James Leslie 1845-1919

LESLIE, MCGREGOR, LILLIE, PURCELL

Posted By: Michael J. Kearney (email)
Date: 12/31/2002 at 10:00:46

The Clinton Herald Monday April 7, 1919 p. 6 James Leslie, for 61 years identified with the grocery business of Clinton, passed away this morning at 5:30 o'clock at the family home, 434 Seventh avenue, after an illness since Saturday, March 29, when he was stricken with paralysis at the Wapsipinicon club. Funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock at the home. In the passing of this upright, honored, and influential business man the city and county mourns a resident who had given almost a lifetime to its mercantile affairs and for more than six decades had maintained his reputation for integrity and fairness in business and private life. He was a man whose word was his bond and who exacted from those with whom he dealt an equal recognition of squareness. He built up the firm which is now know all through the trading territory of Clinton as the Leslie company and his passing will be mourned by friends of many years and friends of newer days. To hear him tell the story of incidents in his life since he, as a lad of 13, stepped behind a grocery counter in the old Bucher store, was to delve into the picturesque days of Clinton history. He was justly proud of his life achievement, and kept his interest to the very last, the busy Saturday of the week on which he was stricken finding him at the store, leaving only in the evening to play his accustomed game of billiards at the club. None who had enjoyed his jokes and fun realized five minutes before that the hand of death was to touch him. His home life was rich in its blessings, full of joys, replete with happiness, and he and his wife were looking forward to the day on which they would celebrate their 50 years of wedded life, for they were married here in Clinton in 1859. To the bride of his youth, and his companion through all life's sorrows and joys, the love and sympathy of friends is silently extended. James Leslie was a native of Scotland, born in Thistle street, Edinburgh, March 15, 1845. When he was six years of age his parents came to America on the vessel Adonius and lived in New York until 1855, then came to Iowa and located in Clinton before the town was laid out. When Mr. Leslie was only 13 years of age he entered the store of J.C. Bucher, one of the earliest merchants of Clinton, then worked for McDaniel & Brewer and in 1866 engaged in business here with his brother in the firm of W.W. Leslie & Co. The firm later became Leslie & Dunham, then James Leslie & company and was reorganized and incorporated in 1906 as the James Leslie company. In 1916 he celebrated the anniversary of 5- years a Clinton business man, and from the Herald files the week of June 6 of that year the following partial story given then is taken. "The Bucher store in which he worked as a lad of 13 was a part of the site on which the Scottish Rite cathedral now stands. The two story building had a general store stock of $70,000, and carried everything that could be asked for by a pioneer family in those days. There were no buildings in Clinton's present retail district then the activities centering along Front street so as to be near the levee. The only means of travel was by water and ox carts across the prairie. "It was no easy job, clerking in this emporium, for the doors were open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 and 11 p.m., every day, but that was the sort of training given young men of those days." It stayed with him, for on the last day of his activities in the store he was as keen about having the stock kept up and of meeting the desires of his patrons as he had been as a lad, learning how, earning a modest stipend, and tempting opportunity to give him a foothold as a Clinton business man. In the fall of 1869 he was married to Miss Martha McGregor, a native of Massachusetts. To them were born four children, Gertrude Evelyn, who married Dr. Lillie and died in Oregon four years ago, James McGregor, Robert Jay, who died in childhood and Donald E. There are also four grandchildren, Evelyn Lillie, wife of Martin W. Purcell, James Leslie Lillie and the two daughters of Mr. and Mrs. James McGregor Leslie, Margaret and Katherine Leslie and two great grandsons, Donald and Martin Purcell.