The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-03-21
The Money King and the Bank.

l think, read the story, then fresh.
1t has been recalled to my mind by it's
telling in my presence to an English
gentleman, who assured us that he
could personally vouch for its truth,
he having had business with the old
lady of Threadneedle street while the
transaction was in progress; and,
from this assurance of an eyewitness,
I deem the thing worth repeating. l
think remember it as it was told to
me.
A bill of exchange for large
amount was drawn as Anselm Roths-
child, of Frankfort, on Nathan Roths.
child, of London. When the gentle.
man who held it arrived in London,
Nathan was away, and he took bit of
paper to the Bank of England, and
asked him where to discount it. The
managers were very stiff. With
naughty assurance they informed the
holder that they discounted only their
own bills of ''private persons. They
did not stop to reflect with whom they
had to deal. Those shrewd old fel.
lows in charge of the Change of the
realm should have known and remem.
bered that that bit of paper bore the
sign.manual of man more powerful
than they-more powerful because in
dependent of the thousand-and-one
hampers that rested upon them.
''Umph - exclaimed Nathan Roths-
child, when the answer of the bank
was repeated to him. ssPrivate per-
sons! I will give those important
gentleman 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 throughout the Unit
ed Kingdom, and three weeks were
spent in gathering up notes of the
smaller denominations Of the banks
own issue. One morning, bright and
early, Nathan Rothschild presented
himself at the bank at the opening of
the Teller's Department., and drew
from his pocket-book a five.pound note,
which he desired to have cashed. Five
sovereigns were counted out to him,
the officers looking with establishment
upon seeing the Baron Rothschild
troubling himself personally about so
ed the coins one by one, and having
satisfied himself of their honesty in
quality and weight, he slipped them
into canvass bag, and then drew out
and presented another fve-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 hundred-tive hundred
pound-notes were presented and cash.
ed. When one pockeJ-book had
been emptied another was brought
forth !; and when canvas bag had
been filled with gold it was passed to
a servant who was in waiting. And
so he went on till 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
f22, 900. Not another customer had
been able to get his wants attended
to.
The English like oddly. Let man
do something original and piquant.
and they will applaud even though
their own flesh is pricked. So the
people contrived to smile at the eccen-
tricitY of Baron Rothschild, and when
the time came for closing the bank
they were not tenth part 50 much an
noyed as were the customers from
abroad, whose business had not been
attended to. The bank officials smiled
that night, but
On the following morning when the
bank opened, Nathaniel Rothschild ap-
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 carrying away the gold. for
to-day the Baron had bills of a larger
denomination. All, the officers of the
bank smile no more, and a trembling
seized them when the banker monarch
said, with stern simplicity and direct
ness:
"Ah, these people refuse to take my
bills. Be it so. am resolved that |
will keep not one of theirs. 1t is the
house Of Rothschild 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 gentle
men at the head of affairs saw very
plainly that in a 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 pub
licly given that thenceforth the Bank
! of England would cash the bills of