Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1877-05-17
Nathan Rothschild.
HIS LITTLE sCRIMMaGE WITH THE
BANK OF ENGLAND. .

Somewhere near score of years
ago. l think [ read the story, then
fresh. It has been recalled to my
mind BIZ its telling in my presebce
of an English gentleman, who as
sured US that he could personally |
vohch for its truth, he having had
business with the old lady of
Threadneedle street while the |
transaction was In progress aud,
from this assurance of an eye
witness, I deem the thing worth |
repeating. | think / remember it
as it was told to me.
A bill of exchange fer large
I'amount was drawn by Anselm
Rothsctiid, of London. When
the gentlemau who held it arrived |
in London, Nathan was away, and
he took the bit of paper TO the
Bauk OF England ard asked them
there to discount it. The mana
gers were very s:iff. With hangh-
ty assurance they informed the
holder that they discounted only
[ their own bills; hey wanted moth
ing to do with the bills Of private
persons" They cid not reflect
with whom they had t. deal
! Those shrewd old fellows in charge
Of tie 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
hem.
"Umrh!'' exclaimed Nathan
Rothschild, when the answer oil
the bank was repeated to him
Private persons [ will give
those important gentlemen to know
vi 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 ment to do it -
lie sent agents upon The CONT
nent, and through the United
Kingdom, and three weeks were
spent in gathering up notes of the
smaller :lenominatious of the
banks own issue. One morning,
| bright aud ea,ly, Nathan Roths-
child presented himself at the
opening Of the teller's department,
aud drew from-hls pocketbopk ii
five-pound note, which he desired
to have cashed. FIVE sovereigns
= were counted out to him, aud the
2 officer looked with astoniShment
,fupon seeing the Baron hothschiid
trouble himself personally iabout
$50 trivial matter. The Baron
i eXamiued the coins -one by Que,
: : land. having satisfied himself OF
!. their honesty IL quality and wight,
, he slipped them 1nto a canvass
bag, and drew out and presented
another 6ve-poundz note. ~ The
: same opel alton was gone through
with again, sase- that this time the
: Baron took the trouble to take {;
small pair OF scales from bis pock
4 ct aud weighed oneEof the pieces
;. for the law gave him that right
observation-disclosures hun
e dred-fve hundre,! FIVE pouu,
c. notes were presented aud caShed
/ When one pocket-boek had beel
emptied another WIS brought fort h
and when a canvass bag had beer
filed with gold, it was passed to /
4 servant who WIS standing IN walt
u1 ing. And so he went on until th'
hour arrived for the closing of tht
bank, and at the same time he haC
Y nine of his employees engaged il
{! the same work. So il resulted tha
>. ten men of the. house. of Roths
e child had kept every teller of TIA
bank busy seven hours, AID hac
/ Z eachAnged s6mswhefe abailt g22,
T, 600. Not another customer ha
heen able to get his wants attende'
to.
The English like oddity. Le
sf any man do some hing origina
m. and piquant. and they will ar
" pfaud, even though their own ties
ne I1e is .pricked. So the people cor
'or trived to smile at the excen:ricit
e@ Tor OF Boron Rcthschil9, and whc
De- the tIine clnue loi ClcsluS tHe baui
us, they were not tenth part so muc
annoyed as We're. the customer
from abroad, whose business ha
not been attended to. TIE ban
mn fofficial smiled that evening, but
gN On-the following morning, whe
the bank opened, Nathan .Roths
6se child appeared again. accompt
nd .iid MED by his nine faithful helper
UR this time bringing with him as f;
ms as the street entrance, four hea1
It. t, two horse draysfor the purpose
lass 90 rt;,1rr o,r % rbo roId. for - a.
!, the Baron had bills of a large d
nomination. All the officers
the bank smiled no more, and
oun- trembling seized them when n