Biographical Sketch of Wilson Leiser, Franklin County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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Wilson Leiser was born near West Milton, in Union Co., Penn., March 1,
1839, and is of German extraction, but of American parentage.  His
grandfather, on the father's side, with an only brother, came to Amer-
ica when he was but eight years of age.  The brother was supposed to
have been killed, or died, in the Revolutionary War, and was never
again heard of.  All persons bearing the name are kinsfolk through the
grandfather of the subject of this sketch, so far as known.  His moth-
er was one of a large family of Ranckes, whose father and mother were
also native Americans, but descended on the father's side from the 
Von Ranckes, of Germany, and on the mother's side from a worthy family
of Longs.  The grandmother on the father's side was a Dersham, and all
spoke English in their families, their ancestors in turn having come
to America among the earliest pilgrims.  He was raised on a farm in 
Pennsylvania, and by more than ordinary application, and the aid of 
fortunate and zealous public-school teachers, became qualified to
teach school, and to get the benefit of several disconnected terms at
higher schools, and a diploma at the Ohio State and Union Law College
at Cleveland.  Thus doubtfully prepared, he came to Missouri in 1867,
to grow up with the country, and settled in Pacific, and there began
the delectable existence of "starving" into the practice of law. 
Plenty of clients there were, but they were without the practical
knowledge of the uses of retainers, pretty much as they are to this
day, which renders the paths of impecunious young lawyers difficult 
to travel in a new country.  Other pleasanter paths presented them-
selves, and he again took up the birch, and reorganized the public
schools in Washington, and after eighteen months' teaching, was 
appointed a deputy county clerk by his then new father-in-law, Judge
M. L. G. Crowe.  This imposition upon the county appeared to be too
appalling, and Mr. Crowe was never re-elected to office, and the 
object of this sketch was again out of employment.  He then moved to 
St. James, and after teaching two terms resumed the practice of law
and had a promising practice, but soon concluded to return to Franklin
County, where no man ever got rich, and in an unguarded moment entered
the fascinating career of journalism and started the "Record", of
which he is still editor and proprietor, now in the fourteenth year of
its existence.

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