The age-herald., 1897-09-05
THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD The History of Its Growth in
 Frankfort. FINANCIAL REPRESENTATIVE Of Nations and Monarchs-Ils Members Work in Harmony, Intermarry and Grow
 in Wealth Continuously
Frsm the Chicago R.eola.

Frcm the Chicago Record
 Frankfort-on-the-M Main, Aug. 6-The city of Frankfort owes its importance t. the Jews and chiefly to the Rothschld family. It l. one of the finest cities in Europe, and is the richest city in the world for its population, although of late Beflfa has taken considerable business away and has become the center of inter- national banking relations. Thsrs aie still IA hanks in Frankfort to ] popula- ton of 23S,000. which is one bank to ev- cry 1900 persons. Some of the banks have a capital of 75,OO0,00O or S0000 GOO marks. Several have ove.. 50,000,0 GOO of marks. Institutions like the RcshschiIds nave capital that is practically uElim- lied. No one knows tira amount.
 The Jews have obtair.d all this wealth and prominence in spite of persecution. ostracism and restrictions of many kinds. When Ansslm Rothschild was born in Frankfort what was Known as the Judengasse was separated from the rest of the city by high walls and heavy gates which were shut at nightfail and kept closed until sunrise. On Sundays they were nevel, opened. Goethe wh1 was native of Frankfort, gives graph
 
 nth and squalor ard stenohes, to which the nerves of it's inha abitants had been deadened by long familiarity with the nclsOne atmosphere. The walls of the Jud siigasse were destroyed by Kleber's army in 1796 In 1872 the whole district was condemned as a nuisance by the sanitary authorities and cleared out eX- cept single row of od-fashicaed houses which date from the fifteenth century, and " re the homes of the anc stors of the richest and most influential citizens of Frankfort
 The Jewish population of the city is now from 3o,DU0 to 40 D00 about IU pei. cent of the total They m0nopolize the banking business and occupy the most Sunptuous residences; they hay. the choiceSt boxes at the opera; their horses and carriages are the smartest to be seen in the parks and boulevards, and th@y buy the most costly pictures. They have a society of thess own, which is entirely indifferent to the jealousy and scsrn of the poorer portion of the population who profess the Christian faith.
 Ths ancestors of the Frankfort Jews came from Palestine, Turkey ard Spain to escape persecution, in the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and became tha serfs of the emperor. of Ger many, who accorded them protection in exchange for fixed tribute which went into his private purse. In 1349 Charles
 
 his Jews to the municipality of Frank font for S0,000 pounds. Th- sum was never repaid, and thus the inhabitants of the Judengasse passed under the con- trol of the city council which selected a swampy and unhealthful spet on the margin Of the town, where thy wsre obliged to reside, and exacted from them a certahD portion of their earnings, or sold their labor at so much a month. The Jews who controlled their own time and talent paid dsarly for that privilege, but were shrewd enough to make a profit, and advance themselves slowly but sure ly. They were not allowed to use the sidewalk. but wer= compelled to travel with cattle and carts in the middle of the street. They were compelled to wear a distinctive dress. Every male J ew had a patch of yellow cloth upon his breast and every woman wore blue and white stripes. They were allowed only one name.
 The man who lived in No. 52 Juden- gasse, which was known as 'fthe house of the r:d shield" because of a sign that the occupant placed over Its door, was called Anselm.
 Tie original Anselm was dealer in old coins and curiosities He married and had boy, who was called Mayer Ansem in order to distinguish him from his father. He was s mt to rabbi rela- tive to be educated, ard afterward got
 
 remarkable business talent. Wh:n his father died he came home took his house, his trade prospered, became influential among his race, gained the respect of Christians as we'll as Jews, and was call ed ,Anselm of the Red Shield, or Von Rothschild.
 But his fame was only local until he made the acquaintance of Baron Won Estroff, 'then landgrave of Hesse, who was coin collector, and sent for An selm one day to make some purchases. When the latter arrived the baron was engaged in game of chess and could not be disturbed. The Jew stood by pa- tiently and watched the play. The baf- c.s was checked it seemed, hopelessly, and. turning to the Jew, he said:
 Do you play chsss?''
 "Sometimes,' was the answer.
 What would you do if you were in my fix?"
 - The J=w modestly pointed out move, which the baron accepted, and followed his advice through the rest of game that was soon won. After than Anselm spent good deal of time playing chess with the landgrave, who prided himself on his ability to b at every one of his subjects. The baron and the coin mer- chant thus became great friends, and there was considerable business between them in the way of loans and discounts. It was Baron Von Estroff who sent 16,-
  the war of the revolution, to fight on the British side. al.d received a large sum of money for their services. When Na- poleon came along few years after th+ baron had saved of it about 100000 fha- lers in coinSwhich he took to Anselm and asked him to conceal for him that it might escape the French army. Anselm accepted the trust without r sponsbilfty, and, as the story goes, dropped the bags of coin to the bottom of his well. The French soldiers plundered his house and took away everything valuable that be- long.d to him, but the landgrave's money was overlooked.
 As soon as the army had passed on, and he could do so without being sus- pected .Anselm loaded the treasure on the back of a donkey and started for England where h. irtrusted it to his son Nathan, a young man who had gone to London few years before, and was do- ing a modest business in shaving notes and in the commission way There the T ,fr.tIx l.o11 11frat a