Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
December 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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DECEMBER 1898

12-1-1898
Fair, cold. W. wind. Drill day. Checks at 1:45 PM. JFM came at 6:45 PM Goes home tomorrow PM 1:50.

12-2-1898
Cloudy snow flurries. Southerly wind. Helen gave us $300. I gave a note on demand at 5%. Went to Sec'ys office & paid off Bal. of Mortgage & got papers. Interest $1.50- Total $301.50. 22 min late at 9:45 on that acct.

12-3-1898
Clear & fine. Cold sharp wind warming up toward noon. Wind west. Sec. R.H. sent Mortgage & Release to W. Side Sta. last night. 2 new bldgs, 24 1/2 & Chambers. New bldg, 20th & Hopkins.

12-4-1898
Cloudy and cool. Frosty air. NW wind. Sunday:- Quiet all day.

12-5-1898
Clear & cold. NW wind. 10:03 AM fire broke out in 1 story frame cottage, 2017 Hadley St. Owned bu Gust Tipter. Occupied by Herman Becker. Ins. $500.00. Damage $50.00. Insurance on furniture $500.00. 4:45 PM- Katie Dargow, 22 yrs, 26th bet. Cherry & Vliet, worked for John Bauer, Keefe Ave. near Hopkins gave birth to a child in a privy at that place at 4 PM. Dr. A. F. Krueger was called. We got the report & I was sent to investigate. Couldn't do anything as they (Baums) were caring for her.

12-6-1898
Fair West wind. Light flurry of snow last night. Partly cloudy this morn. High west wind all day. Cold tonight,

12-7-1898
Cold & clear. West wind. Got up late, no breakfast. Meeting of Finance Committee at the house. Sat up late. 10:45 AM called to Sts. Got at committment for Wm. Scherbarth who was fined $ 10.00 & costs & being out on $10.00 bail failed to appear. I collected $1.90.
25 min late 1t 4:45 PM on acct og going to Clerk's office. While responding to an alarm at 31st & Lisbon at 1:25 No. 13's Engine team collided with Passenger train at the Brown St. crossing. Leader was struck & his back broken. Stolzenfeld shot him.

12-8-1898
Fair. Cold. 4 below zero. NE
W wind. Drill day.

12-9-1898
Fair, Cold. 6 degrees below zero. Haase came out today after a month or 6 weeks at home. Day men all present at roll call. Something that seldom happens. Expo tonight. Continued cold NW wind.

12-10-1898
Fair, cold. SW wind. Indications of a storm. Wind piercing and raw. Home last night at 11:00 o'c.

12-11-1898
Sunday:- Fair, warmer. West wind.

12-12-1898
Cloudy, growing cod. N. wind. Wm. Meyer arrested by Schedler on warr. sworn out by Hofer nearly a year ago. Charge- Dis. Fined $ 10.00

12-13-1898
Fair & Cold. 6 degrees below zero. NW wind.

12-14-1898
Partly cloudy, Warmer. SW wind.

12-15-1898
Fair, warmer. Southerly wind. No drill today. Thurs. squad drill Sat. New bldg, 24th & Hadley.

12-16-1898
Fair, warmer, southerly wind, White frost. Clouding up toward noon. Wind SW. Thawing some.

12-17-1898
Fair & pleasant. SW wind. White frost. Drill today. Hartsteins Dept. Store, 18th & Fon du Lac burned last night at 8 o'c. Total loss. Also roof of Haase's place across the street. Eng. 13 scorched. Heinemanns hands burned. Orders at 9:45 to take in Dopke's beat and relieve him. At the fire for dinner.

12-18-1898
Sunday:- Fair, warmer, West wind, white frost, Very pleasant. Dopke's beat today.

12-19-1898
Cloudy. Rained aty 8 AM. Rain all day. Wind NE. Went to City Hall, paid taxes. 15 min late at 9:45. Orders per tel. to go to 26th & Lloyd & shoot a horse. Whitehead got there first. No drill this week. Went to Sta. at 10:30. Mail for Winkel & Elkert. Rubber boots PM.

12-20-1898
Cloudy & cooler . Partly clearing. NW wind. No drill till Jan 2nd. Fred Weseberg, 1134-22nd arrested on warr. Whitehead comp. John Giencke arresting officer. Charge- Cruelty to animals. Fine $ 5.00 & costs.

12-21-1898
Fair, colder. W. Wind. 1/2 inch of snow last night. Thawing & sloppy.

12-22-1898
Cloudy. Dark, looks like rain. Lillie Laws arrested last night by Officer Schroeder - Dosorderly. Dead dog, 1308-29th.

12-23-1898
Cloudy, cold, W wind. Snow flurries & colder PM. Dead dog, 2613 Center.

12-24-1898
Fair, Cold. W. wind. Grueschoro's Carpet Cleaning works burned at 10:30 last night. Total loss. Horse burned. Christmas Entertainment at Sherman St. M. E. Church. Walter played with the orchestra .

12-25-1898
Christmas Sunday:-Cloudy, light flurried of snow. Cold NW wind. Half hr. extra for dinner. 11 to 12:30.

12-26-1898
Cloudy and raw variable winds, Dora & Monroe came down on morning train. Snow flurries at noon.

12-27-1898
Clear & growinf cold. NW wind. Total eclipse of the moon. 5PM to 6:30 PM.

12-28-1898
Fair, cold, southerly wind. Clouding, looks like rain or snow. Wm Large & Mr. DeSmith staid with us last night. In town to buy an engine.

12-29-1898
Clear & fine. Warmer. SW wind. Chas. Knimmer attempted suicide by shooting last nigt. Thawing. Unsafe bldg. 1189-20th. Add. to bldg.. 2101 Center. New bldg. 27th bet. Center & Hadley.

12-30-1898
Fair, cooler. Snow flurries last night. NW wind, increasing in force. At about 11 o'c AM fire broke out in the John Schroeder Lbr. Co's Mill, foot of Walnut St. 3rd alarm came in at 11:10. Eng. 22 responded. Had not returned at 4PM. Colder.

12-31-1898
Fair & cold. 5 degrees below zero. Our thermometer showed 3 below at 6:60. NW wind. 1898 passing away only a few more hours to live, Watch night service at Kingsley commencing at 9:30 PM. Checks for December at 12:30 PM.

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