Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
April 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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APRIL 1886

4-1-1886
Snow; about 8 in. deep this morn.  Wauled out cord wood with sleigh.  Afternoon: Jason took the team & took 8 bags of feed to mill & went on to Port.  R & I sawed cord wood.

Set goose today - 11 eggs.  Weather cold.  Wind NW.

4-2-1886
Cleaned the henhouse this forenoon.  Worked at the wood awhile.  Jason took 7 bags of feed to the mill and brooght back what he took yesterday.  Got a can of oil from Fiessel's.  I finished the brooder.  Jake came over and staid to supper.  Ma came over a while in the evening.  Jimmie came over with two Pullete & took hoome to Roosters.  Weather cold.  Wind NW.

4-3-1886
Hauled out wood Wood.  Went down to see Becker.  Went to Pt after noon.  Got an egg case from Jacque.  Charlie Streibers came home with me.  Chicke commenced peeping today.  Weather moderate.  Wind. NE.

4-4-1886
Went to church this morn.  Huston preached on "Sampsons Riddle" Charlie Streiber went back this morn.  Laura & JImmie rode down with me.  J. Came back with me & staid to dinner.  Minnie staid home to watch the incubator.  The chicks began to come out this morn.

4-5-1886
Watched the chicks most all day.  Filed the cross cut saw.  Helped R. in the woods a awhile.  Weather moderate.

4-6-1886
Filed the incubator again this morn.  Worked in the woods.  R. Feat came at noon & stayed till 3 o'c.  Pa & J. & I went to town meeting.  Nonie was here in the eve.  K. came home late.

4-7-1886
Went to Cooley's Mill this morning to gets ome boards for the Brooder.  Pa went with me to get his saw gummed.  He came home with the team & brought the saw home.  Came down to the RR.  Worked at the Brooder all afternoon.  Karker came in the afternoon.  Weather fine.  Wind, N. Set a goos this morn.

4-8-1886
Minnie's Birthday, 25 yrs. Old.  Worked at the new brooder all day.  Went to Pt. in the eve to Cantata rehearsal.  Took down a case of eggs.  Weather warm.  Wind S & SW.

4-9-1886
Finished he Brooder this morn.  Tinkered around all day.  Worked in the woods a while.  Wolf came about noon & we cleared up his seed Wheat at Pa's.  Then he came over to see the chicks & stated to dinner.  Had a headache al the afternoon.  Vomitted some in the eve.  Minnie picked the gray geese this morn.  Weather warm.  Wind W.

4-10-1886
Didn't do much all day.  Felt sick.  Went to woods twice but could not work.  Old man Denzer was drowned last night.  He started to cross the river in the eve, but did not get there.

4-11-1886
Minnie went to church.  I staid home & watched the chicks & incubator.  The weather damp, raining some.  Jason took Huston to Waubeka.  Tosday is our wedding anniversary.  Three years since we were married.  Wind. NE.

4-12-1886
Went to the fair with a cow & two pigs.  Sold the pigs.  Brought the cow home.  H. Laubenstein & Jake were here to dinner.  Richard went to Zink's today.  Put another lamp into the stand Brooder this morn.  Put the chicks out under the brooder this afternoon.  Goose eggs began to pip today.

4-13-1886
Went to the woods & did not feel like working.  Came down & filed the cross out saw & then went up & tried it.  Went over the fields to see if they were dry.  Plowed in the garden this afternoon.  Minnie trimmed the berry bushes.  I sawed the limbs off the crab trees in the garden.  One goaling came out today.  Weather warm.  Wind. E.

4-14-1886
Commenced plowing back of the house this morn. It rained & I quit.  Had dinner early & went to the woods.  Worked awhile.  I can't stand it to saw.  Came down & fixed the cow yard fence & then finished plowing.  Jason came over in the eve.  Richard came down early & went to Saukville.  Wind, SE.  Clearing up in afternoon.  Antoerh goaling today.

4-15-1886
Planted potatoes back of the house.  Hauled manure into the garden & plowed the garden.  Had April showers all day.  Jimmie helped Richard saw wood in the woods.  Wind, south.  Weather cooler than yesterday.

4-16-1886
Went to Saukville the forenoon.  Saw Eastman.  Minnie cleaned house today.  I went to Karkers in the afternoon.  Got a small lamp bowl.  Rainy all day.  Weather quite warm.  Wind, SE changing to S & SW.

4-17-1886
Picked up around in the forenoon.  Commenced cultivating this afternoon.  Richard finished splitting firewood & went to Saukville in eve.  Aggie McCarton called here this eve.  Weather quite warm.  Wind: S & SW.

4-18-1886
Roads were so bad that we did not go to church.  Minnie & I went to Georges to preaching.  Weather, very warm.  Wind S. Grass growing very fast.

4-19-1886
hauled fence posts & rails in the forenoon.  After dinner, planted some potatoes in the garden & went to cultivating.  Wind NE but quite warm.  Jimmie helped cultivate with their team this afternoon.

4-20-1886
Commenced sewing oats today.  Sowed about 15 bu.  Jimmie finished cultivating on my piece * went home on theirs.  Jim caught too gobblers in a steel trap.  Jason is 26 years old today.  Weather, fine, quite warm.  Looks like ran tonight.  Thunder.  Wind, SE & S.

4-21-1886
Sowed oats in the field back of the house. Richard came & got the rest of his clothes. His Bro, came in the afternoon & inquired for him. Minnie directed him to Saukville.

4-22-1886
Finished sowing my field of oats & sowed wheat for Pa. Jason & I went to Pt. to practice at Doc. Jacobs. Heard at S. that Richard Meerstein & Martha Wensel were married by D.E. McGinley. Justice of the Peace on Monday Apr. 19, 1886.

4-23-1886
Today is good Friday. Started up the Brooder today. Getting ready for the new chicks. Cultivated & sowed Barley this afternoon.

4-24-1886
Finished sowing the Wilson Hill lot & sowed an acre of Barley in the south lot. Hoffman got the calf tonight. Weather quite cool. Wind, NE. Acts like rain. Most cold enough to snow.

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