Diary of Alfred E. Potter April, 1933

01.  Saturday: Pope Pius inaugurates the Holy Year, which is in commemoration of the 1900^th anniversary of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.  Had a phone call from Carl Radomski tonight from Milwaukee, but I did not make a connection for him.  The Drexler’s have gone to bed.

02.  Sunday: A day without excitement.  Sang the 7.30 Mass with mixed choir then to work the balance of the day. 

03.  Monday: According to Frank Jandor Poor Relief Commissioner 2114 families of Oshkosh and 201 single persons are receiving aid which means about 10,000 people or ¼ our population.

04.  Tuesday: Election Day George Oaks is our new Mayor under the aldermanic form.  He beat a Jim Skole 7182 – 6701.  Harvey Gallo is the City Treasurer.  Rudy Kriz is comptroller beating Al Schmit 5734 – 5689.  This is a day of bad news also.  The U. S. Akron largest dirigible in the world falls into the Atlantic Ocean at 1.30 this morning about 25 miles out from the sand dunes of the Jersey Coast.  Seventy six men including officers on board, nearly all lost.  Visited to Bill Mauritz’s after work, played sheephead made 20 cents, visited Joel Heip’s but only the kids are home, then over to George Oaks to congratulate him, and it snowed plenty.

05.  Wednesday: It must have snowed most of the night and this morning it is raining.  Hear Cork Weisheipl is in town.  Had a letter from Michael Drexler today.  According to Lieut. Commander H. V. Wiley, second in command of the ill-fated Akron, she was not struck by lightning.  During a violent storm, the airship dropped from 1600 feet to 800, after all ballast was dropped forward she rose to 1500 feet.  Coming into the center of the storm the ship took a sharp lurch and the rudder control wires of the upper rudder were carried away and almost immediately it fell to 800 feet then to 300 feet and into the ocean.

06.  Thursday: Another ocean tragedy occurred when the blimp J-3 nosedived into the ocean 1000 yards off shore at Beach Haven New Jersey carrying 2 of her crew of seven to death.  The blimp was engaged in searching for survivors of the “Akron.” Visited at Heip’s tonite after work.  Corky is in town for a day or two.  More Snow tonite.

07.  Friday: Beer 3.2% of is back after being prohibited by law for 13 years.  The 12.10 this morning Heip and self drove out to the Oshkosh Brewing Company to get a case of the new brew.  Many cars are waiting.  The Band is playing and everyone is happy.  George Weisheipl is on his way to Aurora for this evening’s job.

08.  Saturday:

09.  Sunday: Attended 7.30 Mass then to work until noon.  In the afternoon took a long Joel and Heip visited Charles Frank and George Hagene at Mercy Hospital.  Took a ride to Fond du Lac from there visited Fred Worm then to Schauf’s Place for some Lomira Beer and it was terrible.  Met Nic Cohn a relative of Jacob Embs and the Regneries.

10.  Monday:

11. Tuesday: Hemmer and self visited at Mrs. Louis Miller’s and Mr. and Mrs. John Meidl.  Tried some of Dick Doman’s Rahr beer after work.  Joe Baier and Hemmer stopped with us for 60 hands of sheephead.

12.  Wednesday: Baseball opens in the when Major Leagues today.  President Roosevelt sees the Washington team defeat the Philadelphia Nationals 4 – 1.  This is a new deal in baseball.  Pres. Hoover always saw them lose.

13.  Thursday: This is Maundy Thursday.  It looks cloudy all day.  Bill Webbles and Al Leonard are in town, so is Syl Bludau.  Had snow the latter part of the day.  Mr. and Mrs. Mueller drove to Milwaukee today.  They encountered bad weather on the way back.

14.   Friday: Good Friday turns out to be a beautiful day.

15.  Saturday: Another very nice day.  Had a birthday?  Easter Card from the Skolas today.

16. Sunday: Easter Sunday.  Sang a new Mass this morning, Weigand’s Mass in honor of St. Peter.  Worked most of the day until 6.30 PM Bill and Emma Siewert are over and we pecked and played sheephead. I did not win.

17.  Monday: Father Nuernberg dropped in to see me this morning.

18.  Tuesday: Have another plus a surprise today.  Father M.  Alt dropped in to see me.  He is now at Marinette.  Mr. and Mrs. Charles Baier 610 9^th celebrate their silver wedding anniversary today.

19.  Wednesday: Took Joe Weisheipl, Emil Seifert and Doc Stauber to Madison today.  Took in Assembly meeting.  Met Henry Hughes, Ray Novotny and George Faust.  Joe is slated for some kind of a beer job.

20.  Thursday: Joel Heip is appointed Beer Inspector for our district by Lieutenant Governor Robert Henry.  Nine men were pointed out of about 700 applicants.  Helped Fred Rothe celebrate his 54^th birthday at Joe Caber’s place.  Sheephead is the game and the ladies win.  Fred Rothe likes the Baker Sepp song.  Dick Doman [says?] that he got home at 11.20 PM but it was 1.20 AM

21.  Friday: Spoke to about 30 High School Students this afternoon.  Spoke to them on “Pharmacy.” They are very much interested.  Leo Kern and Claire Hockans are here today for a surprise visit.  Leo almost had a new girl.  Claire is back in Milwaukee, and doing nothing.  She has been at Madison but is back for several weeks.  We bought Leo some of our special size 5¢ Beer is at Dick Doman’s.

22.  Saturday:

23.  Sunday: Sang 7.30 Mass then to work for short time, then took Ed to the cottage also the tree George Mauel gave to me.  Add planted it.  Then back to town and had early dinner.  Then took Mrs. Ed Fretchel, Louis, Mary and Stanley Mauritz to Milwaukee to see if their daughters Sisters Linus and Sr. Melora.  Christ Genal died suddenly early this morning about 615.  Born August 15-1880. Married to Ida Lange of Fond du Lac November 14 - 1912.  Frank Kindermann 37 was drowned near Oregon St. Bridge this afternoon.  He and his brother John were fishing off one of the Cook & Brown’s Barges.  Both fell in the river and Frank was drowned.

24.  Monday: Fairly nice day.  Took 9^th Grade Students of Saint Vincent’s to Waupun this afternoon.  Took a trip through the Prison and also the Hospital.  Passed thru some showers on the way back.  Court action begins today to determine if the City of Oshkosh is under the Commission or Aldermanic form of government.  Frank Keefe is the attorney for newly elected Mayor George Oaks and Ray Dempsey for the present mayor T. G. Brown.

25.  Tuesday: Art Mueller, Harold and their wives go to the Rexall Convention at Milwaukee this morning.

26.  Wednesday: Attended funeral of Frank Kindermann this morning.  It was a sad funeral.  My passengers were his wife and 2 children girls 10 and 12.  Visit to the Sisters and then to Security Bank with Joe Weisheipl to arrange for a loan.  Then to view remains of Christ Genal.  He was buried this afternoon from Rev. E. A. Koch’s Church.  Fred Baumgartner is papa again.  This is number three and its a girl.

27.  Thursday: Had a busy day today.  On a shoe leather campaign with Joe Hemmer to get the boy scouts of our troop 18 enrolled for their annual encampment at Twin Lakes.  Mr. and Mrs. Le Roy Hahn lose their little daughter Cynthia Maritta, born June 16 - 1932.  Gene Clark Assistant Health Commissioner of Oshkosh lost his wife Bertha the last night at 7.20.  She was born at Blue Mound Wis. April 23 – 1861.

28.  Friday: This is a beautiful day and I have spring fever.  In the evening some more shoe leathering with Hemmer then to monthly Red Crosse Meeting.  After the meet Ed Marheine showed me through the Heiss Bakery.  Also met Mrs. Marheine and Mrs. Jack Faust.  William Knobloch 66 Veteran Tailor died this morning at 2.20 in the home he was born on January 6 -1867.  He was sick about a week.  He worked with father about 40 years ago for the J. A. Nemitz Company.

29.  Saturday: Had word from Claire this morning that Leo Kern’s father Max Kern died yesterday, Friday morning.  A mild earth tremor shook sections of Southern California.  Felt in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Glendale at 7 A.M.

30.  Sunday: 7.30 Mass as usual.  Then to work the rest of the day.  In the evening attended play at Sacred Heart called “Mansions.” It was presented by the Young Ladies Solidarity and the players are all girls and young ladies.  Joe Drexler’s little girl also acts very well.  After the play we visit at Heip’s and have 40 hands of sheephead.  Ed Fretchel is itching to get out to the cottage to do some work but it turned out to be a day of rain, and he’ll have to postpone his work.