Note: Images of the original pages are available through Internet

R
 B
.
Of all the newspaper editors we have ever read, possibly Robert Bonner is
the most enterprising. He was born in Ireland in the year 1824, and at the
age of sixteen came to Hartford, Connecticut. He had an uncle here who
was a farmer, but Robert aspired to own a paper, and drifted into the office
of the 
Hartford Courant
. Robert Bonner determined to own a paper; he,
therefore, set about it, working faithfully every day, and overtime, saving
his money. He mastered his business, becoming an expert compositor. In
1844 he went to New York and obtained employment on the 
Mirror
. He
was intrusted with the oversight of the advertising department, and it was
soon seen that he had a decidedly fine taste in the arrangement of this line, a
feature which has undoubtedly had much to do with his wonderful success
later. He was also at this time a correspondent of the 
Hartford Courant
, also
newspapers in Boston, Albany and Worcester. About 1851 he bought out
the 
Merchants Ledger
, a paper devoted to the commercial interests of the
country. This he transformed into a family story paper, and christened it the
New York Ledger
. Fanny Fern was just appearing in the columns of
literature. Bonner offered her $1,000 to write a story for the 
Ledger
,
enclosing his check for the amount. As this was a very high price in those
days, of course she accepted. Then the papers throughout the country were
full of advertisements—"Read the Thousand Dollar Story in the 
Ledger
."
"Read The 
New York Ledger
"—Some people said, "Well, first-class journals
don't use such flashy ways of inducing people to subscribe; they rely on the
merits of their paper." Bonner heard this and began to study how to
overcome this tide of sentiment. There was 
Harpers Weekly
—no one
questioned its respectability. The Harpers never indulged in any flashy
advertising, but soon the people were surprised to see in all the leading
papers, 'Buy 
Harpers Weekly
,' as no one imagined that Bonner had paid for
the advertising; they attributed the advertisements to the necessity Harpers
felt through the rivalry of the 
Ledger
. This sort of enterprise cost, but it

---

convinced people that respectable journals advertised as did the 
Ledger
.
People said it was 'cheap, trashy literature, etc.'
Mr. Bonner at once hunted up Edward Everett who was recognized as the
representative of New England refinement. This was a most opportune time
for Mr. Bonner, as Mr. Everett was trying to raise a large sum with which to
aid in beautifying the home and tomb of Washington. Mr. Bonner engaged
Mr. Everett to write a series of articles on Mount Vernon, giving in return
his check for $10,000 to be applied toward the Everett Fund for the aid of
the Association. Probably Mr. Everett would have refused to write at any
other time, but Bonner took advantage of circumstances—
.
He next secured George Bancroft, the eminent historian. Then followed
Horace Greely, James Gordon Bennett, and Henry J. Raymond. When such
lights of journalism would write for the 
Ledger
, what could lesser country
editors say? Next came a story by Henry Ward Beecher, who was followed
by Dr. John Hall the great Presbyterian Divine, Bishop Clark, Dr. English,
Longfellow, Tennyson, and others, including a series of articles from the
presidents of the leading colleges throughout the country.
Mr. Bonner is a Presbyterian, being a member of the church presided over
by Dr. John Hall, on Fifth Avenue. He has given many thousands of dollars
to various institutions and charities. He owns the finest stable of horses in
the Union, among which are such as Maud S.—his first great trotter was
Dexter. He never allows one of his horses to trot for money.
Mr. Bonner is getting along in years but still attends to business. His paper
has at times attained a circulation of 400,000 copies, each issue.

---