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Some f&cte about tbe 'Rotbscbtl&s. Every billwas met with a promptness that won new friends and greater confidence, and ever since LionelRothschild, eldest son ofthe English Nathan then the house of Rothschild, like the royal house of Mayer, became a Baron in fact. His three brothers Hohenzollern, has had a kriegschatz, or war treas- bore the same title by courtesy. The late head of ure, of its own—a great heap of gold saved for an the English house, Lord Nathaniel MayerRothschild, emergency. Again, in 1870, the Rothschilds lost son ofLionel, is safely in the British aristocracy. money through their confidence in the success of Marguerite Rothschild married the Due de Gram- France against Germany; but so overwhelming is mont. v the power of money that the natural increase of • Another girl ofthe familybecame Princess de Wa- their immense wealth soon overtook the deficit. grarn ; another the Baroness Van Zuylen VanNijvelt. They lost money again during the year justclos- The Rothschild men have nearly always married ed, upon the course ofSpanish events —not that they Rothschild women. The too numerous daughters dreamed Spain could whip the United States; but have been compelled to wed within the familyor re- until the Maine was blown up they expected, and main unwed. even after that they hoped—that war wight be pre- Even in Austria thereigning Rothschild is always vented. But the loss was not serious. The entire a nobleman. The recent death of Ferdinand was bonded debt of Spain does not equal the Rothschild greeted withexpressions ofgenuine griefbyallVienna. wealth. InRussia alone is the familywithout favor. In truth, the fables of the stream ofPactolus have It was not easily that the Rothschilds gained become true in this incredible plethora of wealth. their freedom from political and social proscription. Not by presenting $500,000 to every Rothschild For twelve years Lionel Rothschild was elected and girl upon her marriage; not by Lord Rothschild's re-elected amember ofthe British House ofCommons. magnificent palace at Thring, with the initials of On every occason he advanced to the Speaker's chair Nell Gwynne, a king's favorite, still legible on its to take the oath of office and repeated the solemn post, nor by Baron Alphonse's palace on Lake phrases until at the words, "On the true faith of a Geneva; not by Mr. Leopold's costly racing stable Christian," he was silent, the silence blocking his ad- at Ascot House nor the vast sums which Alphonse mission as a member. Not until 18G3 was a law spends upon charity, can the golden flood be even passed to permit a Jew to enter Parliament. It was checked. It is beyon d the power of the twenty afterward that Disraeli, one of the proud Sephardim families to spend half their income. or Sr anish Jews, became Lord Beaconsfielcl. Now, besides Lord Rothschild, with his country Lord Rothschild spends $250,000 a year in palace and his gorgeous town house, Alfred, Lionel's charities. A clerk in his office has been heard to second son, who is a financier and aman ofbusiness, complain: "I want to consult Lord Rothschild and Leopold, the third, who is devoted to sport, are upon a matter of his own business. He'd attend to popular insociety. So was thelate Baron Ferdinand, itsooner if'twas acharity matter." who, though connected with the Vienna house, was Once a crank attempted to |kill Baron Alphonse, a Biitish subject. head ofthe Paris house, with a bomb. He succeeded Acurious thing it is that in every country the instead in pitifully wounding the clerk who was Rothschilds assume the typical appearance of its employed almost entirely in dispensing the Baron's people. Lord Rothschild ofEngland much resembles munificent charities. Lord Salisbury. Baron Alphonse de Rothschild of The paradox is true that the Rothschilds have Paris is a perfect Frenchman in appearance. Walter not theirformer power, though theirwealth is vastly Rothschild, son of Lord Rothschild, is a fair-haired increased. The bond business is not what it was in young giant (the original Mayer Anselm wis red- the golden years between 1815 and 1830, when the headed). Wilhelm Karl Rothschild of the Frankfort Redshield wealth sometimes doubled in two years. house, son of that Charles or Karl who went to Na- Governments have made the discovery—even the ples for the house, is a typical German. Government of the United States, aided in such The sons of Karl received in charge the Frankfort triumph ot enlightenment by the New York World— house because Anselm had noson. In his old age he that the people will loan money direct to a govern- offered his wife $500,000 for a son. The lure failing, ment in which they have confidence. The Roth- he was woiitto remark plaintively: "The price of schilds own government bonds, like other people, boy babies must have gone up. I'd have been will- and draw 3 per cent, or so interest upon them, but ing to be born for hall the money in my day." the}' no longer float entire issues in so many cases, It has been fated that the Paris house of Roth- and when they do the profits are smaller. schild should lose money. In 1841 itlost $60,000,- They own mines, railroads, real estate. They --000 and the residence in Suresnes was burned by the back the petroleum fields of Baku, as the onlyrivals mob. The firm had backed French railroads and of the Standard Oil Trust, i'hey are in the field of French bonds. Not for a moment was the house investment along with other capital, and confronted checked by its losses. with it by fallinginterest and danger ofloss.