The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-02-23
JESSE STAphETON B0NSALL.
Paper Read by Baker John
son Before Historical Society
of Frederick County, Febru.
airy 18th, 1900.
Lives OF great men all remind us.
We can make our lives sublime.
And departing leave behind us.
Footprints ON the sands OF timew

-
the former principal of the Frederick Col
lege, more Familiarity known and only IN
him as-The Academy.
Inc writer we'll remembers one afternoon
IN the early fall when in company with his
older brother and under the guidance of
our father DIR. George johnson, he was
taken to be entered as student. When
looking over the carefully kept General
Register of Frederick College" by Prof.
Bonsall, he easily found Item No. ACC
johnson, Baker residence Frederick CITY.
entered October Bird, 1865; age Z; date of
birth, April Srd, 1858; parent or guardian,
George johnson, occupation, physician"
The familiar back-hand of Mr.. Bonsall.
with page after page of record with the
same neat regularity without blot or blur.
brings to vivid recollection the same writ
ing upon the weekly reports, which. in
youthful days, were terror to some and
an honorable record to others
But first q word of introduction. The
school had been established by n special
Act of 1853 by the Maryland Legislature.
but apparently had little vitality until re-
organized by the General Assembly in 1897.
Inc Legislature then created new corpor-
alton known as the Visitors of Frederick
County School, to he composed of George
Murdoch, Richard Potts, Philip Thomas,
Baker johnson, Francis Mantz, John Nc
Pherson and George Baer. Jr. Two of the
Board of Visitors Richard Potts and Baker
johnson, were great grandfathers of the
writer. Then in 1880 the name of the
school was changed to Frederick College
and the visitors were authorized to confer
any degrees except in medicine
Such was Frederick College when Jesse
Stapleton Bonsall came in the spring of
lS45 to take charge as its principal, having
previously taught in Martinsburg, where
he took his wife as bride Born in Phil
adelphia, February 18th, 1919, he was then
only about 26 years old when he came to
Frederick. The following period of thirty
years comprises his life-work.
His father, Benjamin Bonsall. died when
the son was young. Jesse S. Bonsall was
educated at Princeton College and probably
the best opponents of his careful work as a
teacher were the half dozen Princeton
graduates who were pupils of his for two
generations, and who, owing to his training
i'll Latin and Greek Syntax had no trouble
III ranking with the tirst-honor men of their
classes in those branches
He married Susan X. Neale, September
Sth, 1S43, in Philadelphia and came to
Frederick, as already stated, in 1S45. For
many years he made his home OH the north
side of East Church street, in the property
now owned and occupied by Mr.. Peter G.
Eader At first his own mother. Mrs.
Sarah Bonsall, made her home with him
until she died at the age of seventy. on
March Both, 1858; afterward his wifes
mother and two sisters lived with him.
His widow, Mrs. Susan r. Bonsall, still
survives him, and at the advanced age of
eighty years or thereabouts has now made
her home for number of years with the
f mily of Mr.. Lewis NJ. Nixdorff, on East
Second street.
In appearance Mr.. Bonsall was tall al
though probably not actually above med
ium height, but the stiff straight figure
with the long black alpaca coat reaching to
the knees with always full suit of black
gave the observer the idea ofgreater height.
In summer a long linen coat below the
knees helped the same impression.
In the early days of the writer's nine
years tuition at the Academy, eight of
which were under the tuition of Prof. Bon.
sail as principal, Mr.. Bonsall's own room
was the east one on the second floor.
Every morning the door in the partition to
the larger English room was thrown open
and promptly at o'clock chapter would
be read from the Bible and the school
would be opened with prayer by the prin-
cipal. No other book was ever good enough
to be read as a substitute and the beauty of
true nobility of character "chalepa tn kala"
a. I,,A e.. 1. Al.
livesn those two notices which hung
framed, one Greek and one Latin, upon the
school room walls and so well known to
the old scholars, was well exemplified by
the quiet christian character and force of
the principal himself.
Scarcely student from the years 1S45 to
1875 has gone from Frederick to seek n
higher education who was not prepared in
Greek and Latin by Mr.. Bonsall. DIR.
George johnson, father of the writer, Ed
ward S. Eichelberger, Esq, DIR. Franklin
Buchanan Smith, DIR. William Crawford
johnson, the writer Baker Johnson Chas.
b. Trail, Esq, all went either directly or
after other preparation from the school room
of Prof. Bonsall TO Princeton or Harvard
/ Colleges.
Time and space prevent full elaboration
of the long list of those of ''his boys rs he
used to call them. Besides those already
named and among the earlier years Of his
work we're Ezra, George and James Houck,
David Columbus Kemp William Pinckney
Maulsby, now practising as one of the senior
members ofthe Frederick bar, and also now
serving as one of the Board of Trustees,
Edward Yearbery Goldsborough, also a
/ .l,a,. Of tatn
ciety of Frederick County, George Late
Tyler, now of the Regular Army, Ira Tyler,
cashier of the First National Bank, Richard
Henry Stokes, now cashier of the National
Bank of Rockville Montgomery county,
Md, Steiner Schley, also one ofthe trustees,
Thomas Ii. Halter, Charles McCulloh Gil
pin, Esq, William Richie, Esq, now a
prominent lawyer of Chicago and the pres
ident of the Maryland Society in the city
of Chicago, the brother, Hon. John Richie,
now deceased, and now well remembered
and honored as the former Congressman,
Statesman, lawyer, and at the time of his
death the Chief Justice of this Judicial
Circuit, Rev. George Merle Zacharias, now
q minister of the German Reformed Church
and one of the sons of the former president
of the Board of Trustees, Eugene Lugenbeel
Derr, Benjamin Reich, member of the
Frederick bar, Samuel Tyler, afterwards q
lawyer in Washington and the biographer
of Chief Justice fancy, William McCulley
Hardt, how holding responsible position
in the government employ in Philadelphia,
and the former National Bank Examiner
for this State.
Close attention to the exacting details of
teaching, and long hours not simply during
the school hours but afterwards with recall
citrant pupils at length undermined the
| L.niAh 40 AZ Ronnnll LIZ OF, fInrnd N "a I'll.