The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-09
ROBERT BONNER, EDITOR.

ROBERT BONNER, EDITOR.
The death of Robert Bonner recalls the
explanation given by James L. Ford, in his
clever book. THE Literary Shop" of the
causes of the wonderful popularity of the
Ledger, Bonners paper, in the days when
he was its editor. The purpose of Ford's
book is to show that the so-called literature
of periodicals is not selected in accordance
with literary standards. but according to
what, in the judgment of the editors, will
best suit the popular taste-this Judgment
often varying with his own personal tastes
and prejudices. Bonners Ledger was one
of the first American periodicals. outside of
newspapers, to attain wide circulation,
and 1t opened a new and promising market
to a tribe of ambitious young writer's. The
cynical Mr.. Ford speaks of these years Of
Mr.. Bonner's reign 1.-The Ledger period
Of letters" and of the papers poetical con-
tributions the Ledger school of poetry
Manuscripts did not pour in by the thou
sand as they do upon magazines and story
papers now, and Mr.. Bonner did his own
editing. Nothing went into the paper until
he had passed upon it; he. too, was re-
sponsible for the reflections. He possessed
one of the most logical minds, says Mr..
Ford, and 1t was this faculty. aided by his
accessibility, that enabled his contributors
to learn so much of his likes and dislikes.
for, If he rejected a manuscript, he was
always ready to tell the author exactly
why the work was not suitable for the
Ledger.
This story will not do for me, because
you have in it the marriage of man with
his cousin" he is reported as saying on one
occasion. But cousins do marry in real
life very often" urged the author. I'm real
life. yes. but not in the New York Ledger"
replied the editor The author changed his
cousins to neighbors and the story was &C
cepted. He made known his discovery to
his writing associates, and thereafter. says
1.-The Literary Shop neither in song nor
story did a Ledger hero ever look with
anything but the eye of brotherly affection
on any woman of even the most remote
consanguinity.''
1t became known in the same way that
Bonner was down on stepmothers." A
young writer contributed a most touching
poem representing young stepmother
kneeling by the bedside of her predeces-
sor's children, praying that she might be
guided to deal with them in the motherly
spirit Because it was favorable to step
mothers ii did not Ego" After some ex-
perience another writer gave this advice to
not TO use up a whole idea on single
poem, for, if you do, you will never be
able to make cent. 1 usually cut an idea
into eight pieces, like pie. and write a
poem for each piece. though once or twice
have made sixteen pieces out of one-my
Two Brothers idea, for instance" His
two brothers were born on farm, and
were nicknamed, say. "Homespun Bill' and
Fancy Jake to indicate their respective
proclivities. In eight of them one brother
went to the city and scorned his faithful.
plodding country relative until the newt
able time arrived when the latter got him
out of Jail. or offered him home on the old
farm, or by a loan saved him from bank
ruptcy, or ran against him successfully as
| a rival congressional candidate. In the
other eight 1t was the brother who went
benefactor: who paid off the mortgage on
| the home farm; who became a great
doctor, or lawyer. or merchant. gave
a public library to his native vii
| lage, or established home for
| aged women or otherwise became a
| credit 10 the community that had once
prophesied evil things of him. This same
| ingenious writer planned a sixteen-sisters
| series on the same plan. but it failed to
work. Bonner was down on sisters.
Was this good editing?" asks Mr.. Ford,
and answers his own question thus: 1T
was the very best editing. AT any rate. II
was good enough to make the Ledger fic-
ton popular from one end of the country
| to the other; and ii is because of that edit
ing that we still find the old dusty files In
the country -garrets along with the pop
corn ears and wreaths of dried apples"
| Mr.. Bonner studied his public and cared
little or nothing for the purely literary oil
artistic qualities of piece of work. HI
wished to avoid offense to those who dis