William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
Mar 1886

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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March 1886

3-1-1886
Went to Melchords Auction. Richard went to Pt. I got home at 6 o'c. PM. Jake bought Melchords old sleigh for $1.70. Mrs, Amelia Youker Wolf died at home in Milwaukee. Deceased left a Babe 8 days old.

3-2-1886
Started for the woods before 7 o'c. this morn. Sawed all the forenoon. After dinner Pa & Libbie went with us to Jakes. Minnie drove home to see her mother & we helped Jake cut feed. Got home at dark.

3-3-1886
Hauled wood all day. Brimmin cow had a calf this morn. Weather: Cool wind, NW. I let the hens out this afternoon.

3-4-1886
Finished hauling out wood today & went to Pt. in the eve. Returned my road warrant today. Heard Bro. Fritsche preach & stopped at Uncle Henry's & looked at his new house. Had a visit with Ch. Streiber. Witt Irwin & Miss Turck were married on Tues. Weather: Fine, thawed some.

3-5-1886
Weather fine. Wind rather cool from NE & E. Sawed wood in the forenoon & split in the afternoon. Went to Karkers in the eve. Signed a petition for the maintainence of our school district.

3-6-1886
Worked in the woods in the forenoon. Henry came after Minnie so we had dinner at 11 o'c. I went to Myra in the afternoon to see R. Peat about the check cashing biz. Jason went to Milwaukee today. Told us that Albrechts & Kirsch's saloons were burned last night.l Also Kirsch's barn. Henry's 4th Sow born today.

3-7-1886
Went to church this morn. Bro. H. was sick & we were disappointed. I went home with Jake & Lois & saw the Big Boy.

3-8-1886
Richard & I went to the Fair. I got home at noon. He came about 3 o'c. I worked at the incubator this afternoon.

3-9-1886
Went to Colley's Mill after sawdust. Worked at the incubator a while & then went to Saukville & got Henry Lutfring to help me some. Worked at the thing all eve. Weather rather cold. Wind NW.

3-10-1886
Worked at the Hatrcher all day. Richard sawed firewood in the woods. Minnie took Frankie & Emma home & brought Johnnie back with her. Had lots of trouble with the incubator drawer but got through all right. Weather rather warm. Thawed a considerable. Wind, W.

3-11-1886
Richard hauled down firewood before dinner. Afternoon: Hekped Pa split cord wood. I finished the Incubator & went to Saukville. Got the lamps going thisw eve. Weather cloudy. Snowing after 3 o'c. PM. Mrs. Yost-Hurlbut was buried today. Geese commenced laying.

3-12-1886
Forenoon: Jimmie helped me haul out wood on the sleigh. Afternoon: R & I put up 10 bags of feed & I went to the mill & brought a sack of oil meal home.

3-13-1886
Cut cord wood this AM. PM: We split wood for Pa. Ed Nash & Wife stair all night with our folks & came this morning to see the incubator. We went to Jakes this eve. Got back at 10:30 o'c.

3-14-1886
Didn't got to chburch today. Not feeling well & the weather looked stormy & snowed some. Huston didn't got to Waubeka Jason was here. Held lantern while I did the chores. Wrote to Gottleib tonight.

3-15-1886
Filled the Hatchere at 12:00 N. Snowed most of the day. Filled the incubator in the morn. Hauled a few loads,of wood on the snow. Pa threshed his flax. Went to S. & got my feed & did some trading. Just as we were siting down to supper to young chaps came in & asked for some supper. We gave them some & they left for Waubeka. Jake & Lois came & we visited a while & the Karkers folks came down to our folks & we went over there. Rufus came home to stay a few days.

3-16-1886
Stayed at the house in the forenoon & fixed the Beetle. After dinner went to work in the woods. Willie McHenry went home today. Weather warm. Thawed very fast. Wind, SW.

3-17-1886
Pa finished threshing his flax today. I helped him clean it at noon. Jason came home tonight. There is to be a debate at the Irish Hall tonight. Worked at the cordwood. Minnie has a swollen face caused by bad teeth.

3-18-1886
Worked in the woods all day. Weather very warm. Cloudy. Rained some in the eve. Pa went to Pt.

3-19-1886
Worked in the woods all day. G. Wolf was here today. Wanted to buy some seed wheat. Filed my cross cut saw this afternoon. Weather warm. Wind changeable. Thunder & lightning in the eve.

3-20-1886
Rained all night & most all day. Richard went to Saukville & came back at chore time. Jason came home in the forenoon. I fixed the register over the heating stove. & then J & I went to the P.O. with my team.

3-21-1886
Snowed most all day. The river is very high. I went across the RR bridge with Jason to see how high the water was. Could not go to church on account of the high water below Saukville.

3-22-1886
Finished filing the cross cut saw. Didn't feel well & did very little. Went to Jakes in the afternoon & came back & started tearing down the old hen house. Weather cold. Thawing some in PM.

3-23-1886
Went to see Lufring on Biz this morn. Richard hauled some firewood. Pa & I hauled straw from K's. Two loads for me & two loads for him. Wrote some letters this eve. Waeather, warmer. Wind changeable.

3-24-1886
Richard hauled wood from the woods. I went to the Swamp & got some poles for the Binder Shed. Cleaned up ground & started digging the holes for the posts.

3-25-1886
Jake came this morn. We got the biz. ready & Pa & Jason & Jimmie came over & helped carry the roof around & put it up. I sent Jimmie to S. to get some spikes. Lois came over & staid to dinner. Jason filed my Buck Saw. Went to the Caucus. Rode down with Karker.

3-26-1886
Went to the mill with feed. Got an egg case of CHN & filled it with eggs. Went to Hansen's Auction. Bought 15 bu. corn @ 46 cts. per bush. Came home & went to S. with the eggs. Hauled a load of eggs to the depot for Chris. & brought home my feed. Got a 1/4 bbl. of rye flour. Wind NW. Weather Fair.

3-27-1886
Went to Hansens & got my corn. Jimmie went around with teh team & Pa & Iwent across. Hauled fire wood in the PM. Set one goose with eleven eggs & set one with 13 eggs. Weather cold. Wind NE.

3-28-1886
Went to church this morning. Minnie ataid home & took care of the incubator. Bro. H. preached from St. John 5-39 text. Search the scriptures. Bro. H. came here to dinner & then we took Doll & went to Waubeka Came back & staid here. Jason came over in the eve. Weather cold. Wind NE. Commenced snowing this eve.

3-29-1886
Huston staid all night with us. Richard did not come home till late this morn. Jason took Huston to the depot & got Nell's front shoes rep. Mrs. Dopple came with him & staid to dinner R & I sawed wood till noon. Afternoon: R. went back to the woods & I worked around the hen house. Nickel Hans came about 4 o'c & wanted me to see a cow. I went & got back at 7:20 o'c. Pa & Ma & Jimmie went to Barton. Weather, cloudy. Wind N & NE Several inches of snow this morn.

3-30-1886
Worked in the woods a while & afternoon worked in the new house fixing up the partition. Weather snowy. Wind NE.

3-31-1886
Snowed all day. Worked around the house. Jason came over & cut my hair & Walters & I cut his. Afternoon: I commenced the brooder. Weather moderate. Wind NE.

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