The Earle family : Ralph Earle and his descendants

208 THE EARLE FAMILY [Sevei
beginning, its president for several years, and one of the largest con-
tributors to its exhibitions. He was an acknowledged authority on
all matters relating to garden culture, and had no greater pleasure
than in comparing notes with other enthusiasts in that line, discuss-
ing and testing the merits of new varieties of flowers or fruit, or
freely imparting his stores of knowledge to interested listeners.
As he married in Nantucket, he frequently visited that island,
where he became acquainted with the captains of whale-ships who
brought sea-shells of both the Atlantic and the Pacific ocean. This
gave him the opportunity to select the finest specimens for his own
conchological cabinet. He knew not only the dealers in shells, but
most of the owners of large private collections in New England and
the Middle States, and thus had facilities for enlarging his collection
by frequent exchanges. Several years before his decease, he gave
this collection, which had become the most extensive in the county,
and was scarcely equalled by any other private one in the State, to
the Natural History Society in Worcester.
He was an Alderman of the city of Worcester soon after its incor-
poration, one of the Vice-presidents of the Worcester County Institu-
tion for Savings, and a Director of the State Mutual Life Assurance
Company from its organization to the time of his death ; and held
offices of trust in other institutions.
On the 1 2th of May, 1S59, he was appointed by Gov. Nathaniel
P. Banks "Commissioner to examine into and report upon the condition
of the Indians and descendants of the same in the Common-
wealth." President Lincoln, in 1S62, appointed him as Postmaster
of Worcester, an office which he filled with the same conscientious
fidelity which distinguished all his conduct in public and private life.
At the expiration of his term he was reappointed by Andrew John-
son, the commission bearing date of July 7, 1865. Not long afterwards
he received a printed circular endorsing Johnson's policy, with
the request that he should sign it and return it to the Executive
department at Washington. As he could not conscientiously sign
it, he laid it aside and made no reply. The circular was soon fol-
lowed by another, identical in its purport and request with the first.
This, too, was laid aside, unsigned and unacknowledged. As might
have been expected under the then existing administration, and as he
did expect, his removal from office was not long delayed. And thus
was sacrificed, for opinion's sake, one of the most lucrative govern-
mental positions in Massachusetts.