The broad ax., 1897-11-20


committed suicide, and is said to have
accumulated a fortune of $500, OOO, 900
within the last ten years. Or one
might cite the late Jay Gould in our
own country, who turned everything
ne touched to gold. But in the case
OF the Rothschilds, all the different
banking houses conducted by the sep
arate members support one another In
great transactions, so that they are
practically one at need. As they rep
resent or control in total more than
$1,000 DOC, 900, they may be set down as
constituting the greatest money power
In the world, says a writer in an Amer
lean journal.
The founder of this clan of money
kings, Mayer Anselm Bauer, was a
money-lender and bric-a-brac dealer,
who did business in the Jewish quar-
ter OF Frankfort, Germany, during the
latter half Of the eighteenth century, in
a house which bore the sign OF a red
shield (Rothschild). This afterwards
gave name to the family, when Mayer
Anselm began to acquire large wealth.
His great skill as an expert in coins
and curios brought him the friendship
OF the Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, who
also made him his banker. At later
period it fell to him to be Of great as
sistance to this German prince by con-
cealing his treasure Of jewels and plate
at time OF crisis. He restored the full
value of these with five per cent inter
est, and thenceforward he became ia
vorably known TO European courts as a
financial agent always to be trusted.
Before he died, in 1912, branches Of the
Frankfort banking house had been es-
tablished at London. Vienna and Ma,
Piles. the Paris firm not being organized
till the downfall of Napoleon and the
re-establishment OF the Bourbons. 4
The greatest financial genius of the
Rothschild family, though there have.
been many Of great talent, was Nathan
Mayer. Of the second generation, who
established the house of N. N. Roth!
schild & Co., in 1898. in London. He
few to the stars, and grovelled in the
mud for money. He welcomed all
transactions, big or little, wherewith to
turn the bankers penny. He was the
most daring speculator of his time on
the Stock Exchange, and the most sue
cessful. He had carrier-pigeons and
fast-sailing boats to bring him the
earliest news from the war centers OF
Europe, and SO help him to MANIPULATED
stocks. He followed wellington's ar
my to Waterloo in person, and had re-!
lays Of the swiftest horses and a fast
yacht lying in the harbor at 0stend.
So he arrived at the London Stock Ex-!
change, after the battle, twelve hours
ahead of any pubic announcement Of
the victory. and made $4,000. 900 by one
Of the most tremendous series Of spec
ulations in history. In 1910, when the
Duke of Wellington. then commanding
in Spain, drew on the English govern
ment for $4,000, 900, and the English
treasury was short, Nathan bought the
drafts at a big discount, and at once
sent the money. The stories about this
remarkable man are almost endless.
and show how strangely he was alike
equal to the most tremendous schemes
and the pettiest tricks of avarice. i
The succession Of this house fell to
Lionel, the eldest son, who was the
money maker, while the other three
sons devoted themselves to pleasure
and art collecting. One Of these broth
ers was Anthony, the first English
Rothschild to be knighted, and 1t was
his daughter who married the present
Earl of Roseberry, and presented her
bridegroom on the morning Of the nup-
tials with a cheque for f2.0OO,OO0, in
closed in a gold box set with diamonds.
Lionel was made an English baron, but
before he was elevated to the peerage
he was elected many times to the house
of commons. Each time, however, he
was retired because he refused to take
the oath ION the faith of Christian"
Finally parliament got tired Of this Gu
rious farce, and a bill was passed per-
hitting Jews to be sworn on the Old /,
Testament. This removed the politi-
cal disability OF the race, in 1s5S, after
a fight of eleven years