He was the Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the time of the Bay View massacre and labor strike, and adopted the city's first ordinance on an eight-hour work day.

He then went to study in the law offices of Edward Salomon and Winfield Smith, who would later become the governor and Attorney General of Wisconsin, respectively.

Wallber meanwhile continued his study of the law and was admitted to the State Bar of Wisconsin later that year.

At Wallber's request, the Governor, Jeremiah McLain Rusk, called up the Wisconsin National Guard.

[5] In April 1889, the year after he left the Mayors office, Wallber was elected judge of the municipal court.