The herald., 1898-01-14
Bonner's Bravery
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With some misgivings I read in Tues
days Herald the narrowing details OF
Joaquin Miller's painful passage from
Dawson to Circle City, and my reverence
for the venerable muse of the Sierras re-
strained me from in any way recognizing
the humor concealed In the statement that
one of his ears sloughed or on the jour
ney. 1t adds new luster to his mellifiuous
patronymic. am proud of the achievement
of this patriarch of the Pacific. But am
reminded nevertheless. that he Is not the
only young man on the glacier, and that
an older person than he by more than
decade has. during the season, braVed
the perils of the Chilcoot pass and the
descent into the frigid valley OF the Yukon.
and still survives to indite pleasing letters
to the eastern pictorial press upon the
weird wonders of the Arctic snow-shed
This grizzled argonaut is John Bonner
an Englishman now past 70 years or age
who has spent the greater portion OF MS
mature life in the United States. He has
the distinction of having been the first
editor of Harper's Weekly. and was
political writer on the New York Herald
full fifty years ago, In the days OF the
elder Bennett. If 1 mistake not, the
Harpers have yet in print and are still
advertising "Bonner's History of Spain,
and 1 remember with pleasure an early
perusal of "Bonner's History of the
United States" A sketch of this man
career would be In the highest sense en-
tertaining and instructive and l regret
that cannot extend it for the delectation
of Herald readers, but unfortunately l
know 1t only in spots.
4 + +
Twenty years ago he was in my employ
in oIi oil and the only COM
plant ever had to record or
his work was his singular contention
that in his matter cZar should be spelled
with a t. 1t was sore trial to me. but
not without its compensations. for John
Bonner is one of the clearest, most forcible
and convincing writer's ever employed upon
the American press and his contributions
to the editorial side of my humble pubica-
ton brought It into rather extraordinary
prominence. It had the distinction OF hav-
ing not only one of the smallest circula-
tons In the world. but as well of being the
only paper In the country that spelled
czar with I. Why should l bother my
fretful soul with so nconsequential con-
tention? The czar didn't ohject-why
should 1?
The venerable litterateur and historian
had made fatal business blunder In the
past, and had wandered to the wondrous
mining camp at which l was engaged in
moulding public opinion to retrieve his lost
fortune. He had with the surplus earnings
of his newspaper work on the press OF the
metropolis started a bank In Wall street.
The institution tiourished for a time. and
then the proverbial notice was one crisp
October morning. posted on the door, noti-
flying its patrons that. owing to failure
20 realize upon Its assets, temporary
suspension was necesSitated. but that de
positors will be paid in full" John Bon
ner was a victim of circumstances, never
a dishonest man. and not dollar of other
peoples money stuck to his fingers. He
left New York poor man. and heroically
began anew the battle of life in the wids
of the Rocky mountains. That he might
commence with a new score. he went
down to the metropolis, while yet In my
employ, to endeavor to have set aside a
lingering Judgment held over him for
something like one hundred and twenty
five thousand dollars. He was the only
editor l ever worked with who indulged
in such luxuries. Later he started in the
same town a weekly newspaper devoted to
mining and metallurgy. but it failed to de-
velop pay dirt, and he finally drifted to the
Pacific slope.
Happening in San Francisco eighteen
months ago, I called upon the patriarch of
the pen. expecting to find him enfeebled
with the weight of years, and living quite
wholly in his eventful past, as aged per-
sons are wont to do. but instead, he was
at his desk, performing the arduous rou-
tine work of editing the Bulletin and
furnishing signed articles for the Chroni-
Gle and Examiner. Old enough to be my
father he was yet doing the work OF
man in his prime, and climbing up long
flights of stairs every day to reach the
coveted atmosphere of the sanctum the
fascination of which never seems to
diminish / have not since seen him. but
his Klondike articles in Frank Leslie's
have for me a charm can't easily explain.
He inherited an iron constitution. was
raised on English beef and mutton made of
clover and daisies. and ever abstained from
the debiitating excesses of youth. which
account for his wonderful vgor and his
ability to achieve physical triumphs denied
TO the average man of half his years.
confidently expect to see his other contri-
buttons to history followed with a His
tory of the Klondike." MADURO.