Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-05-20

posed to him that would give $1O,O80
to the fund If he would write series
of articles for the Ledger. He ac-
cepteG 1t. His articles were wide
ly read, and the Ledger again was
the most talked Of paper in the coun-
try. I afterward paid him $4,000 ad-
ditional for other articles. This was
done some time before asked Mr..
Beecher to write novel. When did
write I first offered to pay him $4,000
for the story, or as much as had
paid Mr.. Everett for his writing. La
ter on increased the amount to $780,
600.
"Must Clear My Head"
Here is what he answered in reply
to my first proposition: ~
plymouth Rock at Council.
Dear Mr.. Bonner-I am almost
dumb after reading your proposition
and must clear my head before I say
a word. Signed,
HENRY WARD BEECHER."
when 1t was announced that Mr..
Beecher was to write the story there
was a decided sensation in literary
and religious circles. Some preachers,
and especially Rev. Mr.. Seeley, criti-
cised Mr.. Beecher's actions in making
money in that way. wrote an editor
ial on the subject which was rather
facetious and sent the proof Of it to
Mr.. Beecher, suggesting that If he
thought well Of 1t he might give me a
recommendation whereby I could get
place on the London Punch. With.
in an hour after my boy had left the
office he came back with the follow
ing notes:
"My.D Mr.. Bonner think you
like to gobble up a minister or two
every year to aid your digestion, just
as hens swallow gravel stones. You
have swallowed me in one way and
Mr.. Seeley in another. I like my way
best. Signed,
HENRY WARD BBEcHER."
Then on the other side of the
sheet he had written this recommeI
dation:
ITO the London Punch:
Robert Bonner desires an engage
ment on your paper. It gives me
pleasure to testify to his good charac-
ter. No other one man made me laugh
so much. Just to look at him would
fore suggest that his picture be pub
lished. Should he begin contributing
to the Punch he would. In less than
two years own and edit it, but other
wise he may be trusted. Signed,
HENRY WARD BEEcHER."
THAT letter gives you some idea Of
how quick Beecher was. The most Of
the two hours was taken up In the
boys going from my Office to Mr..
Beecher's house and back, and Mr..
Beecher must have dashed the letter
off within five minutes. He was very
quick, and was always full Of IDEAS"
What kind of man was Edward
Everett?" asked.
II "That Polished leieIe.'
"He was a much misunderstood
man" replied Mr. Bonner. "Yol re-.
member what Wendell Phillips once
said Of him. 1t was when Mr.. Everett
was in the senate. Said Mr.. Phillips:
I am speaking Of the senator from
Massachusetts,, not that polished ici-
Gle, Edward Everett, but that human
gentleman, Charles Summer When
Everett was our minister to England,
Queen Victoria Is said to have remark
ed that he was the only American
gentleman she had ever met. Mr.. Ev-
erett was more than polished icicle.
He was not mere intellectually, but
he was man Of great soul. His let
ters to me were full of feeling. He
seldom slighted any one. He was q
high minded, conscientious, patriotic,
Christian gentleman"
WAS he good writer?" asked.
"Yes," replied Mr.. Bonner. HE was
the first scholar of the land, and still
he was very careful Of his work. He
made no mistakes in punctuation and
some of his articles he wrote and re-
wrote before he sent them to me. He
was glad to get suggestions and some
times asked my advice as to the pub
lication Of certain paragraphs"
The conversation here drifted to ad-
vertising matters and I asked Mr..
Bonner to tell me the secret Of his
success in advertising. He replied:
II can hardly remember when was
not studying the advantages Of differ
ent advertising features. When I was
a boy the New York Herald was very
fofo ht,f ha
pers of the country. I saw that the
more the Herald was talked about the
more the people bought 1t, and when
took the Ledger I saw that I must
get the paper talked about. I must
not only have a good paper, but the
people must know it. would not bor-
row, but spent all my surplus in ad-
vertising. One time spent $4,000 for
single advertisement in the New
York Herald. ~ another offered the
New York Tribune $4,000 for one in
sertion in the daily, weekly and tri-
weekly. I paid during one week s27,-
900 for advertising and in one year
$3.50, 900.
"These sums in those days were as
big as ten times the same amounts
now, and many Of my friends thought
was going crazy. At one time paid
$4,000 to the papers for publishing
installments Of a certain story which
ended with the words, Continued next
week in the New York Ledger I did
this once in the Herald, publishing two
installments, so that the readers
thought they were going to get the
whole story in the Herald, and then
at the close of the second installment
stated that they must look for its con-
tinuation in the Ledger. All. Of this