The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-18

tiles, attempting enterprises beyond their
powers and refusing to work hard to pro-
duce something that the public really
wants. Hundreds of men and women take
to writing for the papers because they
think II is n easy way to make living
which, of course, IS not the fact.
although of late years the market has
been flooded with a mass of semi Frenc CHI
literature, | think that decency Will always
prevail in the end. 1t is not necessary for
publisher or an editor to pander to the
flesbly tastes of the lower class of his
readers in order to succeed in business. /
do not think that cheap novels will ever
supersede the weekly papers, because
large number of readers hEd 1t more in
tereSting to read stories 'on the in stallment
plan than in completed book form. The
large Sunday editions of the daily news
papers. however, have hurt the circulation
OF the weekly Journals.
Though Mr.. Bonner is now 20 years of
age he looks fully twenty years younger.
He is short, sturdy. stocky looking man,
and attributes his good health largely TO
the Open-air exercise he has enjoyed
through driving his fast horses. Mr.. Bon
ner, now that be has retired from business,
spends much of his time on his stock-farm
three miles east from Tarrytown and 800
feet above tidewater. He is located on
what farmers call 1.-THE divide; the water
that falls on the backstretch of his racing
track. which is three-quarters of mile
long, enlpties into the East River, and on
the hOmestretch into the North River.
he has always BEEN temperate man in
the use of drink. When he came to New
York, at the age of %, he remembers TAX
Ing a glass of sherry; up to that age he does
not think he had taken Of all kinds OF
liquor pint. Since then he has OCCASION
ally used liquor as medicine, and OCCASION
ally glass OF wine at a public dinner.
''At an early age" he says, 81 saw that if
you allowed yourself to form the habit of
drinking intOXcants you might find it diff
hcult, If not impossible, 10 break it off.
Though L cannot claim TO have been total
abstainer ] have certainly been absolutely
temperate"
He has always been greatly interested
in Princeton College, n. j.. and his gifts
to that institution have been frequent and.
generous. Princeton evidently has not
forgotten the many ki0dnesSes it owes to
MIR. Bonner Only few weeks since he
received letter from Rev. Francis l..
Patton, president of the college, stating
that the degree of master Of arts had been
conferred upon him. LET me say" wrote
President Patton, that the degree was
conferred unanimously by the justices
with great cordially. and that the recon-
mendation that il should be confirmed was
unanimously made by the faculty"
Mr.. Bonner IS very proud of this houo.
He does not look upon it as mere Idle
compliment given TO him simply from
gratitude. AS he once said to friend, Il
am proud that l am a master of the art OF
printing, the art preservative of all arts.
He is fond of relating an auecdote to provo
his skill in this direction. II never made,
he says, but one bet in my life. came
TO New York. compositor. in 1916. and
never met but one man who could set type
as fast as | could. His name was John
Hand, until his death about year ago,
one of the propretors of the Galveston
Daily News. l was badgered into betting
SO that | could beat him in setting up the
Presidents message. 1n twenty hours and
twenty-eight minutes | set up 25.500 ems
ana won the money, which l declined TO
accept as l do not believe in betting"
GEORGE j. MANSON.
COnYripht.