The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-21

Napoleon at Ligny on the 18th and
18th TOT Jnne1, and there can be no
hope Tor Wellington with his Compare
lively small and undiscipiined force
This statement was Substantially true
- BIncher had been repulsed ct Ligny.
The duke had an awkward squad
with the exception of the English, the
Irish, and the Scots Greys, 10 marshal
into lighting order, but he got there
all the same" Nathan's secret point
oozed out, and less than an hour after
opening there WIS q perfect panic
on the London Stock Exchange.
Nathan had his brokers at
work, first selling short, and
then, when the market reached bed
rock. buying on the long" side He
bought everything that he could raise.
borrow or beg. the money for-consois,
notes and bills. When the news OF
Weliingfon's victory arrived. ~ hours
after Nathan had begun to manipu-
late the market, and when he was
long OF everything that he had
money or credit TO purchase, secuH-
ties went up with a boom. Nathan
realized 81. 600 900, and il was said that
large number OF the great operators
fiocked around him TO congratulate
him. II was lucky for Nathan, re-
marks Mr.. Ciews, that the scene of his
operations was in London, instead OF
Wall street, otherwise Judge Lynch
might have had something 10 say be-
fore the settlements had been made
The career OF Nathan Rothchild in
England was remarkable, and his sue
cess from the very start phenomenal.
He began his Speculations and money
lending operations III Manchester with
500. being the limited amount which
he was permitted 10 draw from the
family treasury on taking his depart
ure from Frankfort 10 seek his fortune
in Great Britain. In five years he had
augmented the $500 to 81 600, 900. He
then removed 10 London, where be
married daughter of Levi Cohen, one
of the wealthiest Hebrews Of the great
metropolis.
Nathan was very fortunate in his
speculative ventures in the public
funds. and managed to get himself in
troduced so as TO do considerable bust
ness for the government in its trans
actions on the continent. His first
introduction TO the government was
through the duke OF Wellington, who,
Turing his peninsuiar campaigns, had
made drafts that the treasury of Great
Britain was dilatory in meeting
Nathan purchased these drafts at a
large discount. He afterward renewed
them to the government. and they
were eventually redeemed at par.
This was the means of bringing him
into confidential relations with the
ministry of Great Britain, and
he was entirely trusted as their chief
agent in ALI their financial mat
tiers on the continent. This gave him
immense advantage in specializing, and
enabled him to give his brothers in the
other great capitals OF Europe large
amount OF valuable and inside infor-
nation, which put them in a position
10 speculate with success in the funds
of their respective governments.
Nathan had arrangements to get the
very latest information from Frank
fort, then the centerof European finan-
ciering, BY well-trained carrier pigeons.
He had also several boats of his own
by which to send personal messages
across the channeii in cases where these
were required, and a boat always in
readiness at moments notice in case
his presence should be indispensable
at the great money center, and the
central counting and clearing house of
the family.
Nathan Rothschild was a strong and
inconsistent compound of liberality,
avariciousness and penuriousness. He
entertained his guests in prineely style,
but he was miserably mean with his
clerks and employees generally. Tn
like A. T. Stewart, who followed the
very opposite rule. and had his place
filed with bankrupt dry goods men as
employees, the Rothschilds would
never engage anybody who had been
unfortunate in business. They had
superstitious feeling that misfortune
is contagious, and they carefully
avoided coming into contact with any
ef its victims. Nathan was even more
precise than William II. Vanderbilt in
calculating the pennies in his lunch
bill, but while Vanderbilt did this as
mere within to illustrate his business
precision and correctness, Rothsehild
really loved the pennies with ardent
devotion. But Baron Nathan, even
when he had accumulated $40, coo, 600
or $50, 600 900, was not happy. He was
tortured by the fear of enemies, who
he believed, intended to murder him.
Like Vanderbilt he received many
threatening letters, but unlike the
New York millionaire, who paid no at
tention 20 threats, but walked and
drove out defiantly. Rothschild was
still in mortal terror, and believed
that the threats were intended TO be
executed. Nathan made one of the
biggest piles out of the Almaden
quicksilver mines in Spain. The
Spanish government wanted a loan,
which he granted, receiving the mines
as security for several years. He got
up a corner in quicksilver and raised
the price 100 per cent. He realized
about s., 00. 600 out OF the transaction.
Nathan died at Frankfort at the age
OF SO. in lS36. His last words were:
He is going to kill mel Quick.
quick. give me the goldl" His death
created panic on the Lon ION Stock
Exchange, and the continental bourses
were greatly embarrassed by the
event.
The interests of the house of Roths-
child are now scattered over the globe.
and il is probable that the aggregate
wealth OF the branches Of the firm,
including the possessions of the vari-
Gus members OF the families, exceeds
one billion OF dollars.
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