Handwritten Diary of N.S. Reeder on Business Trips to Russian (1914-15) and South America (1919). Nathaniel Sutherland Reeder Jr. (1875-1950) was a railway car designer. He was born in Newport, Campbell County, Kentucky and graduated from Cornell University in 1896 with a master’s degree in engineering. His working career was in the railway industry, with his primary focus on the design and construction of railway cars. This diary of approximately 120 pages chronicles business trips to Russia (approx. 90 pages, 1914-1915) and to South American (approx. 30 pages, 1919.) ************ His diary begins in November 1914 as Reeder is heading from New York to Russia via the ship “Kursk” of the Russian-American Line. There is a war going on, so there are dangers along the way, but he arrives in mid-December, just as winter is starting. The government of Russia, it appears, is very interested in buying railway cars and street cars. The next several months find Reeder dashing back and forth between Russian ministries in an attempt to consummate a sale. He is also involved in arranging credit, developing the terms of the deal as well as designing the cars to be sold to the Russians. He leads a fast life, and provides considerable detail as to his activities, which makes for an exciting read. In May he is still there, trying to hammer out a deal. Plus the war is intensifying as he notes in his May 9th entry that “News of the Lusitania being sunk confirmed 1989 passengers on board about 600 saved Rumored that U.S. will now send fleet to blockade Germany.” They finally reach an agreement in June with Russia to purchase 4800 general service railway cars and 2000 box cars – which is quite a deal. But the reader is left to wonder if the deal will ever be consummated given the cost of waging a war. Reeder finally sails home the end of June 1915, accompanied from time-to-time by protective war ships. Along with the diary is a copy of Reeder’s photo and bio done in 1910 plus some vintage newspaper clippings.

Front hinge cracked, edges chipped and rubbed, binding pulled from text-block, contents with light age-toning, leaf near end with toned area (a shadow left by a clipping at some point), a couple of leaves sprung. Good.