LESLIE A. KAHL
Among the younger representative ranchers of Merced County we find the Kahl name closely identified with its best interests through Leslie A. Kahl. He was born on Bear Creek on the Kahl ranch established by his grandfather, Adam Kahl, on September 26, 1890, the oldest of the two sons born to Ernest D. Kahl and his wife, mention of whom is made on another page of this work. Leslie attended the Plainsburg School and the Oakland Polytechnic, where he took a business course, after which he returned to the ranch and assisted with its operation. With his brother James A., he
is carrying on the extensive interests owned by their father, to whom the sons give all credit for their present success. The sons raise large quantities of wheat, barley and oats, and are continually doing development work, having leveled and checked sixty-five acres and put in alfalfa, and have set out seventy-five acres of fig trees. The brothers have become popular through their breeding of Duroc Jersey hogs and Durham cattle, thereby doing a great deal to raise the standard of hogs and cattle in this section. They own and conduct the grain elevator at Athlone, where the ranchers within a radius of ten miles find it convenient to store and ship their grain. Their land under cultivation reaches some 3000 acres.

On August 10, 1916, at Stockton, Mr. Kahl was united in marriage with Miss Gladys Brandon, a native of Merced County, the youngest daughter of
Amberson Brandon, well-known grain farmer here. Mrs. Kahl is a graduate of the Stockton Normal and was engaged in teaching school in Merced, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties for seven terms. Of this union three children have been born : Elizabeth Ann, Phyllis M., and Marvin Leslie.
Mr. Kahl is a director in the Le Grand Bank, and clerk of the board of trustees of the Plainsburg school, serving his third term. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church at Merced. Fraternally, he is a member of Yosemite Lodge No. 99, F. & A. M., and belongs to Merced Pyramid of Sciots, and to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is straightforward in all business matters, believes in doing what he can to assist in the development of his native county and is held in high esteem. Both brothers have erected comfortable homes adjoining on the home ranch, where they were reared.