The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-06-06

represent the tirm n the city OF; Man.
chester. Commencing his career in
1900 as q purchaser of goods for
the Continent, he soon amassed q
considerable fortune and removed to
London, where he took up his abode and
married daughter Of Levi Cohen, one
of the richest and most prominent Jews
in the metropolis. In 1908, at the time
of the commencement of the war with
Spain, the extraordinary means of Ma
than Meyer were made apparent to
the mercantile world. Through the
agency of his father, large sums of
money were placed at his disposal, and
these we're invested with such good
judgment that his capital rapidly in
creased. Gradually his transactions
pervaded the whole of the Continent, no
operations in Europe having existed on
so large a scale prior to his time. He
entered into competition with the power
full banking house Of Goldsmid, another
prominent Hebrew: and undertook ven
lures which the leading bankers of the
day were too timid to touch. In 1910
he was brought in close connection with
the Government. The Iron Duke, while
engaged on the Peninsula, had made
some drafts which the Treasury could
not meet. Rothschild, anticipating the
result of the Contil entail war, purchased
these at liberal discount, renewed
them to rhe Government, which subse-
quently redeemed them at par. This
operation greatly enlarged his capital,
his opportunities, and his connections.
The Government employed him to trans
nit subsidies to tia Continent. By the
interest of the Landgrave, he was ap-
pointed agent for the payment of the
S12, ,0OO,0 600, which, by the treaty OF
Toeplitz, England had to pay her Ger
man allies. As might be expected,
large profits accrued to the house by
these transactions. When the great
battle OF Waterloo t1ok place, Roths-
child knew the result 43. hours before
the news of the victory reached London.
The means of communication establish
ed by the house were truly wonderful.
Carrier pigeons and fast-sailing boats OF
their own were used for the transmission
of news. Reports in cipher Of every inn
portant event were tied under the wings
of the. birds which were constantly ar
irving in London, while at the same
time trrsty agents we're crossing the
channsii in the stcrmiest weather. The
sensational story which has occasionally
been circulated that during the famous
battle, Nathan Meyer, was present on the
field, hanging on TO the skirts of We'll
lipgton, and that, rs soon as the victory
was gained, he hurried to the coast,
where he paid q bcatman $500 francs to
take him across 10 Dover, is absolutely
false, without even the slightest founda..
ton in fact. It is simply one of the
many sensational falsehoo1s got up
about the family 10 pander to the tastes
ofa certain class If readers. During the
whole of that exciting period Rothsehlld
never left the city Of London. His
agents and the pigeons supplied him
with full information. Certain it is that
when, on the morning of the 10th of
November, 1916, all the bankers and
brokers on the London StocE Exchange
thought that Napoleon had again tri-
umphed, and stocks tumbled accord
ingly, Rothschild alone, who knew the
truth, bought through his secret agents
all the consols, bills, and notes he could
obtain. On the afternoon of the 21st,
two days after the battle, the news Of
Wellington's victory reached London.
The public Joy was intense. The Ex-
change was tuoyant. EVERYTHING went
up that had before gone down. But
among the millions of British subjects
that rejoiced that day, there was per-
haps no one that could more thoroughly.
appreciate the victory than Rothschild,
for while he, too, rejoiced in his coun-
try's honor, he hal the additional pleas
ure of knowing that his own treasury
had been increased by over 81 ,OO0,O 900.
It must not he supposed, however,
that he was invariably successful. Oc-
casionally he was exposed to many Sc
we're reverses. Ely the French revolu-
ton in 1S4S, and the depreciation in the
funds which followed the several dis
turbances in the European cities, it has
been estimated that the losses of the
;Rothschilds reached the enormous figure
of $4O,OOO,00O. Although this took
place after Nathan Meyers death, it is
included among the losses which have
been enumerated as tending to show that
in the vicissitudes of business even such
a firm as that of Rothschild sometimes
encounters severe reverses. Fortunate.
ly, the resources of the house we're at
all times equal to the emergency.
The great success which generally at.
tended all the loSn contracts in which
the Baron was interested made it mat
ter OF rivalry with all the States which
wanted money to obtain his co-opera-
ton. He would never make any such
contracts with Spain or the American
Republics which were formerly her colo
nies. Whether this disinclination arose
from prudential motives or because ne
did not desire to assist a race which had
so prosecuted his own, it would be diff
cult 70 say. But not only in loan con.
tracts were his operations considerable,
but also in bullion and foreign ex-
changes. In his commercial dealings he
is said to have been very liberal, and
many merchants whose bills were de-
clined elsewhere found ready assistance
from him. AS illustrative of his im-
mense power, as also of his disposition,
the following authentic anecdote will be
sufficient: The London firm, requiring
a loan for short time, made applica.
ton to the Bank of England, offering Sc
curity therefor. The Governor declin-
ed, much to the surprise of Nathan
Meyer, who at once summoned his
bankers for a conference. The London
firm change monthly their bank account
from one to another of the banks which
they select to. receive their deposits
and cash their checks. At that time the
amount of gold in the Bank of England
was at the lowest point, and had run
been commenced it must have led to the
suspension of the bank. Rothschild,
well knowing this fact, gathered up oil
his balances from his several bankers,
and, returning to the Bank of England,
demanded specie for three times the
amount held by that institution: The