THE ROTHSCHILDS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 155, 1 July 1879, Page 4

THE ROTHSCHILDS.

{Leisure Hour.)

At one end of the ; Jadfebgasae, jia Frankfort, there deed to be an oldfashioned synagogue, a cold, diemallookiog ptoce, which baa Bibce maids room for a i*eff synagogue!, moire: modern to appearance and rrtual, and which ia considered one of the leading aighta of Frankfort. Half- way between the edifice and the eastern gate, of the Judengaase there ia the Rothchild house, a building in which tjhe whole of the members of the Koihcbild family of the last generation wsre born. The first Rothschild, Meyer Atnscbel by name, used to live in this boa 8e long after the Jews bad been allowed to live in Christian districts, and bia widow actually died there, not more than a few years ago. It may! be remarked tbat this family is supposed originally to bail from Roeakield, in Denmark, which the Germans oaii Kothachild. The first Rothschild w|h« died-in 1812, tefe- five -sous -trod- five ; daughters. Tbd story of ibis /saving the treasure of the Elector of Hesae during the French invasion ia Weil known. This se^vi^ began (be fortunes of the hodae. The five gdna established tbecnaelvies iia ,fiva of the

priocipal cities of Europe — viz., Amschel it Frankfort, Solomon at Vienna, Nathan Meyer in London; Charles at Napies, and James in Paris While Amschel became the head of the family, Nathan was tbe most active 1 and enterprising of the brothers. As early as 1798 he had settled in England. It was he who managed first to poasaea himself of the news of the battle of Waterloo, as early as 24 hours before Ldrd Palmerston, the tnete Secretary of War, heard of it, and by means of this advantage he cleared nearly a million sterling; He died suddenly in 1838, and his death produced a perfect panic on the Stock Exchange. His brother Amschel survived him a number of years. The patronage enjoyed by him and the others at the hands of the various European sovereigns to whom th L e Prince Elector bad related the story of his own tret. sure at tbe Congress of Vienna, pndual'y increased their wealth beyond all proportion?, so much so that tbe very name of Rotbschildhas been proverbial for a modern CroeiQS these 50 years or mor^. The Emperor Francis I. of Austria, who contracted many loans through the Rothschild Crm, bestowed letters of nobility on the family. Of Baron Amacbel Rothschild, of Frankfort, it is relateJ that; in 1848, one of those Socialists who clamored for equality of possession cams to- him and asked to &bara his wealth with him on the plea of " fraternity." The baron, handing him a florin, said, " This, my friend, is the amount that will fall to your share if my money, ;ia equally divided among all -your brothers."