Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-04-12
NATHAN ROTHSCHILD.

NATHAN ROTHSCHILD.
HIS LITTLE sCRIMMAGE WITH THE BANK OF
ENGLAND.
Somewhere near a score Of years ago,
think I read the story, then fresh. 1t has
been recalled to my mind by its telling in my
presence to an English gentleman, who as
sured US that he could personally vouch for
it's truth, he having had business with the old
lady of Threadneedle street while the trans
action was in progress and, from this assu-
rance 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 discount it. The mana.
gers 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 remembered that that bit of paper bore
the sign.manual of man more powerful than
they-more powerful, because independent of
the thousand. .and.one hampers that rested
upon them.
"Umph p exclaimed Nathan Rothschild,
when the answer of the bans was repeated to
him. "Private persons! [ will give those
important gentlemen to know with what sort
of private persons they have to deal"
And then Nathan Rothschild went to work.
He had an object in view-to humble the
Bank of England-and he meant to do it.
He sent agents upon the Continent, and
through the United Kingdom, and three weeks
we're spent in gathering up notes of the small
er denominations of the banks own issue.
One morning, bright and early, Nathan Roths-
child presented himself at the bank, at the
opening of the teller's department, and drew
from his pocketbook fve-pound note, which
he desired to have cashed Five sovereigns
we're counted out to him, and the officer looked
with astonishment upon seeing the Baron
Rotbschild troubling himself personally about
so trivial a matter. The Baron examined
the coina one by one, aud, having satisfied
himself of their honesty in quality and weight,
he slipped them into canvass 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 small pair of scales from his
pocket and weigh one of the pieces, for the
law gave him that right. Two-three-ten-
twenty-a hundred-6ve hundred five pound
notes were presented and cashed. When one
pocket book had been emptied, another was
brought forth and when canvass bag had
been filled with gold, it was passed to SER
want who was standing in waiting. And so
he went on until the hour arrived for the
closing of the bank, and at the same time he
had nine of his employees 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 ex-
changed somewhere about $4,000. Not an.
other customer had been able to get his wants
attended to.
The English like oddity. Let any man do
something original and piquant, and they will
applaud even though their own flesh is prick
3D. So the people contrived to smile at the
eccentricity of Baron Rothschild, and when
the time came for closing the bank, they we're
not tenth part so much annoyed as were the
customers from abroad, whose business had
not been attended to. The bank officials
smiled that evening, but
On the following morning, when the bank
opened, Nathan Rothschild appeared again,
accompanied by his nine faithful helpers, this
time bringing with him as far as the street en-
trance, four heavy two.horse drays for the Pur.
pose of carting away the gold for to-day the
Baron had bills of a large denomination.
All the officers of the bank smiled no more,
and trembling seized them when the banker
monarch said, with stern simplicity and di-
rectness:
"Ah these gentlemen refuse to take my
bills. Be it 80. am resolved that | will
keep not one of theirs 1t is the house Of
Rothschld against the Bank of England"
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 gentlemen at the head of affairs
saw very plainly that in determined tilt the
bank must 20 to the wall. There was but
one way out of the scrape, and they took it.
Notice was at once publicly given that hence
forth the Bank of England would discount
the bills of Rothschild as we'll as its own.
A PLAIN QUESTION SoUARELY ANSWER
ED-The Chicago Times lately asked the
Richmond Enquirer whether it was prepared
to stand by the colored people of the South
and resist all attempts to deprive them of
their rights under the last two amendments?