1886 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT NEW YORK TO BERLIN AND BACK TRAVEL DIARY OF A YOUNG EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN COMPLETING HIS STUDIES IN THE COMPANY OF NOTED AUTHOR AND MINISTER PROFESSOR AUGUSTUS DRURY

On offer is the amazing manuscript diary of a young man traveling to Germany in 1886 for the summer to study at the University of Berlin. The diary entries consist of his 5 month trip starting while in New York harbor then on board the steamship, there in Germany and his trip back home. His writing is tiny but very readable and therefore his daily entries are very long and detailed. While he is unidentified there are several clues that will no doubt reveal the author to historians or collectors of the era. Our author reveals that he was traveling with, we believe, Professor Augustus Waldo Drury. He also talks about sending his own essays back home so they can be published in a magazine called "Religious Telescope." Online research provides that Augustus Waldo Drury, belonged to the United Brethren Church and whose brother was Marion Richardson Drury, the associate editor of the Religious Telescope in Dayton Ohio. The biography on Augustus also stated that he graduated from the University of Berlin in 1886. No doubt our author gets his papers published in the magazine because of Augustus's brother. Some of the names of his articles he sent are; "Into Europe", "Letter from Berlin", "Berlin University" and "Vacation". Plus the Telescope publishes a note announcing their safe arrival in Berlin. While unsure of the boat to Germany the ship they come home on is Anchor Line "Furnessia" thusly the August 1886 passenger list of that ship guarantee you'll come up with our author. Every day he writes you'll find at least 90 words per day, which is a lot when it comes to diary entries. His first entry starts on April 7th while heading to New York harbor with his last passage on September 4th, which is right before they land in America. Here are some snippets of less than two dozen entries: 1886 "April 8th, Arose about 6:30. Took breakfast on board. A little after 7 o'clock met Mr. Rettew, wife and boy on deck. Showed them somewhat over our ship. She presented us with a most beautiful bouquet and he with some McNeil. Then "All Ashore" was called. We pulled out. The crowd gave three cheers and waved handkerchiefs. We saw Rettew's handkerchief among the very last. About 10 & 11 o'clock we sent our last letters back, out of sight of land opened letter. Mrs. Kiester's and Effie's. Some sick today. Would I could see my dear ones." "April 10th, Up at 7 o'clock, out on deck. Sea less rough. Prof. Drury feeling better and up too. Still he ate scarcely any breakfast. I ate well. Feel very well. Enjoy the air and the sea. Fine day and exquisite evening. Astronomy on board. Walk with Mrs. _______. Excellent dinner at 5 o'clock. Appetite very good. 306 miles from 12 yesterday to 72 today. Delightful sail today. How are my dears?" "April 13th, About from 2 to 4 this A.M. storm violent. Some passengers alarmed. Went out on hurricane deck early. Sea very high. Ship plunging and rolling. Received a sudden and pretty hard fall. Many still sick. Drury in bed. Looked at my pictures. Read the account of Paul's ship wreck. Storm abated in P.M. Wind changed. High swell. Moonlight. Letter ex Dr. Beyer by purser." [At one point there is mention of him seeing 22 vessels all at one time.] "April 19th, Up about 6:30. Still sailing in the English Channel. No land in sight. Not feeling very well. Ate too much dinner yesterday. Did not eat breakfast, only drank tea and ate a little toast. Dover at 11:30, Chalk Cliffs, Dover resting below the cliff at the head of a little bay. Shakespeare Cliff. A castle. A fog in P.M. Whistle. Passengers sober about it. Captain leaves table. Evening clear. Ship running fast. Wrote same to Addie." (Addie, wife and his children are Jessie and Lulu) "April 22nd, Hard rest last night. Breakfast in "Restaurateur" 1 M. Packed up our effects. Took a walk along some nice streets. Started to depot at 10 A.M. Baggage examined. No duty. Fair to Berlin 20 M. 70 ? Train left 11 o'clock. Took second class coupe, five of us, very nice. Cold this A.M. Very flat country and pretty wet. Many villages and larger towns along the way. Arrived 5 P.M. 175 miles. Long walk. Supper at Grand ____restaurant. Card to Addie. Home sick." "May 1st, Sun shone today but the air still cold. Fruhstuck (German for breakfast) at 7 this morning. Studied German awhile. Went to University. Heard Dr. Kaftan on History of Doct. Dr. Dillman on Isaiah and Dr. Weiss on New ___Theology. Considerable difficulty following them. Our ears not sufficiently trained yet. Studied German in the P.M. Went to P.O., no letters today. Felt somewhat disappointed. Wrote a letter to Ed. L. Retired late although it was cold. Began a letter to Addie." "May 11th, Up at six. Studied pretty faithfully until 7:15 when we had our Fruhstuck. Heard today Prof. Goltz, Prof. Paulson, Prof. Weiss. Between 9-10 went to August Schultze's bookstore, 131 N. Friedrich St. Took dinner at Fran Dr. Ludde's. Quite a number of Americans boarding there. Had a good time and remained until four o'clock. Dinner at 2. The youngest daughter exceedingly sociable and agreeable. Walked to the P.O. again. Nothing. Began article for the Telescope. Retired a little after ten." "May 21st, Up at 5 o'clock. Studied as usual. Hot all day. Missed Dr. Goltz's lecture in Dogmatic. Studied some in German grammar. A great military parade today. The whole Royal family out but we missed most of it. I saw part of the soldiers parade in front of the palace. Read in Philosophy this P.M. and in Atto's grammar. We went to P.O. again. No mail. Wrote a letter to Addie of 11 P.M. and put in box. Quite warm this eve." "June 27th, Up about 6 o'clock and took a good bath and dressed before Fruhstuck. Received a good letter from Addie and Jessie and a couple of forwards. Another copy of Journal of June 10 also came. Went to the Jerusalem Church this A.M. After dinner went to see Dr. Schleierneadier's grave. Had a big tiresome walk down. Did not know the way and we went astray. Did not find Neander's grave. Wrote a 14 page letter to Addie and put in box. Slept on sofa until 1 ½." "July 6th, This day proceeded about as the others. We are at University. Heard three lectures this morning. After dinner we went to the Borse or exchange. A very fine building and quite an interesting spectacle to see the stir below. The noise was like the roar of Niagara. Came home and read a while and then we went to visit Prof. Dr. Stuckenberg. Had a pleasant time. Talked Switzerland. Had a letter from Addie, a good one. Wrote to my brother Frank." "July 23rd, Up before 5. Quarrel with the hotel servant. Off for ___. Changed cars for Vienna and then for Cologne via _____. Saw much beautiful country today as also yesterday and many castles. One well preserved. Many in ruins. Passed through Herborn where W. Otterbein was educated. Castle. Through Marbury (castle), to Dillenbury where Otterbein was born. Ruins of the old castle. Church still there and the old Latin school. Pleasant visit here……" "July 31st, Up early……5:20 for the "Gletsch" at foot of Rhone Glacier. Magnificent views in early part of the day. Devil's bridge, great waterfalls and immense peaks. Wonderful, wonderful. Rhone Glacier at Belvedere Hotel. We went in it. Hard to climb. There at to foot we climbed upon it again but very difficult to climb and some difficult to come down. A few open cataract, a frozen cascade! Oh my! ……….." "August 11th, Reached Boulogne about 11 o'clock last night where we changed cars. Then to Calais on the ___where we took boat and went to Dover across the English Channel. Quite a number of the passengers became sea sick and among them Prof. D. I did not get sea sick. Left Dover about 5 ½ by the Great South Eastern R.R. for London. Saw very interesting country on the way. Beautiful fields and villages. Reached London about 9 o'clock. Secured a room at once at No. 30 Arendel St. Washed, went to bank and P.O. Received a letter from Addie. Wrote reply in P.M. Looked after our goods. To bed at 8." [Ends up in London and tours the city before they board the ship] "August 27th, Our vessel, the Furnessia, of the Anchor Line left Glasgow to N.Y. Left harbor about 1 o'clock last night. This morning we found ourselves on the Firth of the Clyde. Interesting views on both sides. Stopped at Londonderry Island where we took on more passengers and goods. Left about 4 P.M. Saw "Giant Causeway" from a distance. They are pretty badly crowded on board. Has been a pleasant, interesting day. Sea running pretty high this eve and the west is dark." "August 31st, Weather still bad but not quite as bad as yesterday. Passengers are complaining and growling a good deal and most of them continue to be sick. Wind still blowing from the north west and it is quite cool on deck. Dr. Jefferies of Allegheny Seminary, Dr. Barbour of Yale and Prof. Porter of Spring Garden Institute Philadelphia are on board……" "September 3rd, This has been a pleasant day ever since noon yesterday. The first nice weather since leaving one week ago today. The boat is pushing rapidly on, passengers are all on board and are cheerful. Dancing on board this afternoon and evening. The moon is shinning too this eve. My appetite is ferocious and I am eating awfully." Our author also takes a small vacation in the middle of his studies for about a week, going to Dresden, Saxony and Switzerland. One day he mentions that he can't sleep because the bed bugs are so bad. The diary measures about 3" x 5 ¾" and the cover is very very worn especially around the edges. But the binding looks good as do the pages. Besides the daily entries he's written 39 additional pages of expenses and notes to whom he's received and written letters to. Overall G+.