The Opelousas courier., 1889-01-12
THE ROTE1SCHILDS.
The Richest and Most Powerful
Family in Europe.
From Humble Origin to Highest
Social Eminence.

The Rothschilds are said to be the
richest family in the world. They have
banks in the leading capitals of Europe,
and kings and governments are among
their customers. The Paris branch of
the banking firm is said to keep a CAPT
tai of $500, 600, 900 at its command, and
hardly a wal is begun in Europe for
which the funds are not furnished by
this family. Still five generations ago
the blood which now rules these mil
lions was selling old clothes In the jew
ish quarter of Frankfort-on-the. Main,
and when Madison was president the
first Millionaire Rothschlld died, leav-
ing only IS. 900, 600.
once visited the home of all the
R~othschilds at Fran kfort, and looked at
the little clearinghouse where years
ago Auselm Meyer Rothschild began to
take articles on pawn and to shave notes
for so much per cent. 1t is in the
dirticst part Of Frankfort, and it has
about the same surroundings as Five
Points, New York. The street is dirty,
its inhabitants are secondhand clothiers,
and it bears much the same aspect now
as it did when the mother of all the
Rothschilds gave birth to the inancier
who laid the foundations of this i'm
mense wealth. The Rothschilds own
their old property here to-day, and their
bank still has a branch here.
When Anselm Rothschild died leav-
ing this S., 900, 900 to his five sons he
made them promise to keep the fortune
in the family and carry on the business
together. They kept their oath, and it
is this policy that has been the main
spring of their success. Through gen.
e~rations they have worked together,
married together, and their millions
have bred faster than their families.
One of these boys stayed at Frankfort,
another went to Paris and established a
bank there, a third, Nathan, settled in
London, a fourth settled in Vienna and
the fifth opened a bank in Naples. All
of them made money very rapidly, and
Nathan at London made his millions
breed faster than Australian rabbits.
He went to the continent during the
Napoleonic wars and from tho knowl-
edge there gained %speculated on the rise
and fall of stocks. He witnessed the
battle of Waterloo and by relays of
horses an l a fishing, smack reached Lon
don in advance of all other messengers.
The telegraph was then unknown and
his news was the first brought in. The
news he gave out was that Napoleon had
conquered, Or at least this was the news
that was spread all over London alter
his arrival. Stocks went down like
shot and Nathan was offered loads of
them. He refused to buy but had his
agents purchasing all the time. The
next day the true news came and stocks
jumped upward. Nathan Rothschild
made, it is said, S., 900, 900 by the deal.
The Rothschilds hold high social po-
sitions in the various countries Of Eu-
rope. They have mobiles among them,
and their money has bought them til
ties. They are a family of intellectual
and artistic tastes, and with all their
wealth they have been somewhat chart
table. The idea prevails among the
Israelites that it is their intention at
some future time to buy Palestine and
give it back to the Jews, and they have
already est blished hospitals at Jerusa-
lem. Some of them have been horse
lovers and o Baron Rothschlld owned
| Favonia, one of the famou, horses that
have Won the Derby. They believe sin
enjoying their wealth and like to have
nice things about them. Oae of the
, Frankfort Barons not long ago paid
$3.50, 900 for a si!var cup which he
wished to use as q centre plece of "a
table service which he was making up,
and one of the Vienna Barons has a
stable which cost $50, 900. This stable
has marble floors, e~ncaustic tiles painted
by distinguished artists, and its walls
are frescoed with scenes done by wall
known painters. The rings, chainsand
fittings of the stable are silvs and n
! box stall for o favorite horse cost, it is
said, $12, 600. The income of the ow-
ner of this stable is about $4,000 a day.
Washington Post.