FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
227 
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him in his chair for the last time. By his 
own wish he remained up all day, and 
watched the sun set at evening. 
Easter Monday he was too weak to 
get up. Each day he grew weaker, the 
last three passed in a semi-conscious 
state, recognizing no one but his sorrow¬ 
ing wife. 
His spirit quietly passed away on Sun¬ 
day morning, April 26, at about ten 
o’clock. 
The funeral services were held at Den- 
mere, Archdeacon Brown officiating. 
The remains were laid in the family 
burying ground near Silver lake, where 
in their season, the orange trees he loved, 
may scatter their blossoms over his quiet 
grave. 
WILLIAM H. EARLE. 
William H. Earle for many years was 
a prominent and leading citizen of Tan¬ 
gerine. He was born at Hubbardston, 
MJass., on the 22nd day of May, 1831. 
His father -was a farmer, and of good 
New England stock. 
The life history, and a detailed account 
of the work done by the subject of this 
sketch, would, as those best acquainted 
with him well know, fill a volume. Being 
possessed of a mind, more than ordinarily 
bright and active, and having a natural 
inclination to literature, he at an early 
age became, and through all of his active 
business career remained a valued and 
constant correspondent of many of the 
leading papers not only of his native 
State, but also of the State of his adop¬ 
tion. Nor was it by pen alone that he 
acquired the respect and' esteem of the 
citizens of his native State; for we find 
him taking an active and leading part in 
the granger movement; and as one of the 
strongest and most aggressive advocates 
of the cause of temperance, and it was 
upon the platform 'and the rostrum that 
he won his brightest laurels ; eventually 
becoming the gubernatorial candidate on 
the ticket of the temperance party of his 
native State. Again we find him actively 
engaged in mercantile pursuits, he 
having founded and for many years per¬ 
sonally conducted the agricultural imple¬ 
ments, feed and seed business, still car¬ 
ried on by Ross Biros, in the city of 
Worcester, Mass., and which owing in 
no small measure to his care and fore¬ 
thought has continued to flourish until at 
the present time it is one of the largest 
concerns of the kind to be found any¬ 
where within his native State. Mr. Earle 
continued in the active management of 
this enterprise until about 1885, when on 
account of failing health, he was com¬ 
pelled ito (dispose of the business, and 
turned his thoughts toward a more con¬ 
genial climate than that afforded by the 
old Bay State. His former schoolmate 
and life long friend, Mir. Dudley Adams, 
having acquired extensive holdings of 
real estate near Lake Beauclair, in Or¬ 
ange county, Florida, it was perfectly 
natural that his thoughts should turn 
that way, and we soon find him in com¬ 
pany with two near and dear friends, Mr. 
George H. Rice, of Worcester, Mass., 
and Mr. S. C. Davis of New York, lo¬ 
cated near the small village of Tanger- 
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