The Portland daily press., 1896-04-25
THE STORY OF RON HIR SCH.
How He Made Money and Spent 1t.

Philauthrop ies-What He Did for the
Russian and Ruma MAN Jews in This
g Countrywide the Great Banker Have
the Evil Eye?
There should be special interest felt
in this country in the late Baron Eirsch's
career, fer his benefactions to the Door OF
his race who had sought refuge here from
Russian persecution are of great volume
and Importance, preventing thousands of
them from becoming burdens on the pub
lie, aud educating them for citizenship.
These wise charities are SO richly en-
doMed that they will go on continuously.
An interesting account of Hirsch's life
and of the operations of the Hirsch fund
in this country is given in the New York
Tribune as follows:
Baron de Hirsch was man regarding
whom the most diverse opinions pre-
vailed According to some he was one
of the greatest philanthropists of the
age, an assertion which appeared to be
borne out by his munifcent donations to
every conceivable charity. According to
others he was sooundrel, who had made
his money by means sof the most ques-
tionable character, and who was there
fore unfit for a association with men of
clared that he had the evil eye, and that
he brought disgrace and misfortune upon
every body with whom he was brought
into contact, and not few avoided
him solely on this account, as if he had
been the very Prince of Darkness. The
fact is that large number of prominent
people who had been associated with him
in one way or another were overtaken
by disaster, and as ehere are relatively
few people who are entirely devoid of su-
perstition it naturally followed that
he was regarded as being
unoanny as he was generous. Among
those who had dealings with him and
who met with violent death or with seri-
GUS misfortunes are the late crown prince
of Austria who was killed in such q
shocking fashion at Msyerling; Count
Wimpfsn, the Austrian ambassador to
France, who committed suicide in Paris;
Baron Won sBlaschke, the splendid and
dashing officer Of Austrian cavalry, who
blew out his brains at Venice; Baron de
Hirsch's principal faototum, Henry Cow
ard. who cut his throat; Count Polnpey
Coronini, who after being associated
with Hirsch, lost both name and reputa-
tion in poi soning case, and, last but
not least, the baron's only son, Lucien,
who died suddenly and unacoountably
four years ago. 1t was mainly owing to
this reputation of bringing ill luck to all
who came into contact with him that
Count Tassilo Festetioz refused to permit
the Prince of Wales to bring the baron
along with him in his train at the time
when be was about to pay his visit te
the great Hungarian mangate. In con
sequence of this action on the part o1
the Count the Prince at the last moment
declined to go to Kesthely, although the
most elaborate preparations had beer
made for his entertainment, the Hunga
rian and Austrian nobility with one 40
cord, however, indorsing and approving
of the action of the Count.
| 1t may DO presumed that the black
balling which the Baron sustained at tht
| hands of the Jockey club OF Vienna, and
of the Cercle de la Rue Royale in Pari.
was due to similar causes. The conduct
of the Partisan club was all the more
remarkable inasmuoh as large mum bel
of its members are of the Hebrew race
that the Baron is the landlord and ow n,
of tho magnificent premises in which the
club is situated, and that, moreover, hi
candidature was strongly championed BY
all the princes of the Ho use of Orleans
especially by the popular Duke O.
Charities, whose son, Prince Henry, hal
ON several occasions been rescued solely
by means of the baron's generosity from
the disgrace of being posted for the non
payment of his huge debts of honor
Prince Henry of Orleans is by no mean
the only scion of royalty who has beer
befriended In this manner by Baron d,
! Hirsch, and if popular report in Londor
is to be believed his purse has on man,
occasions been placed at the disposal oil
the heir to the English throne.
The father of Baron de Pirsch was al
eminent Bavarian merchant, by tn,
name of De Gereuth, who for services
rendered the state was knighted in 1869
Baron de Hirsch was born in 1888; an(
was educated at Brussels; before his
18th year he left his books and became 6
clerk in the banking house of Bischoffs
helm & Goldsmith. Although young
| De Hirsoh had evtnced no particular ap
titude as scholar. except in mathemat-
| les, his skill in finance was almost from
| the first apparent. He soon became 6
valuable auxiliary adviser of the firm,
and later strengthened his position BY
marrying the daughter of one of the
partners-Mlle. Bisohoffsheim. Nor was
his skill in finance the only characteristic
that WAS to bring him fame; his will
was strong, and that, added to his pow.
ers of organization. made him the suo-
cessful promoter of the great railway sys.
TEN that runs from Budapest to Var
ma on the Black Sea. This brought him
money, but not fortunes however, bis
opportunity to make one soon occurred,
and he seized it. Legrand Dumonceaut
the great Belgian fnancier, went to
pieces in 1869. De Hirsch secured from
| the wreck what was then considered al
most worthless assets. the Turkish rail
w h1f r. 1I~