William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
November 1886

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 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.

Back to the Index
Key to names and places in this diary

November 1886

11-1-1886
Finished the big field this morn. Pa came over & helped me put up some oats for Bill Hughes & some feed to go to the mill. I got back at 1:30 o'c. Commenced plowing the Wilson Hill lot this afternoon. Took 8 bags of feed to the mill.

11-2-1886
Election Day. Plowed in the forenoon. Went to election after an early dinner. Worked hard for Reichert. Got home. Did chores & went to Jakes. I voted a Prohibition State Ticket.

11-3-1886
Went to Pt. with wood for the German Church. Heard lots of 'lection news. Reichert got 1000 majority. Bought a money order for Huston. Plowed some, PM. Loaded a load of Maple for Chamberlain.

11-4-1886
Took a load of wood to Chamberlain. Voted for the bridge appeal & got home before noon. Plowed all the PM.

11-5-1886
Went with wood for Chamberlain. Plowed in the PM.

11-6-1886
Finished Chamberlains pile of wood. Got my money. Plowed on the wilson in the PM. Weather quite cold.

11-7-1886
Some snow this morn. Weather cold. 12 deg. below freeezing. Stayed at home all day. Put up my young stock tonight for the first time. Bro.Carwardine stayed the night.

11-8-1886
Visited with preacher all the morn. Went to Pt. to the Qtrl'y Conf. Minnie went to Mrs. Soules with her dress. Charley Bradley fell out of his buggy & hurt himself badly. He was drunk. His horse ran away & I caught it. A bot was killed at Saukville today in a smash up caused by the wagon tonque falling.

11-9-1886
Plowed all the forenoon in the rain. Went to Newburg to see Mrs. Fairbank. Rode in the rain most all the way there & back. The largest drove of cattle I ever saw passed here today. There were 150 head of them. They came from Waldo today. The boys name that was killed yesterday was Charlie Rauh.

11-10-1886
Plowed all day. Finished the Wilson Hill. Worked till after dark. Cloudy, rained some. Wind changed to NE. Clearing up some in the west.

11-11-1886
Commen ed plowing in the south lot. The ground was frozen very hard. Pa helped me,.strike out the lot in two parcels. Went to Jakes in the eve to get opne of his hotrses. Jimmie went along & rode Jake's Doll home via Reiters crossing.

11-12-1886
Willie McHenry helped me all day & drove one team. I borrowed Lutfring plow. Plowed till 6:16 o'c. Wind NE. Cold all day. Mrs. Kalling & Mrs. Stern were buried today. William Neppt & Uncle Henry's wife stopped here on their way home.

11-13-1886
Willie came down this morn to help me but it was frozen so hard we couldn't make any headway with the biz. Halued up a load of wood & Williw went home. Pa came over at 2 o'c. & we plowed till dark. Eva came here to supper.

11-14-1886
Quite cold this morn. Went to Jakes to preaching - afternoon. Walter walked all the way over. Old Whiskey Bohan ( John K.) was killed by the cars at the RR St. crossing last night. The freight train backed over him.

11-15-1886
Commenced plowing on the south lot but it was frozen to hard. Went to the west lot & plowed & plowed the rest of the day. Will McH. helped me again. Jimmie took Jakes horse home tonight.

11-16-1886
Plowed all day. Hauled a load of wood this morn. Jimmie went over to Jakes last night. Took Doll home & staid all night to help him cut feed. Got a letter from Huton tonight with my note inclosed. Wind east. Rained. Snow tonight.

11-17-1886
Raining this morn. Foggy & rainy all day. Put up 10 bags of feed to go to the mill. Jimmie helped me take off the wood rack & put the wagon box on. PM- Went to the mill & also Grafton. Got a barrel of Oil. Mrs. Coomin died ytesterday. Will be buried tomorrow.

11-18-1886
Plowed in the south lot. Pa helpped me with his team. snowed & blowed all day. Went to Saukville in the eve. with Oats for Dick Hughes. Freezing quite hard.

11-19-1886
Tapped my oil barrel this morn. Set it up in the hen house. Loaded up a load of wood & went to Pt. Pa took a load to Morgans & helped me pull up the hill to the German church. We got Eva's organ. I helped him load it & unload it when he got home. I got two shoes set on front on Doll. Got my October cheese money tonight.

11-20-1886
Hauled a load of wood to the school house. Then loaded up & went to Pt. with Beech for the German Church. Minnie went home to see her mother while I was gone. After I came back from Pt, Jimmie & I loaded another load & hauled it to the school house. Fred Wagner came up tonight. We traded geese. I gave him two of our young ones for two of his. He promised to pay 25 cts. to boot.

11-21-1886
I went to Pt. to church. Eva rode home with me. Had dinner at our folks & went to Jakes for Minnie.

11-22-1886
Went over to the house & got a bushel of corn. Fixed up my young cattles stable a bit. Rained most all day.

11-23-1886
Cleared up & commenced growing colder. Butchered for Pa & killed our pig & two hogs for Pa & a beef in the afternoon. I cut up Pa's pigs & ours. Got done at 10 o'c PM. Weather cold. Freezing hard. Minnie went over to dinner.

11-24-1886
Hauled a load of wood to the school house. Went down after dinner & commenced sawing. Jake came & helped in the PM. Jimmie hauled another load toqard evening.

11-25-1886
Thanksgiving Day. Lois came over with the baby. Nora came around with her & Jake carried the boy across the bridge. Jimmie finished the school wood. We all took dinner together at home. Eva came over here & staid the eve.

11-26-1886
Went to help Karker Butcher. Jimmie took a load of wood to Pt. for me. Minnie went to Pt with Doll & the buggy. Took Walter along & went to see Mrs. Soule. Cut Will McHenry's hair this eve. Byron Fairbanks & his bro. were here this afternoon to see about their note.

11-27-1886
Went to Pt. with wood for the M.E. Church. Got my watch. Went to Fairbanks in the eveing. Snowed some before we got back.

11-28-1886
Went to church this morn. Brought Eva home with us. Commenced snowing while we were in church. Snowed all afternoon & eve.

11-29-1886
About 4 inches of snow this morn. Went to Pt. with Maple wood for E.L. Turner. Brought back a load of lumber for Eastman. Stayed down till seven o'clock & telephomed to Byron Fairbanks. The first time I ever spoke through a telephone.

11-30-1886
Worked around home the forenoon. Shut up the ducks. Went to Saukville after dinner with wood for Boerner's. Went to Newburg & settled with Fairbanks's.

Back to the Index
Key to names and places in this diary