John Henry Boner
Encyclopedia
John Henry Boner was an American editor and poet.
Boner was born in Salem's. Moravian
community. He was educated locally, and at the age of thirteen, he was apprenticed to a newspaper office. In 1865, he started his own Salem newspaper, but by then Boner had become affiliated with the Republican Party
, and this bias caused the failure of the paper. Through his political connections, Boner was able to find employment as reading clerk of the North Carolina constitutional convention
of 1868 and was chief clerk of the North Carolina House of Representatives
in 1869-70. He left North Carolina and entered the civil service in the United States Government Printing Office
in Washington, D.C., where he worked until 1886, as a compositor and then as a proofreader. That he was appreciated by his associates is shown by the fact that in 1878 he was president of Columbia Union, No. 101, in which office "he showed executive ability and a thorough knowledge of parliamentary practice, and he gave the union a conservative and safe administration". In 1883 his first book of poems entitled "Whispering Pines" was published.
Soon after the return of the Democratic Party to power in 1885, Boner was discharged from the government service on the ground of offensive partisanship. This was prior to the enactment of non-partisan protections for civil service employees. But by then Boner's poems had brought him fame. Edmund Clarence Stedman
, of New York, one of the foremost literary critics of the times, was delighted with Boner's work. In his Poets of America, published in 1885, Stedman specially mentions Boner in writing of Southern poets, and in describing their work he says, "that they open vistas of the life and spirit of the region."
Learning of Boner's removal from office, Stedman invited Boner to New York City
, and soon secured congenial employment for Boner on the staff on the Century Dictionary
, then in course of preparation. Boner also aided Stedman with the latter's Library of American Literature, and of that service it is recorded "for the accuracy of the text we are greatly indebted to the friendship and professional skill of John H. Boner, of the Century Dictionary staff, who has given much of his spare time to the correcting of our page-proofs, and in other ways has been of service to the work". Boner continued to write poetry, and became recognized as a literary man of much force. His standing as a man of letters received further recognition by his election in 1888 to membership in the Authors Club in New York. His best known poem, "Poe's Cottage at Fordham", appeared in the Century Magazine in November, 1889. Boner continued work on the Century Dictionary, and from 1892-1894 worked on The Standard Dictionary. He then became editor of one of the leading magazines in the United States — The Literary Digest
.
Boner resigned from The Literary Digest in 1897 over an editorial dispute. In 1900 he was able, with assistance from his literary acquaintances and New York Senator Chauncey Depew
, to overturn the earlier "partisanship" finding and return to the United States Government Printing Office. But in the early 1900s his health began to fail, and finally broke completely. He was still poor, and in order to get money for a trip back home he published another book of poems called "Some New Poems." He suffered greatly from pain and poverty. He died of tuberculosis in Washington, D.C.
:
Boner's reputation continued to develop after his death, and he became known as "North Carolina's First Man of Letters".
Boner was born in Salem's. Moravian
Moravians (ethnic group)
Moravians are the modern West Slavic inhabitants of the historical land of Moravia, the easternmost part of the Czech Republic, which includes the Moravian Slovakia. They speak the two main groups of Moravian dialects , the transitional Bohemian-Moravian dialect subgroup and standard Czech...
community. He was educated locally, and at the age of thirteen, he was apprenticed to a newspaper office. In 1865, he started his own Salem newspaper, but by then Boner had become affiliated with the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, and this bias caused the failure of the paper. Through his political connections, Boner was able to find employment as reading clerk of the North Carolina constitutional convention
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
of 1868 and was chief clerk of the North Carolina House of Representatives
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
in 1869-70. He left North Carolina and entered the civil service in the United States Government Printing Office
United States Government Printing Office
The United States Government Printing Office is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States federal government. The office prints documents produced by and for the federal government, including the Supreme Court, the Congress, the Executive Office of the President, executive...
in Washington, D.C., where he worked until 1886, as a compositor and then as a proofreader. That he was appreciated by his associates is shown by the fact that in 1878 he was president of Columbia Union, No. 101, in which office "he showed executive ability and a thorough knowledge of parliamentary practice, and he gave the union a conservative and safe administration". In 1883 his first book of poems entitled "Whispering Pines" was published.
Soon after the return of the Democratic Party to power in 1885, Boner was discharged from the government service on the ground of offensive partisanship. This was prior to the enactment of non-partisan protections for civil service employees. But by then Boner's poems had brought him fame. Edmund Clarence Stedman
Edmund Clarence Stedman
Edmund Clarence Stedman , American poet, critic, and essayist was born at Hartford, Connecticut, United States.-Biography:...
, of New York, one of the foremost literary critics of the times, was delighted with Boner's work. In his Poets of America, published in 1885, Stedman specially mentions Boner in writing of Southern poets, and in describing their work he says, "that they open vistas of the life and spirit of the region."
Learning of Boner's removal from office, Stedman invited Boner to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and soon secured congenial employment for Boner on the staff on the Century Dictionary
Century Dictionary
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia was one of the largest encyclopedic dictionaries of the English language. The first edition was published from 1889 to 1891 by The Century Company of New York, in six, eight, or ten volume versions in 7,046 pages with some 10,000 wood-engraved illustrations...
, then in course of preparation. Boner also aided Stedman with the latter's Library of American Literature, and of that service it is recorded "for the accuracy of the text we are greatly indebted to the friendship and professional skill of John H. Boner, of the Century Dictionary staff, who has given much of his spare time to the correcting of our page-proofs, and in other ways has been of service to the work". Boner continued to write poetry, and became recognized as a literary man of much force. His standing as a man of letters received further recognition by his election in 1888 to membership in the Authors Club in New York. His best known poem, "Poe's Cottage at Fordham", appeared in the Century Magazine in November, 1889. Boner continued work on the Century Dictionary, and from 1892-1894 worked on The Standard Dictionary. He then became editor of one of the leading magazines in the United States — The Literary Digest
Literary Digest
The Literary Digest was an influential general interest weekly magazine published by Funk & Wagnalls. Founded by Isaac Kaufmann Funk in 1890, it eventually merged with two similar weekly magazines, Public Opinion and Current Opinion.-History:...
.
Boner resigned from The Literary Digest in 1897 over an editorial dispute. In 1900 he was able, with assistance from his literary acquaintances and New York Senator Chauncey Depew
Chauncey Depew
Chauncey Mitchell Depew was an attorney for Cornelius Vanderbilt's railroad interests, president of the New York Central Railroad System, and a United States Senator from New York from 1899 to 1911.- Biography:...
, to overturn the earlier "partisanship" finding and return to the United States Government Printing Office. But in the early 1900s his health began to fail, and finally broke completely. He was still poor, and in order to get money for a trip back home he published another book of poems called "Some New Poems." He suffered greatly from pain and poverty. He died of tuberculosis in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
:
Boner's reputation continued to develop after his death, and he became known as "North Carolina's First Man of Letters".