WILLIAM F. LESLIE.

WILLIAM F. LESLIE.
The rapid and substantial development of the west at times seems a matter of marvel and yet the reason is not far to seek, for it is the men of enterprise seeking opportunities, who have left the older east to take advantage of the natural resources of the country and business conditions which arise therefrom. Eager to embrace these opportunities. they are bringing about results which are most creditable and satisfactory. Active in the business circles of Moorcroft is William F. Leslie, the efficient cashier of the Peoples Bank. He was born in Richardson county. Nebraska, near Falls City, on the 13th of July, 1882. and is a son of Henry and Emily (Connor) Leslie, the former a native of Ireland, while the latter was born in Illinois. The father came to the United States when a youth of seventeen years and established his home near Falls City, Nebraska, where he was married. He engaged in farming and stock raising and at the time of the Civil war he responded to the country’s call for troops, making a most creditable record by his marked fidelity to his country during that dark hour in her history. He served during the entire period of the war as a member of the Fifth Missouri Regiment of Volunteer Infantry and after his return to the north concentrated his efforts and attention upon the development of the fields and the raising of stock. His was a busy, useful and active life, which was terminated in death in 1907. His widow still survives and is now a resident of Shubert, Nebraska. William F. Leslie pursued his education in the district schools of Richardson county and in the Falls City Business College, while later he attended the State Normal School at Peru, Nebraska, and also the Fremont Normal College at Fremont, that state, being graduated from the latter institution of learning as a member of the class of 1905. For a period of four years between his attendance at Falls City and at Fremont he was engaged in telegraph service with the Florence & Cripple Creek Railway and the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, the Frisco and the Burlington Railroad Companies. He then completed his education and subsequently took up the profession of teaching, which he followed for three years in the schools of Nemaha and Richardson counties. On the expiration of that period he became identified with merchandising in Shubert, Nebraska, where he remained for two years, and in May, 1911, he came to Wyoming, settling first at Hulett, where he secured the position of assistant cashier of the Hulett State Bank, in which capacity he continued to serve until January 1, 1914. In the November election of 1914 he was chosen to the office of clerk of the district court of Crook county and on the 1st of January following he assumed the duties of the new office, serving in that official capacity for two years, during which time he also became interested in the abstract business, with which he is still identified. On the expiration of his term of office he concentrated his attention largely upon the abstract business until October, 1917, at which time he became identified with the Peoples Bank of Moorcroft, and on the 15th of October of that year was elected cashier of the institution. He is now serving in that capacity and is found to be a most courteous and obliging as well as capable official. The bank was organized in September and opened its doors for business on the 14th of that month. It was capitalized for fifteen thousand dollars, which sum was increased through a reorganization to twenty-five thousand dollars on the 14th bf January. 1918, a fact which is indicative of the substantial and gratifying growth of the business. On the 11th of August, 1909, Mr. Leslie was united in marriage to Miss Ethel E. Garman, of Hardy, Nebraska, and to them have been born three children, Yvonne, William Elmore and Edwin Morton. Mr. Leslie is a member df Sundance Lodge, No. 9, A. F. & A. M.: also of Hulett Lodge. No. 46, I. 0. 0. F. ; and Shubert Camp. No. 4345. M. W. A. His religious faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church, while his wife belongs to the Lutheran church. Mr. Leslie is the owner of valuable property, having filed on a homestead four miles south of Sundance in October, 1915, where he and his family reside.

The rapid and substantial development of the west at times seems a matter of marvel and yet the reason is not far to seek, for it is the men of enterprise seeking opportunities, who have left the older east to take advantage of the natural resources of the country and business conditions which arise therefrom. Eager to embrace these opportunities. they are bringing about results which are most creditable and satisfactory. Active in the business circles of Moorcroft is William F. Leslie, the efficient cashier of the Peoples Bank.
He was born in Richardson county. Nebraska, near Falls City, on the 13th of July, 1882. and is a son of Henry and Emily (Connor) Leslie, the former a native of Ireland, while the latter was born in Illinois. The father came to the United States when a youth of seventeen years and established his home near Falls City, Nebraska, where he was married. He engaged in farming and stock raising and at the time of the Civil war he responded to the country’s call for troops, making a most creditable record by his marked fidelity to his country during that dark hour in her history. He served during the entire period of the war as a member of the Fifth Missouri Regiment of Volunteer Infantry and after his return to the north concentrated his efforts and attention upon the development of the fields and the raising of stock. His was a busy, useful and active life, which was terminated in death in 1907. His widow still survives and is now a resident of Shubert, Nebraska.
William F. Leslie pursued his education in the district schools of Richardson county and in the Falls City Business College, while later he attended the State Normal School at Peru, Nebraska, and also the Fremont Normal College at Fremont, that state, being graduated from the latter institution of learning as a member of the class of 1905. For a period of four years between his attendance at Falls City and at Fremont he was engaged in telegraph service with the Florence & Cripple Creek Railway and the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, the Frisco and the Burlington Railroad Companies. He then completed his education and subsequently took up the profession of teaching, which he followed for three years in the schools of Nemaha and Richardson counties. On the expiration of that period he became identified with merchandising in Shubert, Nebraska, where he remained for two years, and in May, 1911, he came to Wyoming, settling first at Hulett, where he secured the position of assistant cashier of the Hulett State Bank, in which capacity he continued to serve until January 1, 1914. In the November election of 1914 he was chosen to the office of clerk of the district court of Crook county and on the 1st of January following he assumed the duties of the new office, serving in that official capacity for two years, during which time he also became interested in the abstract business, with which he is still identified. On the expiration of his term of office he concentrated his attention largely upon the abstract business until October, 1917, at which time he became identified with the Peoples Bank of Moorcroft, and on the 15th of October of that year was elected cashier of the institution. He is now serving in that capacity and is found to be a most courteous and obliging as well as capable official. The bank was organized in September and opened its doors for business on the 14th of that month. It was capitalized for fifteen thousand dollars, which sum was increased through a reorganization to twenty-five thousand dollars on the 14th bf January. 1918, a fact which is indicative of the substantial and gratifying growth of the business.
On the 11th of August, 1909, Mr. Leslie was united in marriage to Miss Ethel E. Garman, of Hardy, Nebraska, and to them have been born three children, Yvonne, William Elmore and Edwin Morton.
Mr. Leslie is a member df Sundance Lodge, No. 9, A. F. & A. M.: also of Hulett Lodge. No. 46, I. 0. 0. F. ; and Shubert Camp. No. 4345. M. W. A. His religious faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church, while his wife belongs to the Lutheran church. Mr. Leslie is the owner of valuable property, having filed on a homestead four miles south of Sundance in October, 1915, where he and his family reside.