The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-03-15
OUR STORY TELLER.
THE ROTHSCHILDS.
A Sketch Of the Celebrated House.

A short time after the battle of Jena,
in which Napoleon broke down the
armed opposition of Prussia, William i,
Elector of Hesse Cassel, flying through
Frankfort, summoned to an audience a
prominent banker of the city.
am one of those" he said, "who
trusted to the faith of that faithless per-
jurer and enemy of his race, Napoleon
Bonaparte. He promised to pre-.
serve my territory from violation
and to treat me as neutral prince.
He has forced me to fly from nv
own domain, has already seized it. is
to obliterate it and make it part of the
Kingdom of Westphalia. / have with
me about FIVE millions. Take them
Keep them in security until my rights
are restored and recognized. How much
interest will you allow met"
In the disturbances of the time" re-
piled Mayor Won Rothschiid, 81 can
promise nothing. 1t must be very low
rate if any. You will have to trust me
to pay what l can, when / am able
to afford it."
Very WE'LL" replied the Elector,
my chief purpose is to secure them.
From what | learn of you I cannot do
better than to trust you. l must bid
you adieu."
Rothschild departed, received the
Electors treasure on deposit. was
enabled to loan it and reloan il to some
advantage, but paid no interest On itfor
eight years; after which he paid two per
cent. for nine years, and returned it to
the Electors son in 1924.
Such, at least, according to the legend,
is the origin of that wonderful house of
Rothschild, whose existence and oper-
atoms are surrounded with something of
the mysteries and dazzling spectacular
display found chiefly in fairy romances
and Arabian Nights tales.
During all the troubles of Europe in
the early part of the century Rothschild
remained undisturbed. He negotiated
two loans of four million dollars each
for Denmark, which, contemplate now,
were enormous then. A large whole
sale Yankee notions" or dry goods
house might surpass them today.
Mayor Rothschild had the faculty Of
turning all chances to good account.
Just before his death in 1912 he called
together his six sons-Nathan, Solomon.
Anselme, Karl, Mayer and James, and
said to them:
want you to promise me on your
solemn oaths always to remain united
in carrying on the operations of our
house."
They swore as he asked, but after his
death separated; or rather they divided
Europe between them. They estab-
lished their homes at Paris, London.
Frankfort, Vienna and Naples. Each
one shared in the general operations of
the house, but had individual super
vision over his particular field. 1t was
not central bank with different
branches; there were five different
houses, which if occasion required, acted
as one.
The Emperor of Austria ennobled all
OF them as If they were all the eldest.
which is an Austrian custom. Their
arms are five golden arrows. By re-
markable coincidence, an ancient writer
predicted that Charon, who, according
to the old myth, ferried people over the
Styx,. or river of death, and who gets his
pay from the passengers, would have
large income in the year 1855, and in
that year, Nathan. the eldest, and Solo
mon and Karl all died. Everybody ex-
pected, as each one dropped off, to learn
at last the secrets of that enormous
banking house. But there was not the
smallest chance to look into their big
books. Another Rothschild stood ready
to take them from the dead mans hands.
The firm is dynasty You can learn
from 1t only that it has secret of max
ing money.
One of the great strokes of the Roths-
child house was made when Nathan, the
London banker, and an English citizen.
followed close in the rear Of Napoleon.
IN 1915, as If he foresaw the fall of that
giant. The sun had not set on the bat
tie of Waterloo before the banker was
well on his way to London. He bought
English consols, at that time very low
IN price. When London heard the great
news, consols rose and Rothschild sold.
This transaction was entirely Roths-
child like. In their transactions chance
is eliminated as much, perhaps, as it is
possible in human affairs. The con-
ception of these grand schemes are
0Ac"i anu eluplc, uoWeVeI vast. Inc &C
complishment alone is difficult, because
it requirs a rapid glance over the whole
field, and large capital. But there is in
them indications of genius. In most of
these first great operations there is the
popularity of Christopher Columbus's
famous egg trick. Dollars, like soldiers,
need to be hurled en- masse and at once
against designated point. The Rotns-
childs in this respect have been the
greatest captains of the century.
Capital has displaced men in the
world OF industry. Formerly man was
a producer or negotiator, borrower
or a lender. Now, by the substitution
OF capital, he may be all of these at the
same time. In Belgium and Spain the
Rothschilds are producers of coal and
quicksilver. By virtue of the railroads
they own tLey are also carriers; to-day
they will be the largest buyers, to-mor-
row the largest sellers in Europe.
Speculation is the fairy OF the nine
teenth century, and the Rothschilds are
its godsons. Life at the present day has
been almost tripled in intensity. A man
who dies at forty years of age has GER
tainly hved more than centenarians of
the aovoufoou<h couf,xrv