The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-25
ROBERT BONNER'S MONEY
THE FOUNDER OF THE NEW YORK
LEDGER TALKS OF HIS CAREER.
Story of Successful Life, with Inter
esting "Reminiscences of Some
Distinguished People.

business men who want to succeed. 1t Is
penned for poor boys who desire to get
rich, and, in short, for every one who cares
to study others in the hope that he may
thereby get suggestions which may help
himself. 1t is the story of poor Irish boy
who landed in New York with SIS in his
pocket and who, ten years ago, retired
from business worth his millions. 1t is the
story of a young man who started an en-
terprise out of his savings, and by his
brains and industry increased his capital a
thousand fold. 1t is the story of business
man who spent more than a million dollars
in newspaper advertising, and who, when
the world laughed and wondered at his ex-
travagance, went on to spend more. It is
the story of 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
Honaire founder of the New York Ledger.
I give it to you, as nearly as I can remem-
Der, in the words in which, in response to
my questions, he told it to me.
But first let me tell you how Mr. Bonner
looked the other night as we chatted to-
gether in his home on Fifty-eighth street,
New York. He has a 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. Mr.. Bonner's complexion is rosy;
Harrison's is dead and doughty. Bonner's
hair and beard have but few gray strands,
while those of the ex-President are as
white as snow. Still, Mr.. Bonner is now
seventy-three. He does not appear to be
sixty, and he moves about with the energy
of a man in his prime. He had spent the
whole day upon his farm at Tarrytown,
inspecting the training of some of the fast
est trotting horses of the world, but he did
not seem to be tired. During our chat he
went several times to rooms in the upper
part of his house to verify matters to which
he referred. AS I was about to leave 1
asked for his photograph. He went up
again to get it, and when 1 offered him my
pencil to write his name upon it, he said
he preferred to use a pen, and that he
would run upstairs to write it. l found
Mr.. Bonners soul as young as his body.
He is in sympathy with young men who
wish to succeed, and when L asked him as
to his life and those elements in it which
had contributed to his success, he answered
freely.
Discomfort AND SUCCESS.
IT have had one principle in my life,"
said Mr.. Bonner, which I think has large
ly contributed to my success. I don't know
how L got the idea, but it is we'll expressed
in a quotation from Ralph Waldo Emer-
son, which reads:
80 disconnected man! Whatever you
want, pay the price and take it.
IT saw those words when was a boy,
and they took fast hold OF my mind
early learned that whatever got had to
he of
have been willing to pay the price,
But you are naturally energetic, Mr..
Bonner?"
mo, [ am not" was the reply. when
I was a little boy I was the LATEST mortal
about the house. hated to move, though
naturally was not deficient. 1 remember
one story they tell about me- My family
were Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, and was
brought up upon the Bible and the shorter
catechism. 1 had to learn much of the BIZ
BILE, and was rather apt at quoting from
it. One day, when ] was about eleven
years of age they tell me, 1 was lying in
front of the fire enjoying my laziness when
my father asked me to get some wood.
arose slowly and stretched myself, and,
looking at the fire, exclaimed:
Job, V, Z: Man is born to trouble as the
sparks fly upwards
This laziness of mine continued until
came to this country about a. year later,
and until I went into a printing Office at
Hartford, Conn. Then I shook it off.
saw that If / wanted to succeed had to
work. and did work. My hours were from
in the morning until at night and my
wages were for the first year $25, for the
second $35 and for the third $45. OF course,
[ got my board and clothes in addition
The paper on which [ was employed was
the Hartford Courant, the paper which
General Hawley now owns. 1t then had a
circulation of five hundred copies. know,
for L had to wet down the paper every
morning.
BECAME GOOD PRINTER.
II soon saw that il 1 wanted to succeed
as printer 1 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 the 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 be-
fore the paper went to 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 help, but for some time they did not
ask for my services. AT last L was told
to get some water l replied that l 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 1 would do it.
So I went on from day to day, always
learning something new, until 1 had mas
tered the science of press work. 1 was at
this time only twelve years old, and it
seems to me now that it took some nerve
for boy of that age to get up before day.
light those cold winter mornings Just for
the sake of learning.
I was soon rewarded for my work, how
ever" continued Mr. Bonner. "One day
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. He m
derstands how to manage a press as well
as I do So they gave me the lob. and I
was paid 1872 cents an hour for nv early
morning work, and l got therefrom about
So a week"
1t was later on in our conversation that
Mr. Bonner again referred to this period Of
his life i had asked him how he had man.
aged TO keep so young and whether he AL
lowed things to worry him He rar1io5