The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-04-21
Nathan ROthschild's Scrimmage With
the Bank OF England. ga

uhO
SOMEWHERE near score of years ago,
think, read the story, then fresh. 1t
has been recalled to my mind by its tell
ing in my presence to an English gentle
man, who assured us that he could per-
sonally vouch for its truth, he having
had business with the old lady of Thread
needle street while the transaction was
in progress; and, with this assurance of
an eyewitness, deem the thing worth
repeating. / think remember it as it
was told to me.
A bill of exchange, for large amount,
was drawn by Anselm Rothschild, of
London. When the gentleman who held
it arrived in London, Nathan was away,
and he took the bit of paper to the Bank
of England, and asked them there to dis
count it. The managers were very stiff.
With naughty assurance they informed
the holder that they discounted only
their own bills; they wanted nothing to
do with the bills of private persons"
They did not stop to reflect with whom
they had to deal. Those shrewd old
| fellows in charge of the Change of the
realm should have known and remem-
bered that that bit of paper bore the
sign. manual of a man more powerful
than they-more powerful because in
| dependent of the thousand and.o one ham
pers that rested upon them.
"Umphp exclaimed Nathan Roth
schild, when the answer of the bank was
repeated to him. Private persons l
i will give those important gentlemen to
know with what sort of private persons
they have to dealP
And then Nathan Rothschild went at
work. He had an object in view-to
humble the Bank of England-an he
meant to do it. He sent agents upon
the Continent, and through the United
Kingdom, and three weeks were spent
in gathering up notes of the smaller de-
nominations of the banks own issue
One morning, bright and early, Nathan
Rothschild presented himself at the bank
at the opening of the tellers' department,
and drew from his pocket book FIVE
pound note, which he desired to have
cashed. Five sovereigns were counted
out to him, the officers looked with as
tonishmentupon seeing the Baron Roths-
child troubling himself personally about
so trivial a matter. The Baron examined
the coins one by one, and, having salts
fed himself of their honesty in quality
and weight, he slipped them into can
vas bag, and drew out and presented
another five-pound note. The same
operation was gone through with again,
save that this time the Baron took the
trouble to take a small pair of scales
from his pocket and weighed one of the
pieces, for the law gave him that right.
extraordinarily hundred
five hundred five-pound notes were
presented and cashed. When one
pocket-book had been emptied another
was brought forth; and when can
vas bag had been filled with gold
it was passed to a servant who
was in waiting. And so he went on I'M
til the hour arrived for closing the bank
and at the same time he had nine of the
employees of the house engaged in the
same work. So it resulted that ten men
of the house of Rothschild had kept
every teller of the bank busy seven hours,
and had exchanged somewhere about
922, 600. Not another customer had
been able to get his wants attended to-
The English like oddity. Let man
do something original and piquant, and
they will applaud even though their own
flesh is pricked. So the people con-
trived to smile at the eccentlicity of
Baron Rothschild, and when the time
came for closing the bank they were not
a tenth part so much annoyed as were
the customers from abroad, whose bust
| ho1 ho
bank officials smiled that evening, but
On the following morning, when the
bank opened, Nathan Rothschild APP
peared again, accompanied by his nine
faithful helpers, this time bringing with
him as far as the street entrance four
heavy two-horse drays, for the purpose
of carting away the gold, for to-day the
Baron had billso larger denomination.
All, the officers of the bank smiled ne
more, and trembling seized them when
the banker monarch said, with stern
simplicity and directness:
9" All, these gentlemen refuse to take
my bills. Be ii so. am resolved that
l will keep not one of theirs. 1t is the
house of Rothschild against the Bank of
Englandw '
The Bank of England opened its eyes
very wide Within week the house of
Rothschild could be demanding gold
which it did not possess. The gentle
men at the head of affairs saw very
plainly that in determined tilt the
bank must go to the wall. There was
but one way out of the scrape, and they
took it. Notice was at once publicly
given that thenceforth the Bank of En-
gland would cash the bills of Rothschild
as well as its Enchdnge