William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
April 1899

Milwaukee County Police Department

These diaries are a mixture of work and family affairs of William Bramwell Sizer. William was on the Milwaukee Police Department and a member of the Sherman Street Methodist Episcopal Church, later transferring their membership to Kingsley Methodist Episcopal Church and died in 1916. The diaries give a pretty good view of life in the years involved. The diaries were given to me for presentation on this site by family members see contributors page.

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APRIL 1899

4-1-1899
20 deg. NW wind. Fair. All fools day. Marquardt was sent to the office & got the laughs, Pleasant this morn. Becoming cold & disagreeable toward noon. Eve:- very cold. Met Constable from town of Lake looking for Chas. Lipperst. Went to his house, 1216-23rd. Found some very fine lt. Brahma chickens. He was not at home. Walter brought Plans from Architects Office.

4-2-1899
12 deg. NW wind. Fair. Easter:- Cold & disagreeable. Ed. Maechtle came down last night & went with Emma to Wauwatosa this morn.

4-3-1899
20 deg. Light NW wind. Fair. Warm & pleasant this morn. Carried out official ballots to Election Inspectors in the 5th & 6th precincts. Orders to report to Sta. at 6:30 PM to get orders for election.

4-4-1899
22 deg. Northerly wind. Fair. Very pleasant. Judicial Election. Stationed at old place, 29th & Galena. Got home at 8:55 PM. Eddie & Emma came from Wauesha to-day.

4-5-1899
22 Deg. Northerly wind. Fair. Very pleasant & spring like. Went to Beck's this morn. to see bath tub. Notified Volkmann to take out his slot gambling machine.

4-6-1899
32 deg. Southerly wind. Fair. Drill day:- Light shower PM. Officer Wm. Krueger was shot by unknown person at 26th & Cedar St. last night at 7:30 0'c. Application of Thos. Poetzl, 1551 Hopkins for saloon license. Letter for Ald. Winkel. Met Lacy with Fred Gras on Wells St. Bridge as I came from drill.

4-7-1899
34 deg. Southerly wind. Cloudy. Light rain at 7:30 Am. Social & rehearsal at Kopf's last night.

4-8-1899
30 deg. Northerly wind. Fair. Colder, but pleasant. Wrote to H.H. Taylor about painting job. Met Edw. Koch, told him to go & figure on mason work. Dead cat-1053-19th. Got her head in salmon can & couldn't get it out. I had to shoot her. Rode wheel this noon.

4-9-1899
37 deg. SW wind. Fair. Pleasent, warmer. Wore dress coat this PM.

4-10-1899
34 deg. Westerly wind. Fair. Very pleasant, much warmer. Rode wheel this morn. 5 health officers watching milk dealers at Fond du Lac & Center all morn. Met Spingler at 22nd & Locust, went to Lipperts. S. searched house. Schultz & Riemer wewnt to figure on cellar this morn. Scholz & Meyer on a drunk. Told Meyer to sober up & Scholz went to his mother. Ressel & I went there but they wouldn't have them arrested. Rob't Preiss moved to Siebens beyond the toll gate on Fond du Lac Rd.

4-11-1899
40 deg. SE wind. Partly cloudy. Looks like rain. Stolzenfeld came out again this morn. Our 16th wedding anniversary. Sprowls, Miss Rutherford & Miss Harmon came to bible class. No one else came & so we chatted a while & they went home.

4-12-1899
60 deg. SW wind. Fair. Got blue prints at the sta. this morn. Letter for Thos.. Poetzl 1251 Hopkins. Very warm.

4-13-1899
60 deg. SW wind. Fair. Warm. Drill day:- Beck goes up to figure plans this morn. Schedler rept. sick because he didn't want to watch Lipperts Place, 1216-23rd. John Schmidt, 2443 Center bid tin work, $65. Furnace $160.

4-14-1899
40 deg. NW wind. Fair. Shower with Thunder & Lightning at midnight last night. Pleasant & cool in the morn. Sold 8 chickens to Bando for 50 cts. each. $4.00. John Nuetzel. 1136 Fratney found Papers, Abstract, Deed & Mortgage & other papers. Owner can claim them at his house after 6 PM. Growing colder 4 PM. Bldg. Inspectors notice for W.F. Lettor's, 24 1/2 & Hadley.

4-15-1899
34 deg. W. wind. Partly cloudy. Drew vacations. I got May 30 to June 9th. Traded with Winkelmann for July 25 to Aug. 4. Cold all day. F.H. Volkmann sold out & moved from 2029-Center St. Traded his place for a farm at Hales Cor. Notified Wm. Schmidt, 2617 Cherry St. to stop dumping on W. Beckers property, 24th bet. Burleigh & Auer Ave.

4-16-1899
32 deg. NW wind. Fair. Cold, froze ground about 1/2 inch. Warmer PM.

4-17-1899
40 deg. High SW wind. Partly cloudy. Raw south wind, Warmer. School at North Ave. & Lisbon burned at 3 AM. Total loss. Saw the light from our window. Walter & Ada went out on their wheels to see the ruins
.

4-18-1899
48 deg. Southerly wind. Cloudy. Few drops of rain. Went to Mayhew Factory with Stolzenfeld to make arrest at 4 PM. Arrested Otto Tetting, Adolph Schultz, Wm. Wesenberg. Paul Blank, comp. A&B. Got Becks bid on Plumbing and Steuerwald Bros. on carpenter work.

4-19-1899
40 deg. SE wind. Fair. Tax bill for Ernst Adelburg 2328 Center St. from S. side. New bldg, 21st bet. Center & Hadley. Mrs. Lauterbach, 1135-21st had trouble with Wesenberg, 1124-22nd. Told her to get a warrant

4-20-1899
40 deg. East wind. Cloudy. Drill day:- Looks like rain. Called at Menges office after drill. Went to 2626 Vliet St. & engaged a man named Clander to dig cellar. Gave him all the sod on lot & 65.00 to commence Monday morn. Bro. JL's birthday. 39 years old.

4-21-1899
50 deg. W. Wind. cloudy. Light rain this morn. Warmer. Menge came and opened bids. Steuerwald lowest on carpenter work. Mason work-Dallman, Beck-plumbing, Ludwig Mertins-Tin. Furnace work-Stauss.

4-22-1899
45 deg. East wind. Cloudy. Cold & damp. Dead cat, 1054-26. Dead chicken, 2517-Fond du Lac. Steuerwald Bros. figured contract to do carpenter work on Helens house. Verena came in today to take Grandmother home Monday.

4-23-1899
40 deg. NE wind. Cloudy. Notified Thos. Poetzel, 1551 Hopkins to pay license.

4-24-1899
43 deg. NW wind. Fair. Foggy early this morn. Warmer at 9 AM.Took Grandmothers trunk to depot at 5:30 AM. She left with Verena at 7:30 for Fredonia. Dead chicken, 950-21. Dead cats, 1202-22nd, on Hadley bet. 22 & 23rd. Little boy 3 yrs. old can be claimed at 1069-19th. Went to Wm. Dallmann's, made a bargain with him to do Mason work & plastering for $570.00. Commenced cellar digging this PM. Job let to Clander, 2626 Vliet St.

4-25-1899
60 deg. SE wind. Fair. Warm.Met Geo. Crowns & Ed. Powers at 21st & Center. Wm. Dallman signed contract for mason work this Eve. Wm. Schnell was up & signed contract for furnace.

4-26-1899
60 deg. W. wind. Fair. Warm. Wind changed to East. Ed. Powers staid with us all night. Will board with us for a few days while doing work for Crowns. Dead cat, 1198-22nd.

4-27-1899
60 deg. High SW wind. Fair. Drill day:- Orders to wear helmets on Sun. Apr. 30th 3rd quarterly conf. at Kingsley last night. Thunder showers PM & Eve. Minnie cleaned house today. Had front room carpet up & cleaned & laid by noon.

4-28-1899
65 deg. Southerly wind. Fair. Powers finished his work & went home today. PM.- At 12:30 got orders to go to Uhrigs Coal Yard at once. Coal heavers strike. Found Koge & Arnold. Staid with Koge until 6:30 PM & went home via Chestnut St. Car.

4-29-1899
60 deg. Southerly wind. Fair. Warm. Rode down on car. 2 new bldgs, 24th bet. Clark & Center. 3 new buildings, 24 1/2 bet. Center & Hadley. Thos Poetzl 1551 Hopkins paid license April 24th. License no. 1683.

4-30-1899
50 deg. W. wind. Cloudy. Rain with lightning & thunder. Helmets this morn. Meiers Drug Store removed to 21st & Center. Showers all forenoon. Wind changed to NE. Foggy PM & Eve. Cold NE wind. Put on summer underwear & froze all day. Had to wear woolen Jacket PM.

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