Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-26
THE ROTHSCHILDS.
BEGINNING OF THE FINANCIAL CA
ReER OF A GREAT HOUSE.


Foundation Of Their Fortune-How the
Firm of the Five Brothers Was Consti-
tuted-waterloo.
The original name of Rothschild was Bauer |
The family adopted the name Of Rothschild
Red Shield from the sign which the founder |
of the house kept over his dingy little shop |
in Frankfort-on-the- Main, In the odoriferous |
quarter called the Judengasse Jews street.,
says Henry Clews in his "Twenty-eight Years
in Wall Street In this little shop, Mayer
Anselm Rothsehild, the founder of the house,
discounted bills, changed money, examined
the quality OF coins, bought cheap and sold
dear. How do you get so rich, Mr.. Roths-
childr said friend of old Anselm one day,
as he leaned over his dusky little counter.
The reply was; 81 buys sheep and sells
deer" His knowledge of the quality of
coins was marvellous He had the instinct
of genius in detecting everything in the form
of money or jewelry that was not genuine.
At the age of II young RothschiId took rank
with the best, Oldest and ablest financiers Of
Frankfort.
L is not generally known that Rothschild's
first great start in financial life was given
him by the use OF the $40, 100000 which was
paid to the landgrave of Hesse, Frederic IL,
by George III of England, for II 900 Hessians
to help whip George Washington and retain
the American colonies. This blood money
was the original basis of the vast fortune OF
the Rothschilds 1t was deposited with Meyer
Anselm by William TX, the successor OF
Frederic, whose example was followed by
other great ones of the earth, and in few
years the agents of kings and princes or
Europe were focking to Frankfort to nego-
| tate loans with Rothschld on behalf of their
| mighty patrons
| The S40,0O0, 900, which was obtained on de-
post, remained with the house of Rothschild
nine years, and when Napoleon invaded Ger
many in the interim, the money, together
with other valuables, was hidden in wine
casks in Rothschld's cellar, but the conqueror
payer thought of tapping the casks. After
peace was proclaimed, and William, who had
been obliged to seek safety in flight, returned
home, old Rothschild was dead, but his son
| Anselm handed over to the prince every dol
lar of the 1900 900, and rendered him an
additional per cent. interest for the entire
time of the deposit. The prince made him a
present of the interest.
| ne elltE hotuscuIlu ilau AlNt ooLis Aaiicif
| Anselm, who succeeded his father in Frank
fort; 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 and
never divide the fortune. The business was
to be managed at Frankfort as headquarters,
to which great money center all the profits
from the other moneyed capitals were to be
raked in.
| All the annual settlements were made at
Frankfort. and the brothers met there once a
year for general conference. This system
continues, and, though the original FIVE
brothers have all passed over to the aiority,
the last of them, James, having died in Paris
in 1868 at the ripe age of IL, yet the repre-
sentatives of tine house in the large cities of
Europe sustain the principles of union, har-
mony and consolidation laid down by old
Anselm Meyer Rothschild.
The greatest specu ator of the five brothers
was Nathan Meyer Rothschild the third son
of the great old man. He made the grand
bit of his life after the bate of Waterloo.
He kept watching the movements of the OPP
posing armies on the continent, and followed
Wellington very closely as he approached the
famous field 1t seems that the Iron Duke
was not at all pleased with Nathan's atten-
ton to him, as he took him for either a spy
or an assassin, and was on the point of having
him arrested several times. But Nathan
kept his purpose steadily in view, in spite OF
the fact that bullets were whizzing around
his ears in showers He sat on his horse OIL
the hill of Hougomout with perfect com
81 1la nff
noon, looking upon that terrible struggle
that was to decide the destiny of nations
until Butcher arrived and the French wer,
put 10 rout As soon as Nathan saw this h
put spurs TO his horse and made all possibl,
haste TO Brussels, where a carriage and swift
horses were in waiting TO carry him u
, | Ostend
At daylight the next morning he arrived
, on the Belgian coast, where be found it ex
! ceedingly difficult to obtain a boat, the Sc;
being very rongh. At length he obtained
: boatman as courageous as himself, who IN
: dertook the task for 2,500f., and landed hin
at Dover in the evening. He lost no time
but with relays Of the swiftest horses pushe
forward to London, and was on the exchang
, next morning ready for business long befor
, the opening of the market This was tn
! morning of the Goth, only a day and tw
. nights after the battle that decided the fat
= of nations. Nathan had performed a grea
feat He acted his role we'll Like the gres
hero whose political history had just closeC
= Nathan was grand, gloomy and peculiar
in the financial sense of the phrase He WI
m an embodiment of the latest informatio
IF from the continent The great operator
" hocked around him, asking him, What
in the newsfn Nathan sighed heavily, an
a seemed reluctant to tell Eventually til
" important piece of information was e
IN torted from him in strict confidence
in Butcher, at the head of his vast army
to veterans, was defeated by Napoleon
ne Ligny, on the 18th and 18th (of June, al
"a there can be no hope for Wellington wi
We his comparatively small and undisciplin,
X force This statement was substantial
Ok true-Blucher had been repulsed at Lign
rs The duke had an awkward squad, with t
r. exception of the English, the Irish and t
e. Scots Greys, to marshal in fighting ords
wv but he got there all the samen Nathal
re- secret point oozed out, and in less than
or hour after opening there was perfect par
ed on the London Stock Exchange.
at Nathan had his brokers at work, first Sc
Id. | Ing SnOTJ, anu tueA, WHICH, Iue ulai Il
at reached bedrock, buying on the ''long" sit
ed He bought everything that he could raj
of borrow or beg the money for-consc
7k notes and bills When the news of WelliI
he toms victory arrived >forty- hours af
lid Nathan had begun to manipulate the m
Oh ket, and when he was ''long" of everythi
that he had money or credit to purcha
securities went up with a boom. Nath
realized s6000,000,
Nathan died at Frankfort, at the age
RID 50, in 1896. His last words were, HE is
ms, ing to kill mel Quick, quick, give me
YET godr His death created a panic on
eT London Stock Exchange, and the contin
ing tai bourses were greatly embarrassed by
a the event. The interests of the house
aer Rotbschild are now scattered over the Clio
Dc and it is probable that the aggregate wea
Bht of all the branches of the firm, including
on possessions of the various members of til
or families, exceeds 81, 0Oo, 000, 000-one bill
ger of dollars Boston Herald
be-
ex- interest
The yourself in life insurance. You will