The age-herald., 1901-03-10
A MODEL MILLIONAIRE.
The Last of the OId-Fashioned Roths-
 childs-An Honest Citizen.

From London Truth
 Baron William von Rothschild, who died last week at Frankfort at the age of 73, was the last of the old type of Rothschilds. He was brother of Meyer Karl von Rothschild, father of a large family of daughters, one of whom is Lady Rothschild, and another, Baron ess James de Rothschild, a woman of the finest character, the strongest sense, the warmest heart, and in some respects an 'Englishwoman, born and brought up in Frankfort" Baron Will liam was nephew of Meyer Anselm, the best-informed man of his time in Europe on passing events and trends of every kind. The deceased and Meyer Karl were partners in the Frankfort bank. But they had not the adaptability of the other members of their family. They both continued to reside in the old imperial and delect- able city where they were born and reared, though Meyer Karl was a mem- Der for several years of the Reichstag, and Berlin had become the financial center of Germany Nor did they take any share in the financial boom of the German Empire, so marked within the last ten years. Baron William con tented himself with participating in the discount operations of the Dis conto- -Gesellschaft. What is now so rare among the wealthy he was a man of simple tastes, was in all re- spects unobtrusive and avoided put ting himself forward. He was the most pious member of his family. Every fo; h0 o4f CTS at 6 o'clock in summer and ' in winter at the private synagogue in the hockenheimer Road, built by hls Uncle Anselm. On Saturdays and feasts he always went there on foot from his beautiful Grunberg villa, according to the letter of the law.
 It may be interesting to know how this millionaire lived. On returning home from prayers he took plain cof- | fee breakfast, attended to his corre- spondence, gave directions to secre- taries and then went out for an airing in his open carriage It was drawn by a beautiful mare, Mama" whom he | treated as a good, friendly, faithful servant" The Czar, let me here re- mark, prefers driving in one-horse carriage, and greatly and almost pain | fully surprised the late Felix Faure by this want of dignity" Baron William was at his bank at 10 a. m., and worked there until 1 D. m. He had all that time legal man of eminence named de Barry, a jurtizraht, or, as we should say, K. c. De Barry was there to give legal advice. Baron William detested legal contention, or, indeed, any kind of strife. and was careful not to be embroiled with any one, in or out of business. At 1S0 he walked to his old house in the Zeil, where he and his wife had lived after their marriage. There he held a kind of informal re- ception. Among those who dropped in were the distinguished strangers at Frankfort, savants and artists. He was fond of poets, and lamented there are now so few great songsters in Ger many. But he did not care for polemi- cal writers. The reception over, he made a note of those to whom it might be well or agreeable to him to show hospitality. Mama" was then brought round, and the baron drove back to Grunberg for dinner. He liked after dinner for saunters in the grounds talk to the gardeners, and while away an hour or so in a healthy manner Towards 4 he was again in his office and worked until p. m. The busi- ness of the day over, he drove to the ] Zeil. There he had a light supper with the Rabbi Fromrh, with whom he spent the rest of the evening. The rabbi's death two years ago was a severe blow to Baron William, who | found in his conversation help to a | pious life. The baron had a sweet grave countenance. Nobody ever saw him dressed otherwise than in black and rather clerical-looking coat and silk hat. I hear that he took deer interest, which he showed in practi cal ways, in the Jewish movement ir Palestine. But, as he liked to gel quietly through life, he avoided com ing forward conspicuously as patror of it. Though Judaism Is as rational istic as Unitarianism, it gives wide scope to mystic natures. Baron Will liam was mystic. He had that feel ing for Jerusalem that Moslem hat for Mecca, or Catholic for the altal at which the priest celebrates mass It was not thing to be reasoned out but felt. The soul-feelings made sug
 gestions, like music, that no words can convey. It is irrational to discard them utterly. ls64eira ts+-
 | The late Baron William von Roths