Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-03-27
TIE RoIhschlID HOUSE.
The Origia aud Growth 81 - tamous Pam
tiy The ola H"u.. ~ the Ju,I.ngas.~.

The foundation Of the Eoihschild
fortune was an accident of war. II
1906 Maicr Am~chrl Rn,h,child was Q
small broker. doing cuisines. NJ 4
changer and lender Of money in In,
house lis Judcngrasc. where he hat
been born half "A century before. Out
warily Maicr AmSchcl was not hand
some. A portrait Of him. painted
with unqucstionablc fidelity represent,
him "a a smallish man. with red
pointed beard, Keen. small eyes. q
many colorcd coat with n high collar
and very tight sleeves aud nose that
would make the beak Of "a bald EAGLE
classic and regular by comparison. liz
was. in short. u fine type Of the quiet
keen. calculating irsnriitc. the product
OF original Semitic traits. nodded and
subducd by centuries of social ostra.
cism, race persecution aud oppression
But he was. above all strictly honest
man and worked his little capital 81
judiciously that in 1901 he attracted
the friendly notice Of William ".
Landgrave Of liessc. thu thrifty old
monarch who sough, to turn an honest
penny by hiring out ~. 600 OF his Hes.
sian soldiers nj 100 thalcrs per man. &c
King George III. 81 England to aid in
subduing the Yankee rebellion ir
America.
II was probably by reason Of thi,
clever use OF his army a generation be.
fore. that when. in 1906. Napoleon
Bonaparta and his lcgions set thing
spinning In Western Germany. the
I.andgrave had on hand large guam
tity of forms which became 10 him n
source OF cruel anxiety. Finding that
the French army was coming To occupy
Casscl. the LandgrHe bcthought him
OF the honest Maier Amschcl. Load
Ing his treasure bags into his carriage
Of state, the Landgrayc aud his treas.
urer hicd them by night to AS Judcn
gasse. where II was turned over TO the
trus,y money changer with permission
To use the msn.y IA s.rmad hest pro-
vided II should he kept safely until the
return Of peace. This. Rs the sequel
shows. proved rare streak Of luck to
all parties concerned except the
French soldiers. who rummaged the
vaults Of the Landgrayc's castles In
vain.
II isOlatcd that one Of the peculiar
aud original features Of the Rothschild
exchange Office IN those DAYS was n
large safe or treasure box. bung with .
countorVois.. like n dumb walter. In
such manner that II could be lowered
nj night into deep pit or cellar and
raised by day into large niche In the
walls Of Mailer Amschers little office.
There Is even a tradition that the pit
Into which II was thus lowered was .
well. partly iillcd with waicr. beneath
which the safe was plunged. thus avert
Ing all danger from lire. However
that may have been. tho Landgrave's
shekels went into II aud remained SAFE
ly until the thrifty money changer saw
. chance 10 Invest In Austrian secur-
tiles aud In discounts To his fellow cit
liens upon tho giltost Of gilt-cdgcd se-
curlties. Money was cash article in
the war-worn Europe 81 that period.
and people who obidincd financial ac-
commodations from the rcd bearded
Mailer Amschel hal Ia pay for the
same.
so the years wore on. Europe COM
bined against Napoleon. the Austrian
ettutNNs tbst fHbIubuHfN w NHlus
and when. on the 10Th of September.
1912. death came upon the prosperous
banker and carried him oil. nj the aye
Of 90. he left to his live sous an opulcnt
and well-esiabllshed bank. with large
resources and unblcmished credit.
Whens In 1919. the Landgrave re-
turned from his exile In Bohemia. he
received from the SOUS the entire sum
that he hal left with their father seven
years before. with due interest thereon.
which 80 pleased the Landgravc VIII
liam that he set about repeating and
modifying the restrictions against Jews
and loaded the young bankers with
thanks aud honoIs.
The Austrian monarch was no less
grateful TO the Frankfort banker for
having bought his sccuriiic dark
and troublous days. and Ia 40. after
peace had been restored. he raised
three Of the sons 10 the mobility. and
II Is Tor this reason that Baron Freiherf
Wilhelm Won Rothschild II Consul Gen.
eral Of Austria at Frankfort to-day
N. y. Star.