Of all the newspaper editors we have ever read, possibly Robert Bonner
is the most enterprising. He was born in Ireland in the year 1824, and
at the age of sixteen came to Hartford, Connecticut. He had an uncle
here who was a farmer, but Robert aspired to own a paper, and drifted
into the office of the _Hartford Courant_. Robert Bonner determined to
own a paper; he, therefore, set about it, working faithfully every day,
and overtime, saving his money. He mastered his business, becoming an
expert compositor. In 1844 he went to New York and obtained employment
on the _Mirror_. He was intrusted with the oversight of the advertising
department, and it was soon seen that he had a decidedly fine taste in
the arrangement of this line, a feature which has undoubtedly had much
to do with his wonderful success later. He was also at this time a
correspondent of the _Hartford Courant_, also newspapers in Boston,
Albany and Worcester. About 1851 he bought out the _Merchants Ledger_, a
paper devoted to the commercial interests of the country. This he
transformed into a family story paper, and christened it the _New York
Ledger_. Fanny Fern was just appearing in the columns of literature.
Bonner offered her $1,000 to write a story for the _Ledger_, enclosing
his check for the amount. As this was a very high price in those days,
of course she accepted. Then the papers throughout the country were full
of advertisements--"Read the Thousand Dollar Story in the _Ledger_."
"Read The _New York Ledger_"--Some people said, "Well, first-class
journals don't use such flashy ways of inducing people to subscribe;
they rely on the merits of their paper." Bonner heard this and began to
study how to overcome this tide of sentiment. There was _Harpers
Weekly_--no one questioned its respectability. The Harpers never
indulged in any flashy advertising, but soon the people were surprised
to see in all the leading papers, 'Buy _Harpers Weekly_,' as no one
imagined that Bonner had paid for the advertising; they attributed the
advertisements to the necessity Harpers felt through the rivalry of the
_Ledger_. This sort of enterprise cost, but it convinced people that
respectable journals advertised as did the _Ledger_. People said it was
'cheap, trashy literature, etc.'
Mr. Bonner at once hunted up Edward Everett who was recognized as the
representative of New England refinement. This was a most opportune time
for Mr. Bonner, as Mr. Everett was trying to raise a large sum with
which to aid in beautifying the home and tomb of Washington. Mr. Bonner
engaged Mr. Everett to write a series of articles on Mount Vernon,
giving in return his check for $10,000 to be applied toward the Everett
Fund for the aid of the Association. Probably Mr. Everett would have
refused to write at any other time, but Bonner took advantage of
circumstances--ALWAYS.
He next secured George Bancroft, the eminent historian. Then followed
Horace Greely, James Gordon Bennett, and Henry J. Raymond. When such
lights of journalism would write for the _Ledger_, what could lesser
country editors say? Next came a story by Henry Ward Beecher, who was
followed by Dr. John Hall the great Presbyterian Divine, Bishop Clark,
Dr. English, Longfellow, Tennyson, and others, including a series of
articles from the presidents of the leading colleges throughout the
country.
Mr. Bonner is a Presbyterian, being a member of the church presided over
by Dr. John Hall, on Fifth Avenue. He has given many thousands of
dollars to various institutions and charities. He owns the finest stable
of horses in the Union, among which are such as Maud S.--his first great
trotter was Dexter. He never allows one of his horses to trot for money.
Mr. Bonner is getting along in years but still attends to business. His
paper has at times attained a circulation of 400,000 copies, each
issue.