Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
December 1897

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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DECEMBER 1897

12-1-1897
Clear and cold. About 10 degrees above zero. Snowed about one inch last night. Wind changed to NW. Called down to get our checks at 1:45 PM. Herman Gaffries saloon license dated Nov. 29th '97.

12-2-1897
Drill day. Clear and cold. West wind. Commenced snowing at 3 PM. Snowed about 1 in. Told John Felsch this morn. if he didn't stop making such a disturbance in the house, the neighbors would prosecute him for disturbing the peace.

12-3-1897
Cloudy. Some warmer. NE wind. Looks like more snow. Signed $5.00 for the sesquicentential next year, to be pd. Apr. 1st '98. Pd. gas bill at H. Roehmheld's this morn. $4.20. Add. to bldg., 27th and Fond du Lac.

12-4-1897
Rain and snow last night. Easterly winds, Blizzard at 5:30 AM from the NE. Paid 25 cts. to the West Side Station Athletic Ass'n. Rain all forenoon. Commenced snowing at 2:45 PM. Flurries of snow all afternoon and Eve.

12-5-1897
Sunday:- Colder this morn. Fair, warmer toward noon. Westerly wind.

12-6-1897
Cloudy, raw S. wind. snow at 10:15 AM. Flurries till 2 PM. showers of rain and sleet after that.

12-7-1897
Fair and pleasant. Not very cold this morn. Southerly wind. Cloudy PM.

12-8-1897
Fair, Southerly wind. Very pleasant. Pa and Ma came this noon on the 12:50 train.

12-9-1897
Partlyy cloudy. SE wind. Drill day. Met Sergt Schneider at 9:25, 20th and Chambers. Warm.

12-10-1897
Rain last night. Cloudy and rain this morn. SE wind. Adolph Scholz arrested yesterday by Det. Kelley on charge of abandonment of family. Rain. Rain. Went to sta. at 1:45 PM. Got warrant for Christ Kaufman, 1047-29th St. Wife comp. Threatened to kill. Suib. witnesses for Scholz def.

12-11-1897
Partly cloudy, colder. NW Wind. Court this morn. with Christ Kaufman., 1047-29th. Found guilty and sentenced to 15 days H of C. Got back to beat at 10:15.

12-12-1897
Cloudy and damp this forenoon. No Wind.

12-13-1895 Cloudy and damp, some warmer. Easterly wind. Scholz case cont. till tomorrow. Add. to bldg. 25th & Hopkins. Herm. Gruehn. Snow tonight.

12-14-1897
Rain all morn. About 1 in. of snow last night. Northerly wind. Went to McHenry's this eve. Colder tonight. Got home 9:45 PM. Pa, Ma, Minnie and Ada were there. I went to bring them home.

12-15-1897
Cloudy & cool this morn. No wind at 9 AM. Pa and Ma go home this PM. southerly wind PM. Raw and disagreeable. Gave A&B warrant, D.W.Pratt comp. vs. Alb. Bauman etal to Lt. Kranich

12-16-1897
Cool this morn. west wind. Fair growing colder toward noon. Drill day. Notified Frank Volkman, 2029 Center to take the penny in the slot machine out of his saloon. He refused to do so unless Ald. Rudolph should take one out of his saloon on the south side.

12-17-1897
Zero weather. Snowing this morn. Wind NW. Cleared up toward noon. cold to-night.

12-18-1897
Fair & cold. 10 degrees below zero this morn. Wind NW.

12-19-1897
Sunday:- Cold and clear early this morn. Partly cloudy toward 9 o'c. NW wind. 2 degrees below zero at Roessehelds 6:40 AM. Got tax bills this morn. Our tax $21.36. Helens $16.02.

12-20-1897
Snow this morn. Northerly wind. Snow flurries all day. About 6" altogether.

12-21-1897
Fair and colder this morn. Warming up toward noon. Northwesterly wind. Fair. Sleighing this morn. SW wind tonight. Partly cloudy.

12-22-1897
Fair. Zero weather this morn. Wind west. Cold all day. West wind.

12-23-1897
Rept to Bd. of P.W. sidewalks not cleaned on vac. lots on Fond du Lac bet. Pine St. and 27th, 20th Wd. On 24 1/2 St. bet. Clark and Center. On Center bet. 24th and 26th. The above covered with ice and snow. Notified Wd. Foreman that Fond du Lac ave. needed attention and he neglected to do the work. Hence rept. 2 below zero this morn. Fair, westerly wind. Air very damp and frosty. Dead dog, Fond du Lac and RR track.

12-24-1897
Cloudy and warmer. SW wind. Shot Guenther's dog this morn. Reptd per tel.

12-25-1897
Christmas Day:- Partly cloudy. SW wind. 1/2 hr. extra for dinner today. Jake came at noon.

12-26-1897
Sunday:- Fair & cold this morn. NW wind. warmer toward noon.

12-27-1897
Fair, zero weather this morn. Warming up toward noon. Jake went home this morn.

12-28-1897
Partly cloudy. Light flurries of snow. cold westerly wind.

12-29-1897
Partly cloudy, warmer, SW wind. 3 new buildings, Chambers bet. 24 and 24 1/2 Sts. 1 new bldg. 24 1/2 & Center and on 30th & Locust. (No.4 Cawker Pl.)

12-30-1897
Partly cloudy. NW wind. Froze last night. Thawing this AM. Colder, PM flurries od snow. Engine 22 moved into quarters this morn.

12-31-1897
Colder this morn. Cloudy. Flurries of snow from north. N. wind. Got checks this morn. Not much snow left. Sleighing all gone. Quite cold PM. Cloudy and growing colder at 4 o'c.

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