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IN his name, Leslie Sutherland
combines the names of two ancient Scottish clans, the Leslies and the
Sutherlands; and the old family Bible traces his immediate pedigree for
more than four hundred years. He was born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia,
April 21, 1866, the fourth son of Joseph Sutherland, a native of Frampton,
Quebec, and Ann Fergusson, born in New York City. Of eight children, two
brothers, Spencer Kenneth and Edward Augustus, and a sister, Ann Amelia,
wife of the Rev. Alfred Duncombe, pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church,
Long Branch, N. J., are living: three brothers, Joseph William, George
Irving and Alexander Gordon, and a sister, Margaret Ellen, are deceased.
He was educated in the public schools, Yonkers, and was graduated from the
Science and Art Department of Cooper Institute, New York, in 1890. He was
instructor in Architecture in the Yonkers High School until 1894, although
in the previous year he had opened an office as architect and also engaged
in general contracting. Before graduation he learned the bricklayer ‘s
trade and had followed it in New York, Albany, Chicago, St. Paul and other
cities.
For twenty years he was the dominant
political leader of the city of Yonkers, and is its foremost citizen. He
was twice elected a member of the Board of Aldermen, and was President of
the Board, 1896-1897; and in the fall of 1897 elected mayor, and
re-elected by an increased majority. From 1893-1901 he served as Clerk of
the Surrogate’s Court; and in 1901 was elected County Clerk of Westchester
County by a majority of 1,500, and again in 1905 by a majority of 7,000.
In 1897 he had formed a political alliance with the Hon. William L. Ward,
who that year became Republican leader of Westchester County. In 1900 he
was chosen as one of the delegates to the Republican National Convention
in Chicago. He was appointed receiver of the Yonkers Railway system
January 18, 1908, of which he is now Vice-President. He is active and
personally popular in many social and fraternal organizations. He is a
member of the New York Burns Society, Order of Scottish Clans, Patriotic
Order Sons of America, Republican Club (New York), City Club (New York),
Neperhan Lodge No. 706, F. & A. M., Terrace City Chapter, Royal Arch
Masons, Commandry Knights Templar No. 47, and Benevolent and Patriotic
Order of Elks. He is a member of the Park Hill Reformed Church.
Leslie Sutherland is of the same
friendly, genial disposition to-day as when as a boy he was selling
newspapers in Getty Square, in the city of which he was destined to be the
chief executive. When he resigned as chairman of the Republican City
Committee of Yonkers, a banquet in his honour
was attended by more than 3,000 friends and
admirers. He was Chairman of the Building Committee of the Yonkers Y. M.
C. A., and raised $200,000 and built the present Y. M. C. A. Building; he
was key man in raising for St. Joseph’s Hospital $125,000, and an equal
amount for the Masonic Temple; and has always been keenly interested in
the Hollywood Inn Working Man’s Club. He was one of the organizers and is
a director of the Yonkers National Bank and of the Neperhan Publishing
Company, owners of the Yonkers Daily News, of which he is
President. As mayor of the city, he created public baths, extended the
docks for the use of the poor, raised $50,000 for the Public Library; and
he has made of the Yonkers Railway, for many years in financial
difficulties, a solvent, going concern. In the words of his pastor, Mr.
Sutherland is a man of kindness and genius for friendship, whose faith is
sustained by trust in God which is exhibited in his daily life.
Mr. Sutherland married, December 10,
1901, Miss Matilda Karg, daughter of Kaspar and Mathilda Karg, of New York
City. Their children are: Lorna Matilda, born May 12, 1903; Robert Leslie,
born July 14, 1904; Gladys Helen, born September 29, 1906; Leslie Charles,
born March 11, 1909; and Beverley, born May 29, 1916. Their home is
66 St. Andrew’s Place, Yonkers. |
