an introduc- tlon to the settled connubial policy, Nathan's eldest son, Lionel, was united to his cousin Charlotte, the eldest daughter of Charles RothschiId. Nathan was overjoyed at the adoption of his matrim monial system; but on the very day of the nuptials, June '15, he fell alarmingly 1.-The was suffering from Q carbuncle when he quilted Lon l don-and died inslAss fhan six rrnnks