Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-10

tMDt4kI CIOScQ tnelr pduh anu
removed its business to Paris.
The head of the Paris branch was here not
long ago. He said he saw no reason for
banking on sentiment, and that the Frank
fort business could be done by the Roths-
child agents in Berlin and by their houses
at Paris and London. This means the
breaking up of the establishment upon
which the great Rothschild fortune was
founded fortune which is supposed to
amount to more than $1,000 900 900.
l rode down this morning to the Jew quar-
ter, where the original Rothschild begaE
business along about the time of our war OF
independence. 1t is numbered 14S Jew al
ley 1t is a lean building of four stories
and an attic, picturesque to an extreme
It's windows are Of small panes set in black
sashes and its four front doors are the
same as when the leading bankers of the
past came here to borrow money. 1t is
situated in the Jewish quarter, and sur
rounded by buildings as old as itself. There
are many old clothes men nearby, and Jew.
ish children swarm the street. / am told
that the house still belongs to the Roths-
childs. and that It will stay in the family.
1t is not generally known that the United
States had much to do with the Roths-
child fortune. We have sold the family
tens OF millions OF dollars worth OF our
bonds and its different branches have
enormous interests in Industrial America.
They took $15 900, 900 worth of bonds when
Cleveland was president, and venture to
say they still own some OF our best rail-
road stocks. They have interests in our
copper mines and gold mines, and also in
our leading industrials.
Such investments have been made dur
inc recent vpare no hog{pnipg ,noro
than a century ago. When George III.
fought against us in the war OF independ-
ence he employed about II 900 Hessans
and for their services he paid one OF the
little German monarchs the enormous sum
OF $2O,OOO,OOO. This was William ", Land
grave of Hesse, one of the thriftiest rulers
OF his time
This money was still in hand when
Napoleon began his victorious marches over
Europe, and in order to prevent its capture
and consequent loss, William " gave it
over to the care Of Mayer Amsel Roths-
child. As the story goes, the money was
brought in carriage one night to this old
house and handed over. The loan was
kept secret, and 1t was seven years before
1t was repaid with interest at the then low
rate of 2 per cent per annum.
II is said that Rothschild kept his money
in big safe, so arranged that It could be
lowered and raised like a dumb waiter, but
so that when dropped there was no sign OF
its absence. According to one report, when
the safe was dropped to its lowest point II
was hidden In we'll of water, and as the
contents were chiefly gold coin they were
not injured thereby
However this may be- old Mayer Amse
did not let the money lie idle He was
shrewd investor and he put It so that &
bred faster than Australian rabbits. HI
already had an excellent knowledge of thu
leading financial institutions of Europe. A
the age OF thirteen IL is said he knew ever,
business man in Frankfort and just wha
he was worth. Now he was older and ha
had much experience in banking. He IN
vested the nancy so safely that he wa
able to return It intact when II was calle
for and this so pleased his imperial eredito
that he became his banker thereafter. II
made millions and was able to start hi
fve sons in an international banking bust
ness.
The eldest, Anslem. was kept at FrankfoI
10 succeed him The second, Solomon, weT
70 Vienna aud established bank ther