The Washington herald., 1913-10-12
Court Gossip of Interesting
EpentS on Two Continents

I the New York agents of the house OF
Bleichroeder, the Messrs. Ladenbury and
Thalheimer, as was his father, also a
Hans Won Bleichroeder, before him a
generation ago.
The family history of the Bleich-
roeders Is unique and well worth re-
cording. 1t was in the days after the
NapoIeonic devastation OF Germany.
when a money changer OF Frankfort.
whose house in the ghetto bore the sign
OF red shield (Rothschild), and whose
remarkable honesty under the most try
ing conditions had saved the treasure
entrusted to his care by the Margrave
OF Hesse when the latter had to fee his
country to escape the onrushing vic
torious grenadiers OF the French con-
queror, arrived at Berlin on his way
, home from St Petersburg, whittier he
had been called by the Car to arrange
for the floating Of Russian loan.
Rothschild's trustworthiness and fnan-
cial ability had been publicly praised
by the Hessian ruler. and the sovereigns
whose countries had been devastated by
the hordes of Napoleon, being sorelv in
need Of money. sought his aid and ad-
vice.
Berlin appeared to the quick eye OF
the famous banker, a likely place tc
establish an agency to dispose Of mart
| OF the Russian bonds. and he set out IN
md Mt representative Where to in
quire was puzzle, still where was a
Jew, a stranger in a city. likely 10 ,1
put to the synagogue? This RothscbiId
DID, and after careful inquiry. a man
was pointed out to him as best sIitad
Tor his requirements
rms person was a certain Solomon
der Bleichroeder." The Jews NJ Car-
many in those days had no patronvni-
TO designate their family. other than
either the town they came from or
Ihe street or house they lived in. II
was .he same with the man who lived
IN the house with the Red Sbield-'
(RothschildJ. and also with Solomon
Who had come to Berlin from his
native hamlet, Bleichrode, in the Hart
Mountains.
This solomon of Bleichroder was
dealer in a small way, also a r,onav
changer. and he bore an excellent rem
utation Tor honesty. Rothschild es-
taollshed him as his agent in the Prus
sian capital, and the firm rose to the
pinnacle OF success.
Solomon's son, Gerson BIeichroeder
was the intimate friend and adviser OF
Bismarck during the transformation
period and wars of the SOS. cuiminar-
ing in the defeat OF Napoleon III and
the creation Of the German Empire
His firm stood by the Prussian govern
ment when the Diet refused Bismarck
the credit to fight Austria in 1855, and
his firm it was which received from
the Paris Rothschilds, of the Rue
Cattle. the 5000, 900 francs war in
demnity that France had to pay Ger
many, and his firm paid this tremen-
dous amount over to the imperial treas
uIy.
The writer was privileged to be pres
ent at the negotiation between Bis
marck and Gerson Won Bleichroeder, to
take down the necessary notes, but
what is far more interesting, he also
had the chance of having a look at
the first book kept by the founder OF
the house OF Solomon der Bleichroe-
der" when he started as a money
changer. recollect perfectly the
words OF one entry: Changed one
Guinea English gold sovereign: paid
for it five (Prussian) thalers and ten
groschen; profit, ten groschen.
Out OF such beginnings has grown
the world-famous great banking house
of S. Bleichroeder in Berlin, for the
love of one of the descendants of the
founder of which a royal princess OF
most ancient lineage has committed
suicide FLANEUR.