Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1899-02-16

and the poor OF Frankfort blessed him
as he lay ready for the last journey.
1t was advice which, with an occa-
sional exception, the Rothschilds have
consistently followed ever since.
The exception was Nahan Mailer, or
Nathan Mayer, Rothschild, the English
partner, and the greatest genius OF his
clan then or since. He IL was who Kept
pigeons flying across the English chan
mel, and fast rowboats plying between
Boulogne and Folkestone-sails were
unreliable in a calm-to connect with
his mounted messengers, and so keep
the London office informed OF the
course of continental events.
Nahan trusted to no agent for the
news of Waterloo. Mounted on fleet
horse, ne kept so close to Wellington
that day that the Iron Duke muttered
the threat to hang that - skulking
Jew" If he didn't keep his distance.
Rothschild waited only to see the be-
ginning of the French rout and spur
red his steed to Brussels. There he
took carriage TO Ostend. A wild storm
was raging, but a boatman undertook
to ferry him to Dover for $500, and he
was in London eight hours before the
official news, dolefully shaking his
head at rumors of disaster and buying
everything in sight through score OF
agents. He cleared millions on the
coup.
Nahan himself never doubted MAJ
won heavily upon the event; for TWEEN
ty years thereafter it was the chosen
intermediary of almost every royal
loan in Europe.
Before 1880 the Rothschilds had
placed loans aggregating $4,000, 0OO,O 900.
on every penny of which there was
brokers' commission for them.
Nathan Mayer was a miser and
coward. In his later years he was
desperately afraid of assassins, and
men whom he had robbed in the gam
bling game of the Exchange used TO
take hideous revenge by sending him
threatening letters, which would make
him shrek with terror.
1t was Nathan Mayer Rothschild, who
in 1881, practically gained control OF
SPANS finances, which has ever since
been retained by his house. He loaned
money to the needy Spanish sovereigns
of the day, and took in security the
famous Almaden quicksilver mines.
At the same time he got hold OF the
mines Of Idria, in Illyria, and put up
the price Of mercury 100 per cent.
There was no redress. That people
began scraping the mercury amalgam
off the backs Of old mirrors to make
calomel pills was to Nathan Mayer an
uninteresting detail in a deal which
earned for him some s6,OOO,OO0.
The family council, at which Ma
than Mayer died. while arranging
marriage of cousins, added some new
paragraphs to the maxims of the fam
lily. They were never to have anyf-
thing to do with an unlucky man.
They were to brook no disobedience of
orders. They established salic law
that their daughters should be pension
ers, not partners. The sons alone
were to inherit the major part of the
wealth and all the power.
An agent in Smyrna learned one of
these laws. He disobeyed Rothschild
orders, and won a great profit for the
house. If he had obeyed he would have
lost. He was no. commended, but dis
charged
Lord Rosebery, just deposed from
the Liberal leadership of Britain, learn
ed another. He married the daughter
of Nathan Mayer Rothschild. Her
dover was a princely one, but it stay
ed in the business, and Rosebery has
not had it's management.
The paradox is true that the Roths-
childs have not their former power,
though their wealth is vastly increas'
ed. The bond business Is not what it
was in the golden years between 1916
and 1880, when the Redshield wealth
sometimes doubled in two years. Gov
ernments have made the discovery
that the people will loan money direct
to a government in which they have
confidence. The Rothschilds own gov
eminent bonds, like other people, and
draw per cent or so interest upon
them, but they no longer float entire
issues in so many cases, and wheH4
they do, the profits are smaller.
They own mines, railroads, real es-
tate. They back the petroleum fields
of Baku as the only rivals OF the