Re: Sam’s 1854 return from New York-

Replying to Scott, albeit in slow motion, as I have been swamped:

On your Twain Geography site you report with excellent detail how Sam
traveled to NYC mostly by rail, with a few exceptions---- “an awful trip,
taking five days, where it should have been only three.” It took five
days primarily
because of three segments by water: St. Louis to Alton; from Monroe, across
Lake Erie to Buffalo “in the fine Lake palace, “Southern Michigan,””, and
then  “by Hudson river steamboat, another day—" as you further document
from the Mark Twain scholars that you report.

On the return trip, Sam would have been able to cut most of three days off
of that travel time by taking the Penn Central to Pittsburgh, crossing the
river, and then continuing by rail on to Cleveland, all of which could be
accomplished in less than a day.  The remainder of Sam’s return trip could
then be accomplished easily in the two following days that he reports merely
by taking the same route that you took on the way out. Thus, while I have
strongly questioned some of Sam’s other reporting, his reporting here rings
true to me.

And, yes, there was a good reason for him to get back to St. Louis before
heading to Muscatine, as I hope to be able to report well before the end of
the year.

Thanks for your help in working this out!

 Peter