Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
February 1899

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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FEBRUARY 1899

2-1-1899
4 deg. SW wind. Snow flurry. Cloudy. Warmer looks like snow.

2-2-1899
4 deg. NW wind. Cloudy. Ground Hog Day. ( Candlemass). Indication of cold wave. Drill day:- Got check as I came back from drill. Got it cashed at Winkels.

2-3-1899
8 deg. Northerly wind. Snow flurries. Cloudy. 4:45 PM. Rev. J.J. Hartley, Jackson Mich. came to see me by appointment at 21st & Center. Went to Meiers Drug Store, had a good visit and he took Fond du Lac Car downtown at 6 PM.

2-4-1899
-2 deg. NW wind. Fair. Trauner. 30th & Center taken to Insane Asylum. Met P.P. Kelley at 3:30 PM, 27th & Center. He was working on Casper case- Till tapping.

2-5-1899
-4 deg. NW wind. Fair. Cold frosty air. 2:30 PM Henry Wieber committed suicide by shooting himself in the eye with a revolver this morn.

2-6-1899
Zero deg. Westerly wind. Fair. John Maechtle came from Minn. Got us out of bed at 10:30 last night.. Met Wd. Supt. at 8:30 AM. Told him to have ice removed from walk at 20th & Hoplins. Cold all day. Rode my wheel over after dinner. Dead dog, 1256-21st. Dead cat, NE cor. 23rd & Clark.(on lot).

2-7-1899
-10deg. NW wind. Fair. Cold & dry. Dust flies so one can hardly see at times.

2-8-1899
-16 deg. NW wind. Clear. High wind & very dusty. Stolzenfeld came out this morning. Henry Wieber to be buried today. -9 deg. all day. cloudy and frost. PM. -12 at 7 PM. High NW wind.

2-9-1899
-24 deg. High NW wind. Fair. Grew steadily colder all night. Had to build fire in laundry. -12 below at noon. Colder toward eve.

2-10-1899
-24 deg. Westerly wind. Fair. Not quite so windy but cold. Ranson & Wilde sick. -6 deg. all day.

2-11-1899
-14 deg. NW wind. Fair. Shedler arrested Edw. Samp'1508-241/2 St. Booked disorderly. Insane. Indications of breakin. Temperature therm. rising. Zero weather at noon. Rode wheel to dinner.

2-12-1899
-20 deg. NW wind. Fair. Very severe weather.

2-13-1899
-6 deg. Westerly wind. Fair. Warmer. Frosty on lake, fog horn bloeing. Ressel sick. Temperature rising. 18 above at 2 PM. Rode wheel this noon.

2-14-1899
8 deg. Southerly wind. Snow fluries. Cloudy. St. Valentines Day. Raw wind, chilly.

2-15-1899
30 deg. Westerly Wind. Cloudy. About 1 inch of snow fell yesterday. Thawing out today. A.J.B. (our Abe) came back from City Hall (tax office) this Morn. Fire at 1041 Humboldt Ave., 3:15 AM. Drug Store. 2nd Alarm.

2-16-1899
28 deg. Southerly wind. Fair. Very pleasant. Drill day:- Met Sergt Schneider at 9:30, 12st & Center. Thawing. Letter for Ald. Winkel.

2-17-1899
0 Deg. SW wind. Clear. Cloudy and commenced raining at 6:30 AM. Clearing up at 7:30 AM. Dead dog, 1018-21st St. PM. threatening weather. Shower at 4:45.

2-18-1899
32 deg. NW wind. Fair. Cool & Pleasant. Met Chas. Schroeder at 3:30 PM.

2-19-1899
30 deg. SW wind. Cloudy. Dead horse, 1902 Hadley. Dead horse at 24th & Auer Ave. Rep'd per tel. L. Heidner from Parkston S. Dak. came to see us at 7PM. Went to Church and will stay all night.

2-20-1899
40 deg. SW wind. Fair. Subpeonaed by Deputy Sheriff to be in Jdge Johnson's court at 10:00 AM in Sherrer forclosure case of 943-16th St. Port 'washington Chair Factory & half the town burned last night. Co's 4 & 10 from here were sent out. Got back from court at dinner time. Case settled out of court.

2-21-1899
32 deg. Threatening. SW wind. Partly cloudy, looks like rain. Rauser came out this morn. Mike Hackett, the fireman injured at Port Washington died at 2:30 this morn. Riesens Barn and shop burned at 3 PM.

2-22-1899
32 deg. NE wind. Cloudy. Snow. Snowed about 1/2 in. in the night. Commenced snowing again at 8:45, let up soon after. New bldgs. at:- 21st bet. Center & Hadley; 24 1/2 & Clark; & 26th & Hadley.

2-23-1899
20 deg. Northerly wind. Cloudy. Snow flurries. Growing rapidly colder. Drill day:- 2nd quarterly conf. Kingsley last night. Officer H. A. Bruhns very sick with Pneumonia. Minnie sick this morn. Sore throat.

2-24-1899
8 deg. Westerly wind. Fair. Cold this morn. H. A. Bruhns died last night at 6 o'c of Pneumonia, aged 37 yrs. Leaves wife & 8 children. Subscribed to floral design for Bruhns.

2-25-1899
32 deg. SE wind. Cloudy. Snow flurries. High wind. Dust blowing in clouds. PM About 1 in. of snow fell during PM & Eve.

2-26-1899
40 Deg. High southerly wind. Cloudy. Rain and snow during the night. Growing colder toward Evening. NW wind. Freesing wind blowing a gale.

2-27-1899
6 deg. High NW wind. Fair. Cold Bruhns will be buried at 2 PM. Pall bearers, Bock, Reuter, Dettman, Tyre, G. Schultz & Burmeister. Miller takes 21st wd. I take 20th wd. this PM. Met Otto Dollert & John Schultz, his brother inlaw at the cemetary.

2-28-1899
30 deg. NE wind. Cloudy. Snow. Commenced snowing at 7 AM. Officer Hammer arrested Ernst Mai, Drunk. Sudden death:- Mrs. Justina Seitz, 1209-30th St/, wife of Geo. Seitz, 27 yrs. old, dies at 11 AM. Has laid in fits and cramps for 3 days. Seitz called Dr. Boerner at 10:30 & when he returned his wife was dead. Dr. B. notified the coroner. Leaves one child 5 yrs. old.

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