Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
January 1898

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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JANUARY 1898

1-1-1898
Fair, cold wind NW. Eng. Co. 22, Center and 27th went into service this AM. Wm. Moschgaw, Capt., Wm. Dressel, Lieut. 1/2 hour extra for Dinner. Cold all day.

1-2-1898
Sunday:- Cloudy, cold. Raw SW ind.

1-3-1898
Fair and pleasant. White frost. Warm toward noon. Went to City Hall at 8:45 AM and paid taxes. Ours were $21.36. Helens, $16.02. Total $37.38. 15 min. late at 9:45.
Frank Marquardt-922-23rd. complains that Herman Arndt, 927- 22nd St. keeps a disorderly saloon. Has Sat. & Sun. night dances where boys and girls ( minors) congregate and make noise and quarrel ahd fight - get drunk and are otherwise disorderly. Rept'd to Lieut. Kranich.

1-4-1898
Fair and pleasant. Westerly wind. Paid Sophia Runkel for Walters music lessons
and book. $4.55.
Comp. made of wagon in alley - 23&24th, Center and Hadley. Belongs to Kittleman, 1084-24th. Will be removed at once. Ordered L. Weissinger, 1099-23rd to move manure box close to barn in same alley.

1-5-1898
Fair and pleasant. Westerly wind. New bldg. 24 1/2 bet. Chambers and Burleigh, an dCenter bet. 23 & 24.

1-6-1898
Fair & Pleasant - westerly wind. Drill day. Colder toward noon. Cloudy. Got back from drill at 4:36.

1-7-1898
Walters Birthday, 14 yrs. old. Born Jaqn. 7-'84 at 12 o'c noon. Fair, raw South wind. White frost.
Got orders at 12:30 PM to be at W. side Sta. at 1:50 PM. Went there and went with Co. Ambulance to Co. Hospital with an insane man named Julius Huebner (Klondike). Arriving there I helped the dr. & att'td'ds get him to bed. The fellow has Delerium Tremeros and sees snakes and wants to go to Klondike. Got back to beat at 4:40 PM. Put in first report at 4:45, 27th and Fond du Lac. Eclipse of moon this Eve. 5:20 to 7:30.

1-8-1898
Fair & Cool. Westerly wind. 3 dead hens, 1277-22nd St. 3 dead ducks, 1277-22nd St. New Bldg. 24 1/2 & Chambers, NE cor.

1-9-1898
Fair & Pleasant. No wind this morn. Clouding up at 10 AM. Sunday:- Wind
sprung up from SE at noon. Cloudy PM and thawing.

1-10-1898
Partly cloudy. Cooler this morn. Heavy white frost. Wind sprung up from E.

1-11-1898
Cloudy & some rain this morn. E. wind. Went to Sta. at 1:45. Letter for Winkel. Frank Pagenkopf 2419 Center Buried today. Consumption.

1-12-1898
Rain. Wind NE. Rain to snow PM. 2 in. fell.

1-13-1898
Cloudy & cooler. Wind NW. Drill today. Looks like snow at 1 PM. J. W. Mc Neil, Cent. Sta. Patrol house c/o Joe Johnson,ordered a dress cost and pr. of lt. pants.

1-14-1898
Cloudy & frost in the air. Westerly wind. Colder. Stolzenfeld and I got orders to be at public school at 20th & Brown at 7 PM and stay till the entertainment is over. Went to supper at 5:45 and went to 20th & Brown at 7 PM. Got home at 10:10 PM.

1-15-1898
Commence snowing at 10 o'c last night and snowed about 2 in. Cloudy, northerly wind. Looks like snow. PM clearing and colder.

1-16-1898
Sunday:- Clear and crisp air this morn. Just nice to be out.. Warmer toward noon.

1-17-1898
Fair & frosty this morn. SE wind. Partly cloudy at 9 AM. White frost. Geo. Kehnes applies, per tel., for transfer of saloon license from 2330 Elm to his own place, 2660 Fond du Lac. OK per tel at 11:30 AM.

1-18-1898
Heavy fog this morn with white frost. Very Chilly. 1:45 went to Sta. Got Kehnes saloon license.

1-19-1898
Partly cloudy, not cold. Looks like snow, thaw or rain. S. wind. General order read this morn. John Coffey dismissed from the force for intoxication and conduct unbecoming of an officer. False alarm of fire from school bldg at 22nd & Center at 4 o'c. Met Sergt Schneider, 21st and Center, 4:20 PM. Eng. Co. 22 had 1st run today and broke pole on Hose Cart coming out of house.

1-20-1898
Snow this morn. Had to walk to the Sta. Wind NE. Stopped snowing at 11 AM. Drill day. General order regarding going to fires from Capt.

1-21-1898
Cloudy, wind SW. Colder towards noon.

1-22-1898
Cloudy & colder. Wind NE. Commenced snowing at noon from NE. Snowed all PM. About 5:30 PM Walsh's Tin Ware Factory burned at 35th and Vliet Sts. and through the terrible storm the whole sky was illuminated for miles around.

1-23-1898
Sunday:- Snowed and stormed all night. Clearing up and growing colder this morn. About 1 foot of snow fell. Had hard work to get to the station. No cars at 9 AM. No cars on upper Fond du Lac at 4 PM.

1-24-1898
Fair and frosty this morning. No. wind. Warming up towards noon. St. cars not
running regular yet. Had to walk to 27th and Walnut this morn. Went to the Tailors this morn at 10 AM. Missed 10:45 rept. Went to Leinbach's. OM. Knochs stole his chickens. Very warm at noon. Clouding up toward eve.. Juluis Jarger from North Prarie stopped at Luebke, 1118-22. Went in house and his team disappeared. Thinl someone stole it away. Geo. Kehnes moved into his own place, 2660 Fond du Lac this PM.

1-25-1898
Cloudy, east wind. Commenced snowing at 10:30 AM from NE and stormed hard all PM till about 8 o"c. drifting a good deal.

1-26-1898
Fair & colder this morn. Westerly wind. About 6 in. of snow fell, drifting. Some cars were on time this AM. Warm at noon. Cold toward Eve. Geo. Kehnes opened his new saloon, 2660 Fond du Lac this PM.

1-27-1898
Fair & cold. About 18 in. of snow on level. Thurs. No drill until further orders.

1-28-1898
Fair and cold. SW wind. Thawing at noon. Turning cold at 4 PM. Wind NW. Cloudy, squall of snow 9 PM. Little Arthurs birthday. Cold.

1-29-1898
Cold, Zero weather this morn. Fair, warming up towards noon. Wind west.

1-30-1898
Sunday:- Partly cloudy, warmer. south wind. Officer Lutfring arrested, yesterday, on charge of delaying the mails because he arrested the driver of mail wagon for driving on side walk. Flurry of snow at from 2 PM till dark. Growing colder.

1-31-1898
Orders to go to Expo skating rink tonight. I should have gone last night but changed to accomadate Miller. Cold Zero weather. Wind NW. Fair snow drifting. Growing colder.
Misses Kreckel, 1304 Vine St. and Lenicheck, 1320 Vine St. reported to Stolzenfeld and myself at 14th and Fond du Lac at 7:30 AM. that a young man exposed his person to them as they were passing the alley on 14th bet. Fond du Lac and Vine. We followed him but could not catch him. 19 or 20 yrs., 5'6" tall. Stout build, 150 or 160 lbs. dark over coat, black cap, smooth face

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