The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-21
THE R0IHSCHILDS.
The origin Of the Great House
Of Finaneiers.
u.r . Fortune Of one Buliea Was
Accumulated From start
eta Few Hundred

The original name VI H0fBsch1in
xas Bauer. The family adopted the
name Of RofhschiId Red shielde from
tbe sign which the founder OF the
house kept oyer his dingy little shop
n Frankfort-on-the- Main. in odorifer-
ION. quarters called the Judengasse
fJews' street,, says Henry ciews, 10
his ssTwenty-eight Years in Wan
street In this little shop Mayer
Auselm RothschiId. the founder oil
the horse. discounted bills. changed
money examined the quality OF coins.
bought cheap and sold dear. How
do You get 30 rich. Ar. RothsehiidF
said a friend OF old AnselIn one Gay,
AZ he leaned over his dusty Little
counter. The reply was: u buys
ssbeep' and sells deer. His know
ledge Of the quality Of coins was mar
xeIous. He had the instinct OF genius
In detecting everything in the form Of
money and jeweiry that was not gea-
u;ne At the age Of II y0ung Roths-
child TOOK rank with the best. oldest
.nd abiest tinanciers Of Frankfort
Ills father. who died when Mayer
Anslssu was Is years Of age, had in
tecded 10 make him a rabbi, but he
liked the study OF coin better tnan tne
Talmud. and established himself N
his fathers narrow quarters as q
financier.
n i not generally known that koths-
ehiid's first great start ~ financial ilie
was given him by the use OF the sto,-
CO.. 90 which was paid to the lsana-
grave OF Hesse, Fresierick H., py
George III. OF England for iT'osV Hes
sion 10 help whip George Warrington
and retain the American coionies'
Thi. blood money was the original pa
six Of the vast fortune OF the Roths-
cbilds. II was deposited with Mayer
AnseIm By WiIlim *, the successor
OF Frederick, whose example was ioi-
lowed by other great ones OF the eartn,
and In few years the agents OF kings
and princes OF Europe we're Hooking 70
Frankfort to negotiate loans Win
RothschiId on behalf OF their mighty
natrons. There is a very interesting
story related, giving the reason why
The landgraye passed by all the great
bankers OF Frankfort and entrusted
th{s large amount, together with siIn-
liar amount afterward. TO Rothschild.
The latter had occasion to visit Prince
William al his palace in Cassel, aud
found him playing q game Of chess
with the Baron Estorff- Rothschild
prudently kept quiet and did not in
terrapt the game, but stepped lightly
m and stood behind the Princes
c6air where he could watch
every move. The prince vas get
ting the worst OF the game,
and was becoming little excited.
Turning around, he said; Roths-
child. do you understand chess
nsufiiciently well. your serene high
mess. . replied Rothschild, ito induce
me were the game mine, to castle on
the kings side y The prince took the
hint and won the game. Then. turn
ing to Rothschild, he said: You are
a Wise man. He who can extricate a
chess-player from such difficulty as
i was In must have a very clear head
for business. The prince afterward
told the baron that Rothschild was as
good a chess-player as Frederick the
Great, and that man OF such capaci-.
ty must be able to take good care of
money. The 100000 which was
obtained on deposit remained with the
house of Rothschild nine years, and
when Napoleon invaded Germany IN
the interim, the money, together with
other valuables, was hidien in wine
casks in Rothschild's cellar, but the
conqueror never thought of tapping
the casks. After peace was proclaimed,
and William, who had been obliged 10
seek safety in flight, returned home,
old Rothschild was dead, but his son
Anselm handed over TO the prince
every dollar OF tue sa0 80 200, and ten
dered him, in addition, ? per cent. IN
terest for tue entire time OF the depos-
Il. The prince made him present OF
the interest.
The elder Rothschild had five sons,
namely, Anselin, who succeeded his
father In Frankfort; Solomon, OF
Vienna, Nathan Meyer. OF London;
Charles, OF Naples. and James, Of
Paris. According to their fathers
will the FIVE sons were TO constitute
but one firm. in which they were TO
enjoy equal profits aud never divide
the fortune. The business was to be
managed at Frankfort rs headquarters,
protits from the other moneyed capt.
ais were TO be rsked in. The intention
of the old man was 10 make these five
money kings dominate Europe by the
power OF their wealth. so that the or
binary kings would become their sub
iects, and in many instances the hopes
OF the great old chess player have been
realized. All the annual settlements
were made ut Frankfort, and the
brothers met there once year for a
general conference. This system con-
tinues. and though the original five
brothers have all passed over to the
majority. the last OF them, James,
having died in Paris in ls6s, at the
ripe age of 20, yet the representatives
OF the house in the large cities of
Europe sustain the principles Of union,
harmony and consolidation laid
down By the old Anselm Mayer koths-
child. Although this union has been
the great source of the Rothschild's
success, il would be hopeless. how
ever. for any parent outside the lie
brew race to iniitate the injunction OF
old Rothsehild.
IL Is supposed that the elder Roths-
child died worth $40 600 Goo or $50 ,0sAi.-
Go. but this IS in great measure
merely conjecture, as nobody outside
the family ever knew what their real
wealth was, the fact having always
been kept an invioiate family secret.
IL must I've said 10 the credit OF the old
man, that in his latter DAYS, that in
stead OF becoming Stingy, as many do.
he was quite liberal. and contributed
largely to various charities and gave
10 the needy In quiet and even secret
way.
The greatest speeulator Of the FIVE
brothers was Nathan Myer Roshschild,
the third son OF the great old man.
He made the grand hit Of his life after
the battle OF Waterloo. lie kept
watching the movements oi the
opposing arms an the continent. aud
followed wellington very closely AZ he
approached the famous field. 1t
seems that .sac Iron nuke" was not
at all pleased with Nathan's attention,
10 him, as he took him for either q spy
or an assassin, and vas GA the point Of
having him arrested several times.
But Nathan kept his purpose
steadily in view in spite of
the facs that bullets were vhlzzing
around his ears IN showers. He
sat On his horse on the hitl OF
Hougomoat with perfect conposUre,
in the teeming rain. the whole after.
noou, looking upon that terrible struE-
gle that WAS TO decide the destiny of
nations. until Blacher arrived and the
French were put TO rouL As SOON as
Nathan saw this he put spurs g. his
horse and made all possible haste 10
Brussels. where A carriage AMI swift
horses were in waiting 10 carry him to