William Bramwell Sizer Diaries
December 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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DECMBER 1899

12-1-1899
34 deg. NW wind. Fair. Cold wave doming. Colder. Rained hard in the night. Car. Went to work this morn. Met Moths & Markey with Warr. for Adolph Scholz for horse stealing. Spengler was sent to Brandt's Stove Foundry and caught him when he came for his money. 15 new men sworn in today. 3 new & transfered to the west side.

12-2-1899
34 deg. NW wind. Fair. Cool. Scholz was shown up to the men this morn. Met Markey at 3 PM. Said Adolph Scholz pleaded guilty and was taken before Judge Wallber & sentenced to 2 yrs. in H of C. Miller arrested Emil Brandt 1204-22nd St. for riding bicycle on walk at 4:45 PM.

12-3-1899
26 deg. Northerly wind. Fair. Cold. Quiet all day.

12-4-1899
20 deg. NW wind. Fair. Cold. Two inches of snow this morn. Overcoat this morn. Books at Meiers for H. Krel.

12-5-1899
10 deg. SW wind. Fair. Cold. Looks like snow. PM clearing & warmer toward Eve.

12-6-1899
12 deg. NW wind. Fair. Caold & frosty. Warmer toward noon. Wind changed to Southerly. Raw & chilly all day. Head ache all day. Almost unbearable at noon.

12-7-1899
40 deg. Westerly wind. Fair. Shower, rain & snow from 6 to 8:30 AM. Clearing 8:40 AM. Freezing at night fall.

12-8-1899
26 deg. SW wind. Fair. White frost. 10 AM, weather better. 14 1/2 min. late at 9:45 on account of Box being out of service at 27th & Fond du Lac.

12-9-1899
40 deg. Southerly wind. Cloudy, Damp. Looks like rain/ PM showers toward Eve. & all PM.

12-10-1899
45 deg, Southerly wind. Cloudy, damp. Looks like rain. Foggy & rainy all day.

12-11-1899
45 deg. NE wind. Rain. Rain since AM. 9:45 AM some colder. Rain all day. Rubber boots came in handy..

12-12-1899
36 deg. Northerly wind. Cloudy. Snow flurries & growing colder very fast. Freezing at 8AM. Cold and freezing. Wind changing to west.

12-13-1899
16 deg. N W wind. Fair. Cold. Cleared off, froze harddddddd. Sent check to Rohlfrgs this morn. for Pentacostal Hymns No. 2. 12 copies, $3.60.

12-14-1899
18 deg. Northerly wind. Cloudy. Snowflurries. Snowed nearly all day. One inch of snow fell.

12-15-1899
10 deg. Westerly wind. Fair. Cold clear & frosty. Very pleasant.

12-16-1899
8 deg. Southwest wind. Fair. Cold. Frostry. Wind changed to SE. Orders to go to W. Side Turn Hall at 7:45 PM. Mass meeting of citizens on RR ord. 20 deg. SW wind. Fair. Moderate. PM Raw S. wind. Quiet all day. Electric cars commenced their regular run to N. Mil. today. 2:45 PM. Got orders per tel. to go to Barrers Saloon, Hopkins & Keefe Ave. and get Maggie Unmuth. When I got there found the girl going by the name of Annie Schneider. A friend of hers took us to the West Side Sta. & from there I walked her to the Central. Got back to beat at 4 o'c. She was locked up. Too cloudy to see eclipse of the moon. Got back from West Side Turn Hall at 11:40 PM.


12-18-1899
34 deg. Southerly wind. Cloudy. & damp. Looks like rain. Light rain falling at 8:45 o'c. Orders to be at City Hall Square at 3 PM. PM rain. Went to Central at 3 PM. Staid there until 6:30 PM. Then went home. There were 10 of us from the West Side.

12-19-1899
10 deg. West wind. Fair. Cold. Telephones work badly. Can hardly get an answer.

12-20-1899
20 deg. Westerly wind. Fair. Chilly. Dead dog, 1178-22nd. New bldg., 24 1/2 & Concordia. Went to 1004-21st St. Spoke to Mrs. Goll about her Bro. Willie Schultz, 2120 Cherry St. Said he was stopping with her and would not go home.

12-21-1899
20 deg. Westerly wind. Fair. Chilly wind. Dead dog, 994-24th St.

12-22-1899
25 deg. SW wind. Fair. Wheel. White frost. Tax bill left in box on 27th for Chas. Krause, 29th & Burleigh.

12-23-1899
28 deg. SW wind. Fair. Wheel. Warmer. Very warm at noon.

12-24-1899
20 deg. High NW wind. Fair. Wheel. Cold & growing colder. Dopke & I picked up a drunk at 14th & Fond du Lac. Quiet all day.

12-25-1899
2 deg. High NW wind. Fair, Wheel. Christmas. Extra half hour for dinner- 11 o'c. to 12:30. Tel. alarm of fire at 1019-27th St. at 3:35 PM. Dwelling owned and occupied by Henry Schmidt & Conrad Krueger. Fire in wall caused by rags catching fire from unknown cause.

12-26-1899
Zero. NW wind. Fair. Wheel. Cold. Haekler Wife lives 8th & Locust, 3rd house from Butcher shaop. Heakler lives where?

12-27-1899
3 deg. NW wind. Fair. Wheel. Some warmer. Wm. C. Large came at 7 PM to stay all night. Letter from HJM saying Esther was dead. Edw. went home this morn.

12-28-1899
4 deg. NW wind. Fair. Wheel. Mrs. M. Zingen buried today. Minnie & Ada went to Port. on 1:50 PM train to attend little Esthers funeral tomorrow. Walter, Josh & I keep house for ourselves till Monday.

12-29-1899
4 deg. High NW wind. Fair. Wheel. Cold & dusty. Fire in N. Mil. Chemical. #22 went with Lieut., 2 pipe men & wagon driver. Firemen got back at 10:40 AM. Brought a $200.00 check from the North Milwaukee people for the Firemans Relief Assn.

12-30-1899
8 deg. High NW wind. Fair. Wheel. Cold & dusty. Checks at 1:45 PM. Walked down and back. Took over an hour. Minnie and Helen came home this PM. Ada staid, will come home Monday.

12-31-1899
Zero. NW wind. Cloudy. Wheel. Snow flurries.

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