Note: Images of the original pages are available through Internet

N
 M
 R
.
Who indeed is there who has not heard of the Rothschilds? But how few
there are who know much of them save that they are the richest bankers in
the whole world. The subject of this sketch was the richest and most noted
of five brothers. The father, Mayer Anselm Rothschild, sprung from a poor
Jewish family, and was a clerk in Hanover before establishing himself at
Frankfort. At Hanover it is claimed that his integrity and ability became so
marked in every position to which he was called that the attention of the
Government was called thereto.
After the great French victory of Jena, Napoleon decreed that the
Governor of Hesse-Cassel should have his lands and property confiscated.
The order was no sooner given than a French army was on its way to carry
the edict into effect. The Elector William, before his flight from Hesse-
Cassel, deposited with the father of the subject of this sketch $5,000,000,
without interest, for safe keeping. There was no luck about this; it was a
most difficult undertaking at that time. Any one who had been found with
this money would have lost his life. For Rothschild to invest it so that he
could make money from its use was his object; to do so safely and secretly
required a good business tact. The Elector, it is said, studied sometime
before he decided to whom he could intrust this vast sum during his
absence. Thus it is seen that as Rothschild came of poor parents, and was
simply a clerk. It was not so much luck in his case as strict integrity and the
determination he manifested to master everything he undertook. This
Rothschild had five sons, and by the aid of these, through different bankers,
he succeeded by good management to lay a foundation upon which has
been built that colossal fortune which the sons have accumulated. This
money, belonging to the Elector, they had the benefit of until 1828, when
the whole was paid over to the heirs of the original owner with two per
cent. interest for a portion of the time. Of the five brothers, Anselm was
situated at Frankfort, Solomon at Vienna, Charles at Naples, James at Paris,

---

and Nathan at London. The two ablest financiers were James and Nathan,
and of these two Nathan was the superior. His son was the first Jew that
ever sat in the English Parliament. It has been said that the fundamental rule
of this great banking-house was "To sell when people desired to buy, and
buy when people wished to sell." It is related of Nathan Mayer Rothschild
that, all day long, at the battle of Waterloo, he hung about the skirts of the
two armies, waiting to see how the battle turned. Toward night of that
memorable day, the clouds of smoke lifting, revealed the French army in
full and disastrous retreat. Rothschild took in the situation at once. True to
his instincts, he saw in that awful carnage only the shimmer of his gold.
Chance had overcome the most heroic valor, the most stubborn resistance,
the best laid plans, and once more declared in the Hebrew's favor. He
dashed into Brussels, whence a carriage in waiting whirled him into Ostend.
At dawn he stood on the Belgian coast, against which the sea was madly
breaking. He offered five, six, eight, ten hundred francs to be carried over to
England. The mariners feared the storm; but a bolder fisherman, upon
promise of twenty-five hundred francs, undertook the hazardous voyage.
Before sunset Rothschild landed at Dover; and engaging the swiftest horses,
rode with the wind to London. What a superb special correspondent he
would have made! The merchants and bankers were dejected; the funds
were depressed; a dense fog hung over the city; English spirits had sunk to
their lowest ebb. On the morning of the 20th, the cunning and grasping
Nathan appeared at the Stock Exchange, an embodiment of gloom. He
mentioned, confidentially, of course, to his familiar that Blucher, at the head
of his vast army of veterans, had been defeated by Napoleon, at Ligny, on
the 16th and 17th, and there could be no hope for Wellington, with his
comparatively small and undisciplined force. This was half true, and like all
half-truths, was particularly calculated to deceive. Rothschild was a leader
among trading reynards. His doleful whisper spread as the plague—
poisoning faith everywhere. The funds tumbled like an aerolite. Public and
private opinion wilted before the simoon of calamitous report. It was 'Black
Friday' anticipated in Lombard Street. The crafty Israelite bought, through
his secret agents, all the consols, bills, and notes, for which he could raise
money.

---

Not before the afternoon of the 21st—nearly forty eight hours after the
battle—did the news of Wellington's victory reach London through the
regular channels. Rothschild was at the Exchange half an hour before the
glad tidings were made public, and imparted them to a crowd of greedy
listeners. The Bourse was buoyant. Everything went up more rapidly than it
had gone down. England was happy—as well she might be—for she had
stumbled into the greatest triumph in her history. When bankers and
merchants shook hands with the Hebrew speculator, they noticed—though
they did not understand—an unusual warmth of pressure. It was not
rejoicing with the nation; it was the imaginary clutch of six millions more
of gold. Thus it is seen that the great wealth of the Rothschild was not
always used to the best advantage of mankind as a Christian would argue;
but a promise given by a Rothschild was as good as his note.
Their immense wealth has greatly aided, at different times, all and
singular, the various European countries. A favorite investment with them
has been loans to the different Governments throughout the world.
During twelve years of their business experience they loaned to different
European Monarchies over $400,000,000. When it is considered that this
was but one division of their business, something of an idea of its
magnitude can be imagined. An amusing story is told of Nathan which will
be of interest to some of our readers, and enable them to see how fertile was
his mind in emergencies.
Anselm, the brother at Frankfort, drew on Nathan, of London, for a large
amount, and the bill was presented to the Bank of England to be discounted.
The bank officials refused, saying, "We do not discount bills drawn on
private persons; we recognize only our own paper." "Private persons!"
exclaimed Nathan Rothschild when the interview was reported to him, "I
will show them what kind of private persons we are." Three weeks
afterwards, Nathan Rothschild,—who had employed the interval in
collecting all the five-pound notes he could buy on the continent, or in
England—presented himself at the bank on the opening of the office. He
drew from his pocket-book a five-pound note, and they counted him out in
exchange five gold sovereigns, at the same time looking quite astonished
that the Baron Rothschild should have personally troubled himself for such

---

a trifle. The Baron examined the pieces one by one, and having put them in
a little canvas bag, proceeded to draw out another five-pound note, then
another, and another and so on. He never put the pieces of gold into the bag
without scrupulously examining them, in some instances weighing in his
balance, as, he said, "the law gave him the right to do." The first pocket-
book being emptied and the first bag full of coins, he passed them to his
clerk, and received a second, and thus continued to the closing of the bank.
The Baron had employed seven hours to exchange twenty-one thousand
pounds. But as he also had nine employes of his house engaged in the same
manner, it resulted that the house of Rothschild had drawn over $1,000,000
from the bank. He had drawn gold exclusively, and so occupied the bank
employes that no one else could do any business.
The bankers the first day were very much amused at "This display of
eccentricity." They, however, laughed less the next day when they beheld
Rothschild on hand early, flanked by his nine clerks.
They laughed no longer when they heard the irate banker say, "These
gentlemen refused to pay my bills; I have sworn not to keep theirs. They
can pay at their leisure; only I hereby notify them that I have enough to
employ them two months!" Two months! Fifty-five million dollars in gold
drawn from the Bank of England which was more gold than they had to
pay! The bank was now thoroughly alarmed. Something must be done, and
the next morning notice appeared in all the papers that henceforth the Bank
of England would pay Rothschild's bills as well as its own.
From anecdotes one can often learn much of the inner life and thoughts of
people, and much can be seen of the real character of the subject of this
sketch from the above story. This Napoleon of Finance died in 1836.