Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-11-06
The Rise of the Rothschilds.


The Rothschilds have been a wonder
full family. The founder of the house,
Meyer Anselrn, born in 1743, started rs
banker and broker in a small way in
the city of Frankfort, where he was
| born. From the first he was distin-
guished for financial ability and integ-
rity, and during Napoleon's possession
of Germany. William Landgrave. after
ward elector of Hesse, confided to
| Rothschild his immense fortune with
out interest. This established the for
tune of the house. Dying in 1872,
Meyer left five sons, Anselm, Solomon,
Nathan, Charles and james. who cs-
tablished themselves respectively at
Frankfort, Vienna, London, Naples and
Paris, aud excepting that at Naples
these houses still exist. Meyer Karl,
the Rothschild NOW dead at Frankfort,
Was a grandson of Meyer Anselm. and
head Of the house.
During the second generation the
policy was established of keeping the
great fortunes of the house together,
and to this end marriages outside of
the family were decided against. Since
then they have ntermarried, in one
case an uncle and his niece becoming
husband and wife. Until Lord Rose
berry married IL daughter of the English
house, this practice of intermarriage
has been adhered to.
The history Of this family in England
has been singular, as marking the
abatement of a race prejudice. An act
of dcnizatlon was passed by parliament
in 1921 in favor of Nathan. equivalent
10 our naturalization law. which gave
him Il legal status in England, which
Jews did not before possess. On his
death, in 1886, his son Lionel Nathan
succeeded him and was repeatedly
elected to parliament. but not being
able 10 take the prescribed oath. ION
the true faith Of II Christian" he was
not admitted to his seat until the sac
for removing the disabilities of the
Jews was passed III 1893. He was
thus the first Of his race to sit in the
English parliament. In recent years
the same contest about the admission
of Bradlaugh, the atheist, has existed.
and it was only settled by quietly drop
ping il and allowing Bradlaugh f.
take the oath and his seat in the pres
ent parliament,
But Notwithstanding the great iinan-
cial power of the Rothschilds. and other
Jewish bankers in Europe, the race i,
yet officially prescribed in several con,
t~incntal countries, notably in Austria,
which refused to receive our Kelley,
because he had a Jcwess for "A wife.
This shows how invcterate IA race pre-
judicc may become. The Rothschild,
have always been distinguished. rs in.
diyiduals, for modcsty of department
and for transformations charity; as busi-
LESS men, for Sagacity and integrity.
They have not alone been bankers, but
they have mined gold in Russia, salt in
Siberia, silver III Central America, and
haev been and are engaged in other
vast commercial enterprises with which
the floating of national loans has no iii
rect connection.
Their rule of business is to require
strict obedience to the letter Of instruc-
tons, and always to reward sue
cess. An instance is in point.
An old and faithful agent in
the east had specific instructions
to do IA certain thing. A change in the
situation which could not be then, as
now, instantly communicated by cable,
made it in his Judgment unwise to fol.
low his instructions, and he pursued =
different course, of which he advised
the house. BY return mail he was
reprimanded and dismissed. Time
proved the correctness of the agents
Judgment and brought large gains in
stead or loss to the house. whereupon
he was as promptly restored and re-
warded for his success rs he had been
punished for his disobcdicnce.
ooIHt oi tHc IflcSt estates castles
in Europe are owned in the family, vet
the dingy old Office in Frankfort and
the early home of the family are re-
tanned almost unchanged. They dc
not forget their humble origin OF
modest beginnings. There will be nc
change in the Rothschild affairs. All
are trained to business rs the Aston.
of this country are, and there is always
IN equally shrewd successor ready to
take ND the work of him who is claimed
by death. So far as appears the house
may thus stand for a thousand years.
White House Economy.
Washington Post: President Cleveland
Is moro snarinn than any of his nre-