Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-24

pVSAce. oHO WHO tcn years ago re-
tired from busin .ss worth his millions. 1t
Is the story of a young man who started an
enterprise out of his savings. and by his
brains and industry increased his capital a
thousand fold. 1t is the story of a business
E'an who spent more than a million dollars
in newspaper advertising and who wien
the world laughed and wondered at his ex-
travagance, went on to spend more. 1t is
the story of a man who never owed a dol
lar. who never asked credit, but who
throughout his life has benefited thousands
and given-away tens of thousands. 1t is in
short the story Of Robert Bonner, the mill
lionaire founder of the New York Ledger
l give 1t to you as nearly as l can remem-
Der. In the words in which. in response to
my questions. he told It to me.
Bonner Mt Seventy-Three.
But first let me tell you how Mr. Bonner
looked the other night as we chatted to-
gether ih his home on 5Sth street, New
York. He has face and form much like
that of ex-President Harrison, but he
seems to be ten years younger. The fact
Is that he is ten years older than Mr.. Har-
rison. MIR. Bonners complexion is rosy,
Harrison's Is dead and doughty. Bonners
hair and beard have but few gray strands,
while those Of the ex-President are as
white as SNOW. Still Mr.. Bonner is now
serenty-three. He does not appear to be
sixty, and he moves about with the energy
OF man in his prime. He had spent the
whole day upon his farm at Tarryrown,
ii't pecting the training of some of the
fastest trotting horses OF the world.
but he did not seem to be tired. During
our cnat he went several times to rooms in
the upper part of his house to verify mat
ters 10 which he referred. AS l was about
to leave l asked for his photograph He
went up again to get 1t. and when l Of
i'm 1osH
upon it. he said he preferred to use a pen,
and that he would run upstairs to write it
1 found Mr.. Bonners soul young as his
body. He is in sympathy with young men
him as to his life and those elements in i.
which had contributed to his success. he
answered freely.
DiscOntent AZ an Element of Success
Il have had one principle in my lire
said Mr.. Bonner. (which think has large
~ contributed to my success. l don't know
how l got the idea. but it is well expressed
in quotation from Ralph Waldo Elmer
son, which reads:
20 discontinued man! Whatever you
want. pay the price and take it,
Il saw those words when 1 was a boy
and they took fast hold of my mind
early learned that whatever 1 got had to
be paid for either in work or money, and
l have been willing to pay the price"
But you are naturally energetic, MIR.
Bonner?'
No, l en- not" was the reply. when
l was a little boy l was the LATEST NOR
tai about the house. l hated to move.
though naturally 1 was not deficient
remember one story they tell about me.
MY family we're Scotch Irish Presbyterians.
and l was brought up upon the Bible and
the Shorter CatechiSm. l had to learn
much of the Bible and was rather apt at
quoting from it. One day when L was
a ~ ola lf
was lying in front of the fire enjoying my
laziness when my father asked me to get
some wood l arose slowly and stretched
myself and looking at the fire. exclaimed:
JOB. fifth, seventh: Man is bern to trou-
bic as the sparks fly upwards! -
Working for ST. a Year.
This laZiness of mine continued until 1
came to this country about a year later
and until l went into printing office at
Hartford. Conn. Then 1 shook it off 1
saw that if 1 wanted to succeed 1 had to
work and did work. My hcUrs were from
q in the morning until at night and my
wages were for the first year SIS; for the
second. $35. and for the third, $40 OF
course i got my board and clothes in addi-
ton. The paper on which was employed
was the Hartford Courant. the paper which
General Hawiey now owns. 1t then had
a circulation of 800 copies. l know. for 1
had to wet down the paper every morning
Il soon saw that if 1 wanted to succeed
as printer l must learn all about print
ing" Mr.. Bonner continued. Now the
daily paper away back in the forties was
different from what it Is now The most
of TIE type for the Courant was set up
during the day. a quarter of a column OF
space being left for the latest news. This
was set up early in the morning just before
the paper went II press. 1 wanted to learn
all about press work, SO 1 got up at
o'clock every morning and watched the
printers run off the paper. 1 was anxious
to het I.,,f Co.
ask for my services. At last 1 was told
to get some water. 1 replied that 1 would
do so If they would teach me to lock up
the form. The next day something else
was wanted. and 1 made them teach ME
how to feed the PRESS before l would do 1t.
So went on from day to day always learn
ing something new until l had mastered
the science of press work. | was at this
time only twelve years old, and it seems
to me now that it took some nerve for a
boy of that age to get UP before daylight
those cold winter mornings just for the
sake of learning.
Il was soon rewarded for my work. how
ever" continued Mr.. Bonner "One dav
one of the printers who put the paper to
press suddenly announced his intention OF
leaving. He was told by the proprietor
that he could not go until some one else
could be taught to do his work. why
don't you take Robert" said the printer.
well as do" So they gave me the job.
and I was paid 12h cents an hour for my
early morning work and l got therefrom
about s. q week"
Only Time He Ever Worried.
1t was later on in our conversation that
Mr.. Bonner again referred to this period OF
his life. l had asked him how he had man.
aged to keep so young and whether he al
lowed things to worry him. He replied:
II never worry about business matters as
a rule. do what Is before me and then
let 1t CO. There are only two days of my |
life which can remember as having been
full of worry about business matters. and |
these were when I was q boy doing that |
extra work on the Hartford Courant One
day the proprietor told me that he thought |
some of the other apprentices ought to |
have a chance to make some extra money |
and that must let one of them try the |
press work. The result was that lost my |
job and my money for two days. I can re- |
member Eow how black life seemed to me |
then. The boy who took my place. how ,
ever. was careless and I soon got back
again. The boy during his second days |
work in setting up an article written by |
the editor made an. item of 81. 100000 read |
$4,000. leaving out two ciphers. This dis |
gusted the editor and / was reinstated |
One trouble with the boy who took my |
MIA xync hat IA