Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-01-12
TIE DEAfH or JOHx r. KING.

1t is with the saddest feelings that
we announce to our readers the death;
Of JOHN F. KING. for many years the
Editor Of this paper. His death oil
Saturday last, though expected for
sometime, was great shock to our
community on account Of its sudden
ness. While getting up from the
breakfast table he fell heavily on the
floor and died in a few minutes with
out gaining Consciousness. He had
been suffering from asthma with com
bination Of heart trouble for about a
year. II is supposed that he died
from sudden stroke of heart disease
JOHN F. KING was born in st. Ma
rvs county on the 10th day of Octo-
Der. 1925. When only fourteen years
Of age he came TO Lsonardtown and
was employed for a short time in the
Office Of The Leon0rdto,Cn Herald, then
edited in our village by F. NJ. Jar.
Doe. In 1910 be went to Baltimore
and served an apprenticeship in the
printing Office of the late John Muir.
ply. In this employment he gave
perfect satisfaction. a friendship spring
ing up between him and his venerable
employer which only ended with the
death Of the latter several years ago.
Having acquired u thorough knowl.
edge Of bis trade. in l84S he went to
Charleston, Macon and Savannah
where he remained until 1854. The
deceased always alluded to this part
of his career a. "the seeding of his
wild oats" In 1856 he returned to his
native county and assumed the edito.
rial management Of the st. Mary
BEACON, which position he continued
to fill until 1862, when the paper was
suppressed on account of alleged dis.
loyal utterances. Being a strong
sympathizer with the cause of the
Confederacy, he left family and friens
and cast his lot with the cause
that went down to ruin. While in
the South he saw some active service
in the field, but for the greater part
Of the time was employed as clerk in
one Of the Government departments
in Richmond. At the fall of Rich.
mond he was discharging active mill.
tary duty and surrendered to the Fed
eral forces. He was paroled and i'm
mediately returned home. In 1865
he resumed the editorial management
Of the BEACON and continued to be its
Editor until 1881, when he sold his
interest to his son, FRANCIS V. KING.
Since 1881 he has lived a quiet and
retired life, dividing his time between
literary pursuits and attention to a
farm which he owned near our village.
The Editorial management of the
st. Mary's BEACON may be considered
the main work Of his life, to which he
devoted his greatest forces and ener.
gles. How he succeeded in this j.
well known, not only to our commu-
nifty, but to the State. He was a
ready and forcible writer. His style
was pure and exact, and after the
fashion OF Macaulay, whom he great
iy admired and selected as a model
Ills early education deprived him Of
thorough knowledge of Greek and
Roman literature, but he made study
of the English classics and almost be
came a master. He was a great ad.
mlrer of the English Poets, especially
Milton and Tennyson, but the immor.
tai bard Of Avon was always his idol
Though not possessed Of the dlrina.
G.mat"s, no one had keener appreci.
alton of true poetry. His success il
this part Of his career brought hin
substantial benefits as well as mod
est fame.
In politics he believed in the prin
cipIes Of the democratic party, and
though not politician in the ordins
ry sense Of the term, he often control
led in the counsels of this party. II,
never sought and always refused 20
litical preferment.
In religion he held to the doctrine.
of the Roman Catholic church, and
though the frmest believer in it.
teachings, no heart was freer from Lie.
otry than his. He was eminently a
religious man and always ready to re
press irreligious tendencies. He was
always bold and fearless in combat
ting anything opposed to religion.
principles. He was always a practi.
cal and exemplary member of his
church and died with its consultations
In common with the universal
mourning over his death, We feisu
would offer our humble tribute to his
memory. A long aud intimate &C
0naintance, under all circumstances,