The Earle family : Ralph Earle and his descendants

1 66 THE EARLE FAMILY [Seventh
A friend, writing in regard to Mrs. Sargent, says, " My recollec-
tions of her are those of a character full of perseverance, hope and
affection, always looking on the bright side and charitable towards
all."
Their children were
1465-1. Eliza Sargent, b. Jan. 22, 1815 ; m. Oct. ,
13, 1853,
Edward Prest ; d. Jan. 7, 1880.
ipah G. Sargent, b. fan. a. 1818 : m. Augustus W.
Bosworth ; d. Oct. 24, 1847.
1466-2. Sarah G. Sargent, b. Jan. 4, 1818; m. Augustus W
1467-3. Homer E. Sargent, b. May 18, 1822; m. 1st, Feb. 3,
1S48, Maria (b. Nov. 7, 1825 ; d. June 9, 1852), dau. of
Thomas and Alice Bottomly, of Leicester ; issue, 1 ch. ;
2d, Dec. 3, 1861, Rebecca E. {b. Aug. 11, 1837), ^au
of John R. and Rebecca (Maxwell) Wheaton, of War
ren, R. I. ; issue, 4 ch. ; and lives in Chicago, 111.
Homer Earle Sargent [1467-3] passed his minority on the
paternal homestead in Leicester, assisting upon the farm and acquir-
ing his education in the district school and the academy. Upon the j
attainment of his majority, guided by a predilection for employment
in the railroad interest, he took in 1843, the position of clerk to the I
agent at the State Line station, on the Western—now Boston &
Albany—road. As a point from which to estimate the marvellous
rapidity of development of intercommunication and traffic, between i
the Atlantic coast and the Western States, he relates that, during
four months of the winter of 1843-44, the Hudson river being closed, '•
all the travel and the transportation of merchandise from New Yor
to the West was by the way of Bridgeport and the State Line station
and that it was all performed by one passenger train and one freigh
train daily !
In April, 1844, he returned to his father's farm, but in 1845
entered the employ of the Boston & Worcester Railroad, and wa
with that company thirteen years ; first as station agent at Millbury
then in the same capacity at Worcester, and lastly, for six years, a
general freight agent at Boston. While in the position last men
tioned he formulated and put in practice the first through tari
sheet for the transportation of merchandise between Boston and the
Mississippi river. The preparation of this required of him a journey
to the West, and a personal conference with the president, th
superintendent or the general manager of each railroad forming
;
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