Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
February 1914

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 1914

2-1-1914
10 deg. Cold. Hard night. Go to church Sunday. Went in eve. 688 persons at Kingsley in morn.

2-2-1914
30 deg. Southerly wind. Cloudy. Snow flurries at 1:00 AM. PM- 4 in. snow fell. Water meter reset today.

2-3-1914
30 deg. W wind. Fair. Colder. Got up at 3 PM. Minnie & Helen went to Killians.

24-1914
Zero. N wind. Fair. Cold. PM- Went to Bank & Barber Shop. Went to Central Sta. Got tax receipt O'kd by Sec'y. Went to tailor. Measured for blouse & pants. Home 5:30. Pd. $50.00 on acct at P.R. Assn.

2-5-1914
7 deg. W wind. Fair. Frosty. Ptm. Foster, Stiglbaum, Scott, Kulas & Rooney discharged yesterday. Slept from noon till 8 PM.

2-6-1914
28 deg. E wind. Cloudy. Warmer. Went to Meiers home at 11 AM. Snowing all PM & Eve. NE storm.

2-7-1914
17 deg. NE wind. Cloudy. Snowed & blowed all night. Went to Bank on the way home. Carl Rahn gave me 2 "wall eyed pike" Minnie fixed them for Sunday dinner. Got check from Walter for $500.00. Took it to Bank before 12 o'c.

2-8-1914
-10 deg. W wind. Fair. Very cold. Home all day. Ed & Emma came PM. Art & Ada to dinner. Walter called in eve.

2-9-1914
-12 deg. W wind. Cloudy. Frosty. Fair during the night. Clouded over at 5 AM. Got up at 4 PM.

2-10-1914
-2 deg. NW wind. Frosty. Cloudy. Clouded over at 4 AM. Went to library. got 3 books. Called on Sergt. Miller.

2-11-1914
-10 deg. W wind. Fair. Cold & Frosty. Off tonight. Went to N. Mil. to attend directors meeting.

2-12-1914
12 deg. E wind. cloudy. Snow flurries. Minnie & I went to Walter's before dinner. PM- Minnie, Helen & Ada went to Lambrechts, 9th & Burleigh. I made knitting needles for large work.

2-13-1914
12 deg. NW wind. Cold. fair. Slept all day. Eve- Went to library. Got books.

2-14-1914
4 deg. W wind. Fair. Cold. Watched Shoe Strikers Pickets at Dousman & Lee Sts. Went to Ada's in eve.

2-15-1914
-5 deg. Fair. W wind. Frosty. Slept till 5 PM. Went to church in eve. with Minnie. Brigham preached.

2-16-1914
-2 deg. Raw W wind. Fair. Cold. Slept all day.

2-17-1914
14 deg. S wind. cloudy. Snow during the night. Met Lieut. Heinemann at 6:15. He told me the Chief wanted know if "I would go back to the ranks" or "take my Pension". I told him I would conmsider it. I went home at 8 AM. Changed clothes. Went to Sec'ys office. Made application for pension. Took my Badge, etc to Inspectors Office & went home.

2-18-1914
20 deg. E wind. cloudy. I am a free man at last after 23 yrs & 8 Mo's of Slavery. At 1 AM our doorbell rang. & Minnie went down. Sergt. Miller came to see why I did not come to work. The Inspector did not notify Sta. 5. Betts called in the eve & congratulated me on my retirement. I get half pay $700.00 per annum in monthly installments.

2-19-1914
10 deg. Fair. W wind. Cold. Went to see Mr. Rohde. Home to dinner. PM- Went to see Walter at N. Mil.

2-20-1914
8 deg. Variable wind. Snow flurries. Worked at Ada's laundry tubs. PM- Went to N. Mil. Helped unloading a car of lbr. for Walter. Home at 7 PM.

2-21-1914
8 deg. Cloudy. SW wind. Chilly. Went with Walter at 6:15 AM to N. Mil. to finish unloading car of Lbr. Worked till 4:10 PM. W. bro't me to 27th & N. Av. Home at 4:45 PM.

2-22-1914
8 deg. NW wind. Partly cloudy. Cold. Minnie & I went to S.S. & church together for the first time in years. PM- NE snow storm set in. Snowed all eve. Minnie & I went to Kingsley. Bro'hood night. YMCA men had charge.

2-23-1914
14 deg. N wind. Fair. Cold. NE snow storm. Just before noon Walter called up & saud he had a car of 1/4 sawwed oak to unload. I went out as soon as I could & worked in the snow storm till 5:30. Got one truck nearly filled. Took more cold.

2-24-1914
14 deg. W wind. Fair. Didn't go out to N. Mil. Am sick, more bronchial trouble. PM- Walked to Ada's & back. Hope to be better soon. Parcel Post sale at Kingsley tonight. Minnie & Helen went. I staid home.

2-25-1914
12 deg. W wind. Fair. Clear & cold. Went to Ada's. Took her home to dinner. PM- Went to Meiers, then to Ada's for supper.

2-26-1914
22 deg. Variable wind. Fair. rising temp. Very sick all day. Couldn't lie down all last night. Gov. McGovern at Kingsley Brotherhood Meetg. to night. To sick to go. Gave Walter check for $300.00.

2-27-1914
28 deg. Fair. SW wind. Thawing very fast. Walter sent me check for $300.00 with request to hold it a few days. Mr. Kohlstedt called. Mrs. Crossman called in PM.

2-28-1914
30 deg. W wind. Fair. Walter called for me at 6:15. Took me to N. Mil. Worked in office all day. Went to McCallumns to dinner. Warm SW wind. Thawing very fast. Eve. - Snow & clolder Snowing fiercely all eve.

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