The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-09-08
Great Fortunes. Exchange,


 To what extent America has become the land of promise to men of enter prise, offering them greater possibili- ties of wealth than any other country, some figures recently given of the greatest private fortunes in the world show. It is stated that the five rich est persons in the world are MT. Jay Gould, MT. J. W. Mackay, Lord Rothschild, the head of the English branch of the house of Rothschild, Mr. George Vanderbilt and Senator J. P. Jones. Of these, all but Lord Roths- child are Americans, and their fortunes were accumulated in this country.
 MT. Gould began his career as ped Ter of maps, and acquired his immense fortune in railways and specuiations connected with them. The Vanderbilt fortune was also chiefly acquired in railways, while Messrs. Mackay and Jones acquired theirs, for the most part, in mining.
 The Rothschild wealth was accum- ulated more slowly than were these colossal American fortunes. The Roths- child family has banking houses in Germany, Austria, France and Eng land. All it's members of the name are descended from Anselm Moses Bauer, Jewish dealer in curiosities and old medals, who kept shop in the Judengasse, or Jewish quarter, of Frankfort. For sign he used red tablet, or shield, and from this his house derived the name of Rothschild, which means red shield.
 Anselm Moses son, Mayer Anselm, who was born in the year 1743, was intended for the Jewish priesthood, but became a banker and broker in- stead. He was entrusted with great sums of money, and, while taking care of them faithfully, used his opportun- ities to acquire great fortune for that time.
 One of his five sons, Nathan, went to London, established house there, and became the leader of English finance. The Court of Austria made him baron, but he never made use of the title On one occasion, however, he used it as a subject of jest.
 Happening to meet the French Bar on de Montmorency, who, on account of the antiquity of his title, was called the 'first Christian baron," Rothschild said to him:
 "I suppose, sir, that am just your equal"
 "How is that, pray?" asked the French nobleman.
 Because you are the first Christian baron,' and I am positively the first Jewish baronl"
 The present head of the house, Lord Rothschild, is really the first person of the Jewish faith who was ennobled by the British government. He was elevated to the peerage in 1885 by MT. Gladstone.
 Baron Nathan's bearing towards the potentates who wanted to borrow money of him was the reverse of obse- quious. On one occasion prince, be- longing to some petty German reign ing family, who called on him, was astonished to see Rothschild go on writing a letter after he had entered the room.
 "Do you know, sir, who I am2" asked the prince.
 "Yes, I have just been told. will be at your service in moment. In the meantime, pray take chair"
 "Bu, sir, am the Prince von X-w
 "Very well. Take two chairs thenw
 The Rothschild's is not by any means the only vast fortune in Eng land. Three English noblemen, the the duke of Sutherland, the duke of Northumberland and the marquis of Butte, are included in the list of the twelve richest men in the world. Two other English noblemen, the duke of Buccleugh and the marquis of Bread albane, possess landed estates of vast extent.