The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-03-25
ROBERT BONNERS SONS.
Gxu sroDY on rHs FOUNDING or an
IMPORTANT mTY EAhILL

Rs~su~spg VIA TIE Lasaise Of - HtssA Lad
suA N ains with His TuruinR . Ceupie 81
l1naisrs saa His Weekly ovsfte ME 1ey'
Ooruslia has stood for centuries as the
typical wife and mother because, whom she
WAS asked what Jewels she had. she pointed to
her children. 1t IL time the world had q male
companion to her. Q father representative Of all
the pride and trust and reliance upon his
children that paternity IL capable or He or
lists In the person OF Robert Bonner. the editor
and business man who. aftor achieving the po-
sition Of . millionaire, and while In the fullest
yigor OF brain and person. turns over his at-
fairs to his boys with the remark, Run tho
LEDGER precisely as you would II I were dead"
How few men there are who would care to in
trust q business whose structure got birth In
their brain. and wac built up step by step with
their hands. one can estimate contrariwise BY
noting the fact that not one OF the Vanderbtlts
or Astors or Goslets or Harpers or other MIL
iioneires wo know Of ever lot GO the rsins till
his hands fell in death, any more than the
kings and queens, like William and Victoria,
for instance, have over made It a practice to AL
low extreme age to urge Thorn of their thrones.
Yet Mr.. Bonner's way seems to DO greatly
admired. He was at his old desk on last
Thursday reading the letters that still pour In
from leading business mon who compliment
him on his course.
"Are you back again7 Can't you keep
away ?" no was asked.
"Ch. deur, no" no replied; IL came here .
week ago. md l expect 70 got here once in
every week or ton days. but 1t Is only 70 attend
TO personal matters. ! have turned my BUSH
ness over % absolutely rs I used to run it
even more absolutely. In fact, for my boys used
70 hslp mo, and now they do without NO."
Don't they como to you for counsel2"
"Oh. Yes. once In . while." Mr.. Donner re-
piled "but In such cases I always say. Well.
that's what I would do. but use your W
Judgment A nun is no use to himself or my
ono else II no does not use his judgment, and
my boys have got to develop and rely on theirs.
Two OF thom have been with mo about ten
years, and the othcr, Frederic, the youngest.
nearly as long. excepting at intervals when his
health. which was not Of the strongest, re-
quired his journeylnG at sea-"
1t is q queer office that Mr.. Bonner now visits
20 rarely-a corner room In the second story of
his marble building Mt Spruce and William
streets. 1t is the typical sanctum OF On editor
OF the old school. ind recalls that of Horace
Greeley moro than any sanctum now In exist
once. There Is room on the desk for him to
write a letter. but he must do SO on O thick
layer Of exchanges and bundles OF manuscript
and documents. Other bundles arc piled ten
sey - va ''l''' so NN.Hs 49, s"s s''
edges OF the carpet, others rise in paper noun
tains upon, a table. upon the safe, upon the
window sills, upon everything that OfTers q
resting place for them. excsp, the stove. PIG
lures rest against the bottom OF the walls. while
above thege hang portraits Of great friends and
old contributors. like Edward, Everett. Henry
w. Longfellow, Gen. Grant, and others. to which
10 added a portrait old-time Americans thought
no house complete witlout-that OF Washing
nous in the simplest cottages in every corner Of
Europe. Mr.. Boomers visitor calls attention 10
the editorial confusion with the remark that he
supposes no one could find anything there
without taking u week to look for 1t. at which
tho retired %cliieitain responds perfectly grave
~; Why. I straiGhtsned everything up here
Mr.. Bonner handed over to his three aons
about $4,000: 900 when he laid down his ren last
NoveMberntl.OO0,o 1000 in the LsdEsr. s25o.0oO
In the building and land on William street.
and thst famous empty lot on Fifth avenue.
refused to part with for si.o25.6oo. Ho wns
then and ts now only "a years old; a plump;
briRht-oyed, active man. upon whose full
beard. once reddish brown. time has scnttored
. handful OF gray hairs. and upon whose pro-