Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1877-01-31
The saoney-King and the Bank
New York Ledger

The Money King and the Bans
New York Ledger
Somewhere near q score OF years
ago, think, l read the story, then
fresh. 1t has been recalled to my
mind by its telling in my presence
by an English gentleman, who as
sured us that he could personally
avouch tor its truth, he having had
business with the Old Lady OF
Threadneedle Street while the trans
action was in progress; and from
this assurance of an eyewitness |
deem the thing worth repeating.
think remember it AS it was told to
me.
A bill OF exchange, for a large
amount, was drawn by Anselm
Rothschild, OF Frank fort, on Nathan
Rothschild, of London. When the
gentlemen 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 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"prlvate persons" They did not
stop to reflect with whom they had
TO tleal. 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!" exclaimed Nathan
Rothschild, when the answer of that
bank was repeated to him. "Pricate
persons! will give those important
gentlemen to know with what sort
of private persons they have to
deal!,
And then Nathan Rothschild went
at work. He had an object in view
Ito 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 were spent in gather
ing up notes of the smaller denomi-
nations of the banks own issue. One
morning, bright and early, Nathan
Rothschild presented himself at the
bank at the opening of the telier's
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 astonish-
ment upon seeing the Baron Roths-
child troubling himself personally
about SO trivial a matter. The baron
examined 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
five-pound note. The same opera
ton 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-five hundred
/ five-pound notes were presented and
ca. he'd. When one pocket-book had
been emptied another was brought
forth; and when canvass bag had
been filled with gold it was passed
to q servant who was in waiting.
And 80 he went on until the hour
arrived for closing the bank; and ut
the same time he had nine OF the en-
! ployees of his 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 $4,000. Not an
S0ther customer had been able to get
his wants attended to.
The English like oddity. Let man
I do something original and piquant,
aud they will applaud, even though
they be pricked. So the people Of
tho Bank contrived to smile at the
oacentricity of Baron Rothschild,
and when the time came for closing
the bank, they were not tenthpart
30 much annoyed as were the custom
ers from abroad, whose business had
mot been attended TO. The bank
I officials smiled that evening, but
On the following morning, when
the bank opened, Nathan Rothschild
Sappcared again, accompanied by his
nine faithful helpers, this time bring
Ing with him as far as the street-en-
france four heavy two-horse drays,
for the purpose of carting away the
gold, for to-day tho Baron had bills
&of a larger denomination. ALI, the
bank smiled no more, and tremb-
4 Hing seized them when the banker
monarch said, with stern simplicity
and directness:
"Ah, these gentlemen refuse to
I take my bills. BE it so. j am re-
solved that will keep not one OF
Stheirs. 1t is the House Of Roths-
child against the Bank of England"
The Bank of England opened its
eyes very wide. Within week the
House OF RothschiId could be de-
al m, svnId (Which IL did mt nos